Expo 58

Spies. After I finished reading Jonathan Coe’s novel, Expo 58, I hoped that someone would present this entertaining and humorous story as a movie. This novel is a satire of the cold war, using the backdrop of the Brussels World’s Fair of 1958 as the setting. Protagonist Thomas Foley is chosen to oversee the Britannia pub at the British pavilion. He leaves his wife and baby at home for six months and spends lots of time in Belgium with one of the fair’s hostesses, Anneke. Coe presents spies that are the funniest I’ve encountered since Maxwell Smart. Foley becomes entangled in a scheme to prevent a defection to the Soviet Union, and his naiveté allows him to play the part as the spymasters intend. Readers who enjoy satire, spies, and this time period are those most likely to enjoy reading this very entertaining novel. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Expo 58 from amazon.com.