Nov 21, 2004 06:57 PM
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(Updated Nov 21, 2004 07:17 PM)
Robert Ludlum left this world in the year 2001 for a more action packed life elsewhere, more thrilling than any of the numerous thrillers that he spawned through his highly imaginative mental faculties.
Even though he is no more, new thrillers under his name keep coming at a fairly frantic pace. Already seven have appeared since, and ?The Tristan Betrayal? is the latest. How does that happen? The estate of Robert Ludlum feels that all good thing need not come to an end even if the master craftsman is not available to grace the work of ghost writers who keep churning out thrillers under his own name. So, even though he is dead his ?spirit? is still alive and kicking.
Robert Ludlum, during his time was the best selling author and his books sold worldwide number a staggering 210 million. There seems to be no let down in sales as more and more thrillers keep popping up from his stable.
?The Tristan Betrayal? is a WW2 thriller written in the typical R L mould. It is all about espionage and counter-espionage and political intrigue. As usual the book comes up with larger than life characters and their accomplishments. But, it is the action and storyline of the book that keeps you hooked all the time. After reading 521 pages of an absorbing story I felt this book was a fitting tribute to the memory of the late lamented Robert Ludlum.
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CHARACTERS
Stephen Metcalfe:
An impulsive, fool-hardy at times, playboy who keeps changing his identity as he flits from one country to another and the reason is he is also a spy. But, this time he bites more than he can chew.
Svetlana Baranova:
A ?man?s dream come true? kind of beauty. A woman of unbelievable beauty, and a ballet dancer to boot. She is very intelligent and bold. She is also hopelessly in love with Metcalfe and the passion is mutual.
Alfred Corcoran:
The spy master whose schemes are outrageously crazy, if anything. He would sacrifice anybody including Metcalfe if the need arose. No room for sentiments as far as he is concerned. A man who believes in compartmentation of roles so much that his own left hand doesn?t know what his right hand is doing. Most of the times it pays, but sometimes this method can go awry.
President Roosevelt:
The American president who along with Corcoran has hatched a plot that can change the course of history provided his improbable plan succeeds.
Adolf Hitler:
The Nazi fascist chief on a world conquering spree, will he take the bite? Will he change course? Therein lies hope for the free world.
Joseph Stalin:
The man who will not think twice before killing his own mother at the slightest suspicion. Already, his suspicious nature has caused the downfall of many Russian Army Generals leave alone the small fry. Every Russian is suspicious of every other Russian, don?t even talk of foreigners.
Kundrov:
The Russian spy ace turns out to be more than a match for Metcalfe, always intent on thwarting his plans.
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THE PLOT:
It is the year 1991, Russia is burning, and anarchy prevails. President Gorbachev, the architect of ?Perestroika,? who had introduced reforms in the country, is now a pale shadow of his once powerful self. Reason, the communist hardliners do not want power to slip away from their greedy hands. They have been successful in holding Gorbachev as a prisoner. The coup to dislodge the president may come anytime threatening to take back Russia to those fearful days.
The conspiring communist leaders are waiting for the all important signal from one highly placed official in the Russian Government, Stepan Menilov, to declare the coup.
Only one individual, Stephen Metcalfe can stop him from averting a global cataclysm. But why should the all important Russian leader Stepan Menilov listen to him? Russia and America have always been suspicious of each other. What is it that Metcalfe wishes to convey to Menilov? What is the all important secret that Metcalfe is carrying in his heart for more than 50 years?
Much of the story is connected with World War 2. At that time the all conquering Nazis were at the height of their power. There is an uneasy truce between Germany and Russia. Britain cannot hold much longer and is on the verge of surrendering to Germany. America is undecided which way to go. The events that took place in 1940 have a far reaching consequence in 1991 as President Gorbachev opens up Russia to reforms
The narration is slick and purposeful. But, as I said, much of the story is concerned with pre WW2 scenario and occasionally shifts to the 1991 chaos. There are enough twists in the tale to keep you hooked.
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CONCLUSION:
Though it is ghost written, the uncredited author has done justice to the style of Robert Ludlum. The resemblance in the writing style is remarkable. In fact the story telling in this book is much better than some of Robert Ludlum?s own works. Critics of ghost writing will be a disappointed lot. There is not much to criticize here.
As is the wont in thrillers of this genre, some of the characters appear to be larger than life. Metcalfe is projected as highly resourceful and slippery. He keeps escaping from the Russians and the Germans in a manner that would make them look like first rate idiots. But, there is a side to Metcalfe that is very romantic, emotional and lovable. He is not one of those ruthless spies that we come across in stories of intrigue. Svetlana Baranova is another character who is highly idealistic and puts country before self. Russian spy Kundrov is another character who is almost lovable. Wonder if such men do exist.
All in all, a very enjoyable book to have with you at the weekend.
© MB Farookh Nov. 2004.
