Lion Eyes: A Novel

by: Claire Berlinski

Published by: Ballantine Books (February release)

Reviewed by Krista Quinn

Lion Eyes, by Claire Berlinski, is a beautifully written novel with distinctly unique plot. Written partially in epistolary (written in a series of letters form), the novel follows American novelist Claire Berlinski–the fictional Claire is loosely based on the actual author herself–as she works on her latest novel while living in France.

Interestingly the idea for this novel did grow out of a real-life “pen pal” of sorts who contacted the real Berlinski after she wrote her first novel, Loose Lips. Her real-life email friend is not a spy, but for the creative Berlinski, an idea was formed.

The fictional Claire forms an online friendship with an Iranian man named Arsalan who contacts her because he wants to read her first novel. From the initial email, their relationship develops into something deeper, and eventually they agree to meet in Paris. Immediately after their meeting Claire finds herself amid shocking circumstances: she is caught in the middle of an elaborate espionage plot.

Berlinski is a skilled writer, and unique and witty sentences like, “it made an awful sound, like tongs being fed into a Cuisinart” are abundant. While much of the book is the emails between Claire and Arsalan (and also between Claire and her other long-distance friends), Berlinski also includes rich descriptions of Middle Eastern history and beautiful snippets of ancient Persian poetry by poets like Rumi and Hafez. The supporting characters–Claire’s other friends–are hilarious and well developed, unlike Claire herself, and I was left wanting to know more about her.

Once Claire meets Arsalan, the novel veers in a completely new and different direction, and as a result the novel captivates the reader in a way that it doesn’t in the beginning. As Claire discovers things about Arsalan and his life, and about her own life, the reader can’t wait to see what happens between the two of them, and where each one ends up.

Armchair Interviews says: Berlinski doesn’t disappoint with the ending.

Author’s Web site: http://www.Berlinski.com