Review: Unique and engaging
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 28, 2013
Glimpses of a Black Op is the story of "D", a London corporate analyst who has become quite disillusioned after living his life and the struggles and challenges he faces. This is a book that is hard to put into words. It tells the story of the Black Op and the technological advances that turn the Thought Police from a dystopian fantasy into a grim reality. A lot of books from this genre attempt to tell the story from the top down. They lay out their philosophy and outline everything in a way that attempts to get the reader to understand from the view of an outsider looking in. Glimpses of a Black Op is not such a book. It takes the complete opposite approach and draws you in by telling the story from the perspective of a humble Black Op analyst. The result is very refreshing. Enjoyable is not usually the word that comes to mind when you think about these kinds of stories, but I really liked reading Glimpses of a Black Op. Despite simultaneously not wanting to live in the type of world depicted and being horrified at the striking similarities to our own countries, you will not want to put this book down.This is much more than a simple narrative. Glimpses of a Black Op goes far beyond telling one man's story. This book is largely based on real events, and many chapters are pure facts with no embellishment or fictionalization. The author brilliantly  draws on his own experience to show how "D"s story can easily become our reality.This is quite a long book - 125 chapters in all. Although this sounds daunting at first, the book is not hard to read. You will need to set aside time to finish it, but you will thoroughly enjoy the process. The events described are less than pleasant, but the experience of reading this book is enlightening . You will think and engage your mind the whole way through.Even though you have probably not been in any of the situations described, you will be able to place yourself in D's shoes as you accompany him on his journey. At first, you will be intrigued as you get to know the characters and familiarize yourself with what is going on. You will have many questions. They will all be answered, but not by the author simply telling you the solutions. You will be immersed in the story and internalize D's thoughts and feelings. You will not only feel like you are there with D, but eventually feel like you are D. His story will become yours, and you will see how all the events relate to you.Dean Evans is a brilliant writer. He not only outlines his speculations, but expertly weaves his thoughts and observations into the writing in such a way that you can almost instinctively understand his perspective. He is able to write about things that happened long ago and far away in such a way that they are not only relevant today, in the here and now, but tie in to the future and offer a glimpse of what could be as well.The chapters are short and easy to digest. They are written in a way that easily compartmentalize deep thoughts and complex situations. Each chapter builds on the last and lays a foundation for the next. Things eventually come together, but not in ways you would expect. You can clearly see the author's thoughts in the writing, but you are never told what to think. Instead, you are simply guided along the path while being encouraged to draw your own conclusions. I really enjoyed the way the author asked questions to get you to think and find the answers rather than laying everything out. You will feel like you are engaged in an internal dialogue with the author as you read and not simply being "talked at".This will really open your mind. I felt like I was being enlightened and experiencing everything myself as I read. I wont give away the ending, but I will say that the final chapter was brilliant. The author seamlessly weaves poetry into narrative as he ties up the story. The answers are always there. You may think you need to go on a deep journey to solve the many puzzles and mysteries life presents. In the end, however, it's not what you experience, but what you do with the things you experience. Once you learn how to look at things, real answers to real problems will appear.Glimpses of a Black Op is definitely a must read!