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.
