Funeral in Berlin
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| Funeral in Berlin | |
 Book cover |
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| Author | Len Deighton |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Spy novel |
| Publication date | 1964 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | NA |
| Preceded by | Horse Under Water |
| Followed by | Billion-Dollar Brain |
Funeral in Berlin is a spy novel by Len Deighton.
The subject of the novel — arranging a Soviet scientist's defection — is dated, but the characters (especially Johnny Vulkan and Colonel Stok) remain memorable. Another controversial character is the civil servant Hallam, who is shown to be susceptible to blackmail because he is homosexual; male homosexuality remained illegal in England until 1967.
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[edit] Plot summary
The unnamed hero travels to Berlin to arrange the defection of Soviet scientist Semitsa brokered by Johnny Vulkan a wheeler-dealer in the Berlin intelligence community. Despite his initial scepticism the deal seems to have the support of Russian security-chief Colonel Stok and Hallam in the British government's Home Office. But why does the fake documentation for Semitsa need to be so precisely specified? And what is the interest of Israeli intelligence agent Samantha Steel in the case?
The complex plot unfolds to reveal a story of betrayal, murder and concentration camp secrets long-forgotten.
[edit] Legal dispute with Brock's Fireworks
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The U.K. publication of Funeral in Berlin provoked a censorship lawsuit; at the climax, the protagonist and Hallam meet at a fireworks party where they discuss the hazards of fireworks. U.K. fireworks makers objected to this discussion text and legally forced censorship of the novel: all Penguin 1966 paperback edition copies had the word-name Brock's (a fireworks company) deleted with black ink; in 1972, Penguin re-printed the novel, but the Brock's paragraphs and dialogue were deleted.
Compare the dialogue from the shortened, censored edition of the novel:
[quote]
'I personally have always been against it,' said Hallam.
'Alcohol?' I said.
'Fireworks night,' said Hallam.
[unquote]
. . . with the original uncensorededition:
[quote]
'Fireworks night,' said Hallam. 'Once a year animals are frightened, children are blinded and burnt. There are terrible accidents, hooligans take advantage of the occasion to throw fireworks into letter boxes and put them in milk bottles. There are cases of them tying them to animals. It's quite a disgusting business. The fire service always suffers casualties, the casualty wards in hospitals are overworked. Who gains?'
'Brock's Fireworks,' I said.
'Yes,' said Hallam, 'and the shops selling them. There is a lot of money changing hands tonight. A lot of us at the Home Office are very much against it, I can tell you, but the interests we are working against are...' Hallam raised flat palms in a gesture of despair.
'They should pay,' said Hallam. 'They should foot the bill for all the damage and accidents and burnt houses that are caused, and if any money is left over after that, it could be paid to the shareholders.'
'But don't they make signal rockets?' I asked,
'Very few, my boy. I've been into the whole business; it is quite degrading that these people make money out of it. Nasty. If the municipal authorities each organised a firework display, that would be another matter...'
[unquote]
[edit] Adaptation
In 1966 a film version of Funeral in Berlin was made starring Michael Caine.
In 1973, the TV series Jason King (starring Peter Wyngarde), used the plot from Funeral in Berlin to smuggle an individual out of East Germany. The book itself is shown at the end of the episode. (Ostensibly, they had been using a plot from a book written by eponymous hero Jason King, but it turns out at the end that that was a double bluff. King ostentatiously throws the Deighton book into the fireplace.)
[edit] References to chess
Every chapter title is referenced to a quote from the rules of chess. The Soviet colonel Stok boasts that he is one of the best chessplayers in Berlin at that time. He asks the hero "Do you like chess?" He replies "Yes, but I prefer games where there is a better chance to cheat."
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