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The Longest Night
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Plot Summary of The Longest Night
"

Putnam, Aug 2004, 24.95, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0399151702

In 1943, American hit man Leonard "Mouse" Weiss knows he is fortunate to still be alive as he botched up his last assignment by allowing a witness to survive. Brooklyn Jewish crime boss Meyer Lansky knows that Mouse has been a loyal employee for years, but must make an example to others that failure is unacceptable, but does not want to have his man killed yet he cannot have him hang around the town.

Instead, he decides to give Mouse a second chance when Danish Jews contact the mob boss for help. To make a case for world intervention, they need money and weapons to seize a train carrying Dutch Jews to certain death. Mouse will make the drop, but the New York thug, who considered absconding with the loot, finds he wants to help the resistance, but also lands in trouble in which failure means the deaths of not just him but also the innocents involved.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar


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Review Analysis of The Longest Night
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story: - 1930's-1950's
Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Escape/rescue behind enemy lines? Yes
War-time military intelligence mission? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - accused criminal
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
The antagonists are: - nazis
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - Scandinavia

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 3-4
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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Gregg Keizer Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Sandy  

SCHOLARS:
Harriet Klausner  


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