Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd is an espionage thriller that I bought on a whim at a book sale. This book is set in the early 20th century, just on the cusp of World War I. It follows Lysander Rief, an English actor whose journey begins as a personal quest for healing but soon spirals into a shadowy world of secrets, manipulation, and deception.
The book opens in Vienna, where Lysander is seeking treatment at an institute for an unusual sexual condition, hoping for a cure and a little privacy. Instead, he finds himself suddenly entangled in a scandal that forces him to flee the city under covert circumstances arranged by the British Embassy. It is this escape, and the debt it has now created for him, that pulls him into the workings of wartime intelligence. Back in London, Lysander is recruited into a secret branch of the government. His mission is to expose a mole leaking crucial information to the enemy. The story begins as Lysander is dealing with a personal crisis that grows into a tale of espionage, moral ambiguity, and even identity.
The character of Lysander Reif is extremely intriguing because he is charming, intelligent, yet flawed, and even a bit naïve. He constantly moves between confident and confused, which makes him relatable in a way. His background of being an actor adds a layer to the overall story. It becomes difficult to clearly tell where his performance ends and what the truth is. At times, he is almost like an unreliable narrator, it brings questions about whether to trust Lysander or if he trusts himself. This push and pull between identity affects his loyalties and relationships throughout the story.
I enjoyed the easy blending of psychology and espionage elements throughout the plot. It blurs the lines regularly between the internal and external conflicts. It’s interwoven in a manner that psychoanalysis brings forth hidden desires and suppressed memories while espionage exploits these same vulnerabilities. In Lysander’s case, his identity becomes a fluid notion when his survival depends on it. I read a little about pre-war Europe, where these ideas of uncertainty and shifting alliances were prevalent. The descriptions in the book help set an atmosphere that adds to the tension of the story.
I enjoyed reading Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd. The pacing is intriguing, and the setting and characters are compelling. The elements of espionage, psychological drama, and good writing made this a gripping historical thriller. I liked the exploration of identity and truth through Lysander’s eyes; it kept me hooked. Overall, it’s a good book, and I really liked it.
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