Powerfully entertaining. . . . Boyd’s ability to evoke a sense of time and place is unmatched. . . . He has been perfecting the craft of globetrotting entertainment for the past three decades. The Richmond Times-Dispatch Boyd is a born story teller whose clear, taut prose never gets in the way of his characters and their unpredictable fates.”— The Wall Street Journal An evocative mix of sex, spies, and psychoanalysis. . . . Fans of the author will love and recognize all the hallmarks of Boyd’s best books.”— CNN.com Lysander is engaged to be married, and he receives a letter from his fiancée, Blanche Blondel, an actress, which he reads in the Café Central. She has been with other men, but Lysander has taken care to be honorable. When he leaves the café, he runs into Alwyn Munro. Munro claims that he is a friend of Bensimon rather than a patient. He is a military attaché with the rank of captain, staying at the embassy, and he gives Lysander his card.

Boyd is a born story teller whose clear, taut prose never gets in the way of his characters and their unpredictable fates. The Wall Street Journal Dr. Bensimon has begun to work on a theory called “parallelism.” Parallelism suggests that the world is “gaunt” until people cover it with details and context. For example, people might find the world around them ugly when they are in a bad mood, but when in a better mood, they might see beauty in all things. Therefore, people’s past is an aggregate of the fictions they create. Bensimon believes that this approach may cure Lysander of his anorgasmia. Lysander is hypnotized and Bensimon inserts a new memory in Lysander’s consciousness. In it, he fell asleep but nothing embarrassing happened. When Lysander awakes, he can recall the second memory, and Bensimon encourages him to rely on it. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Powerfully entertaining. . . . Boyd’s ability to evoke a sense of time and place is unmatched. . . . He has been perfecting the craft of globetrotting entertainment for the past three decades.”— The Richmond Times-Dispatch

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At Dr. Bensimon’s office, he meets Miss Bull, an Englishwoman. She asks Lysander for a cigarette and takes two from him. When Bensimon and a man exit the doctor’s office, Miss Bull “barges” the queue to see the doctor. Alwyn Munro introduces himself and suggests that he and Lysander might have met before, as the latter looks so familiar. When Lysander mentions that Bull cadged two of his cigarettes, Munro warns him that she looks dangerous. Sex, psychiatry and Vienna on the eve of World War I - those are promising ingredients for a novel. And William Boyd makes the most of them. . . . Boyd’s narrative moves briskly, and his local color is deftly done. The Seattle Times This is the sort of novel you finish, then begin again to revisit your favourite bits. . . . More than anything Waiting for Sunrise is a gleeful celebration of storytelling — sly, clever, frequently hilarious, always involving. . . . This is the literary event of the year.”— The Times (UK) A thoughtfully plotted story, whose twists and turns reveal the price its characters pay in trust. . . . Boyd is a nimble and entertaining writer. The Philadelphia Inquirer A tantalizing, fast-paced spy novel. . . . As seductive as it is, Waiting for Sunrise is no bodice-ripper. It’s a brainteaser, charged with uncertainty and danger, electric with restraint. The New York Times Book Review

Always a smooth and expert storyteller, Boyd effortlessly combines historical detail with a sexy, galloping narrative that proves irresistible.”— People (4 stars) Always a smooth and expert storyteller, Boyd effortlessly combines historical detail with a sexy, galloping narrative that proves irresistible. People In 1913 Vienna, young English actor Lysander Rief is accused of rape after launching a passionate affair and escapes with the help of two dodgy British diplomats, who promptly enlist his help in a dangerous mission. Costa/Whitbread Award winner Boyd turns in what looks to be a layered and atmospheric work; even strictly literary sorts might consider Library Journal Waiting for Sunrise retains a consistent intrigue and a splendidly intricate plot. . . . The denouement plays out with characteristic suspense and masterful design. . . . [Boyd has] a truly remarkable imagination. The Huffington Post

Waiting for Sunrise

Sex, psychiatry and Vienna on the eve of World War I - those are promising ingredients for a novel. And William Boyd makes the most of them. . . . Boyd’s narrative moves briskly, and his local color is deftly done.”— The Seattle Times Lysander begins to interview the officers of the Directorate of Movements. He narrows the list down to three primary suspects, all of whom have access to the relevant information. They have also recently traveled to France. The first is Osborne-Way, who is in charge of the department. Osborne-Way, who is suspicious to Lysander because he seems innocent, has also opposed Lysander’s presence since the latter’s arrival. Major Mansfield Keogh, meanwhile, is Osborne-Way’s second in command. Finally, Captain Christian Vandenbrook supervises the dispatch of ammunition, ordnance, and supplies to France. Lysander adopts a disguise and follows Keogh first. He learns that the Major is in mourning over his wife and moves on.

This is the sort of novel you finish, then begin again to revisit your favourite bits. . . . More than anything Waiting for Sunrise is a gleeful celebration of storytelling — sly, clever, frequently hilarious, always involving. . . . This is the literary event of the year. The Times (UK) Fans of previous Boyd novels will find themselves on gratifyingly familiar ground in Waiting for Sunrise. . . . Few contemporary writers are able to evoke the ambiance and drama of our recent past as forcefully as Boyd. . . . Boyd’s prose is often radiant.”— The Washington Post Book World Always a smooth and expert storyteller, Boyd effortlessly combines historical detail with a sexy, galloping narrative that proves irresistible." (4 stars) - People Magazine The decoded messages are not enough to identify the traitor, though it is clear that the traitor works in the Directorate of Movements. Munro and Massinger take Lysander to meet a captain in Whitehall Court, London. The captain does not introduce himself. They decide to insert Lysander in the War Office by claiming that he is following up on a commission from the previous year. When Massinger suggests that they might be stepping on M.O. 5’s toes, the captain assures them that M.O. 5 is too busy to put anyone on the case anyhow. They label the traitor “Andromeda,” and Lysander begins his search. When Lysander arrives, however, he soon realizes that the search will be extraordinarily difficult. He resolves to begin interviewing the members of the Directorate.

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Waiting for Sunrise begins on a clear day in Vienna in 1913. Lysander Ulrich Rief is an Englishman who has given up his future plans and has invested his savings in a move to Vienna. Lysander has come to see Dr. J. Bensimon, a psychoanalyst trained by Sigmund Freud. In his rush and anxiety to meet with Bensimon for the first time, Lysander forgets his boater hat on a park bench. Instead of returning to retrieve it, he carries on to his appointment. Along the way, he sees a poster of a woman, barely clothed. He cannot make out what she is doing because the poster has been torn down, presumably due to its indecency. Lysander wonders what it might have been about and speculates that it might be related to some Greek myth. Lysander is staying in a temporary consulate building, a small villa in the classical style. The prison has two stories and is near a garden, and His Majesty’s government is paying for both the costs of his incarceration and his legal fees. His lawyer, Herr Feuerstein, agrees with Lysander that the best defense will be to reveal the details of his affair with Hettie. Feuerstein takes note of the details of the affair and plans to visit each hotel to gather evidence proving Hettie’s complicity in the affair and that Lysander is innocent of assault.