A brilliantly crafted rapidly moving and highly entertaining novel
: as the following sampling of some of my notes and remarks- giving
a taste of what and how of the narrative- will bear out, I think:
First 5 pages, and already a handful of characters and their
relationships and situations shaping up towards the promise of
something interesting. first 14 pages: the narrative moves along
briskly (sacrificing detail? sharpness?), taking in a "Jungle
Operation", a bandit ambush and killing of Captain Ian Macdonald .
Ian Macdonald dies, long live Ismail Macdonald. General Sir Gerald
Templer mentioned, & Tan Siew Sin & Tengku Abdul Rahman;
time and place pointers..Datuk Lee's way to wealth: wheeling &
dealing, real estate, shares; work, play & risk taking, &
making play work for him...Lee's daughter Mei Ling all at sea
literally- cried "God save me", & was, by a dolphin.Ismail
buying a car - this gone into some detail . good telling detail re
Ismail's careful placing of clothes.(P40). The best writing and
focus so far (P47) Melodramatic. New characters introduced
literally with " .. a splash"; Lucille Oppenheimer - just in time
for Ismail . . Narrative rolling .. rollicking?!- along now (pp 50
ff); rolling Ismail to London, and to Emma Thompson. Studying Law
for the exam . makes for something different . Gambling, its
additive power . Nicholas Dennis Denning. Lady V Russel. And yet
another character: Dr. Eric Nkomo, . In Paris .. Prof. J.Jaques.
Ski resort. St Moritz . Mountaineering. There's even a Princess
Diana appearance - not at all badly brought off .. Interesting
stuff: the painting. which the genuine article?. Dialogue. exchange
re traveling. drawing- roomish? Jane Austenish? . A long speech
here - how incorporated in the narrative flow? . Rough house stuff
in toilet - dirty politics literally . Even Pudu jail makes an
appearance . Touche! (184) .. In Hong Kong- Mei Ling's sudden
headache - the way of the world, just so: Mei Ling with Dr.
Enright, & Ismail with Lily Hua. Like a musical - Lily Hua
singing "Sound of Music" on the wall of China. Operative
element/motif: Ismail & Lily Hua on the Yang Tse, the latter
singing. A good page: Ismail gambling big time- subdued excitement,
tension rising. An Irish missionary's sermon. Mei Ling knifed to
death...Michael Curry's funeral oration..: " about life on earth in
the light of eternity .Ismail being messed up by a shark. his cry
God save me", his rescue. Adventure element: Antonia up the Amazon,
attacked by anaconda. Kuok's letter to Datuk Lee. of life here and
now, the Godly life in Thoreau-Tarzan environment. Spiritual &
Christian themes surfacing: time, aging and circumstances move
& direct human lives towards the spirit. in confinement Ismail
reflecting on life...Time & life running out for Ismail-
terror. Antonia to the Amazon to find contentment. Full circle:
beginning at Terendak Camp (Malacca) & Ian Macdonald thought
of. The thrust of the above notes and observations clearly points
to a quality of entertaining readability. Most readers, that is,
should find this a good read, what with changing scenes, narrative
twists & turns, action, character galore, politics, adventure,
sex, money matters, legal matters, religion and all thrown in,
worked into a fast paced narrative carrying an almost kaleidoscopic
variety in terms of character, locale, situation and event.All in
all, a hold-all, this, of many things - a heady mix and match of
interests and preoccupations that can conceivably have the reader
hooked and held for page after page before - towards the end -
making him see the emptiness of it all without life's supreme
interest, reality and truth: God.
General
Imprint: |
Authorhouse Uk Ltd
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
April 2008 |
First published: |
April 2008 |
Authors: |
David Goa
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 32mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
564 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-4343-8339-6 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
Genre fiction >
Adventure / thriller >
General
Promotions
|
LSN: |
1-4343-8339-3 |
Barcode: |
9781434383396 |
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