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Spies

With IGCSE and A Level study guide
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( 6,367 ratings, 507 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Spies by Michael Frayn deals with the themes of memory and perception as it follows the story of an elderly man reflecting on his childhood during World War II. Set in a suburban neighbourhood, the story revolves around two boys who suspect one of their mothers of being a German spy. Through their secret observations and investigations, the narrative unfolds to reveal the complexities of truth and imagination.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate compelling narratives that blend historical intrigue with the perspective of youthful curiosity. This educational tale captures the essence of childhood games morphing into thrilling adventures against a backdrop of wartime espionage, transporting you back to a time where innocence clashes with the startling realities of adult secrets.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Designed to meet the requirements for students at GCSE and A level, this accessible and comprehensive new educational edition:- includes detailed analyses of character, setting and theme; - examines in detail the novel's plot, structure and narrative techniques; - offers key quotations and activities both for the student working alone and in the classroom.

Spies by Michael Frayn is the classic wartime coming-of-age novel from one of Britain's best-loved writers. Winner of the Whitbread Novel of the Year Award.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In the quiet cul-de-sac where Keith and Stephen live, the only immediate signs of the Second World War are the blackout at night and a single random bomb site. But the two boys start to suspect all is not as it seems when one day Keith announces a disconcerting discovery: the Germans have infiltrated his own family. And when the secret underground world they have dreamed up emerges from the shadows, they find themselves engulfed in mysteries far deeper and more painful than they had bargained for.

Spies is designed to meet the requirements for students at GCSE and A level. This accessible and comprehensive new educational edition:

  • Includes detailed analyses of character, setting, and theme.
  • Examines in detail the novel's plot, structure, and narrative techniques.
  • Offers key quotations and activities both for the student working alone and in the classroom.

Series: Faber Educational Editions

View all
  • Spies
    In the quiet cul-de-sac where Keith and Stephen live, the only immediate signs of the Second World War are the blackout at night and a single random bomb site. But the two boys start to suspect all is not as it seems when one day Keith announces a disconcerting discovery: the Germans have infiltrated his own family. And when the...
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    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Never Let Me Go
    In one of the most memorable novels of recent years, Kazuo Ishiguro imagines the lives of a group of students growing up in a darkly skewed version of contemporary England. Narrated by Kathy, now thirty-one, Never Let Me Go hauntingly dramatises her attempts to come to terms with her childhood at a seemingly idyllic school, Hailsham, and with the fate...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571335794

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 April 2017

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Education Edition

Contributors:

  • Contributions by Andrew Bruff

Audience: Primary and secondary education, Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 265g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Michael Frayn was born in London in 1933 and began his career as a journalist on the Guardian and the Observer. His novels include Towards the End of the Morning, The Trick of It and A Landing on the Sun. Headlong (1999) was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, while his most recent novel, Spies (2002), won the Whitbread Novel Award. His fifteen plays range from Noises Off to Copenhagen and most recently Afterlife. He is married to the biographer and critic Claire Tomalin. Andrew Bruff is a pioneer in online education. A sought-after school consultant and former Head of English, his teaching videos on YouTube have been viewed over ten million times around the world. He lives on Dartmoor with his wife, Claire and sons Noah and Elijah.

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    โ€˜One of our best contemporary writers.โ€™ Sunday Telegraph Itโ€™s those around you who make you who you are. Michael Frayn would like to say a brief word about a few of the people who have formed his own particular world. Some were friends, some were not; some were more than friends. Some have had a profound effect, some only a...
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  • Among Others
    It's the other people around you, says Michael Frayn, who make you what you are. So he would like to say a brief word, looking back on life from his ninetieth year, about a few of the people who have formed his own particular world. Some were friends; some not; some more than friends. Some have had a profound effect;...
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  • Noises Off
    โ€œAs finely worked as a Swiss watch and as funny as the human condition permits ... the zigzag brilliance of the text as the clunky lines of the farce-within-a-farce rub against the sharp dialogue of reality.โ€ The Guardian A play-within-a-play following a touring theatre company who are rehearsing and performing a comedy called Nothing On, results in a riotous double-bill...
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  • Spies
    In the quiet cul-de-sac where Keith and Stephen live, the only immediate signs of the Second World War are the blackouts at night and a single random bombsite. But the two boys start to suspect all is not what it seems when one day Keith announces a disconcerting discovery: the Germans have infiltrated his own family. And when the secret...
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