When we talk of fiction where a lot of research is actually undertaken to bring out a book, one immediately recollects the likes of Arthur Hailley and Alistair Maclean. Their stories are gripping, the prose is beautiful, the characters are clear and know their parts, the setting is fantastic and then the tale unfolds.The stories span continents, involve big secrets, murder, deceit, romance et al. Alistair Maclean is a master story teller when it comes to war, national sabotage etc.
The Last Frontier deals with an English scientist making his way to Hungary on a rescue mission. Let me just give a quick narrative of what to expect out of a novel by Alistair Maclean rather than narrating the story of the last frontier, the entire plot eludes memory because I read it long ago - but some of the plots and ideas remain etched in memory. With Alistair Maclean you get a fair share of sabotage, plots, sub plots, twists, deceit, cunning, war time stories, love. He draws a world which is not visible to the normal people - a world that is a hard one to live in.
His prose is impeccable. In the last frontier an exchange runs thus, "I am not as old as the white hair on my head would make you think....". The stand out dialogue of that book. The prose and the narrative styles are the highlights of Alistair Maclean. he plays around with the language and brings out a beautiful melange of neatly strung words. On the one hand you seem stuck by the quality of the prose and the complex use of words while on the other, you get the message which makes the language seems simple - Sounds oxymoronic? Why not, thats how the language is and the author plays teasingly and tantalisingly with the words.
Having briefed the readers on what to expect from the author in terms of language, let me proceed with narrating what to expect from the stories as such : The stories span several landscapes - you encounter the eerie moors of Russia, the pleasing countrysides of England, the deadly cold of the poles, the sinister underwater world of submarines, the strange world of warring nations .... the list is endless. Each and every canvas is beautifully painted with pleasing stories. All stories are not typical cases where you just say , ’All is well that ends well.’ There are plots, sub plots, double crossing, mystery, murders, technology, weapons of mass destruction and what not.
But rest assured that the stories are crafted with care. Each and every character who makes an appearance is tough - they may look soft on the outer side , but their inner resilience and mental toughness make them worthy adversaries. Each and every character has a role and the way they mingle with the central characters is commendable. No matter how small the character’s role - the author attaches equal importance and ensures that the character blends into the story and does not vanish all of a sudden - many an author fail to tie up loose ends and create characters to highlight some events happening in the story. Not the case with Maclean. He knows his limitations and does not create unnecessary characters/leaves loose ends.
As the tale unfolds, you get carried away in a swirling torrent that threatens to engulf everything in its way. You enjoy the calm waters as the raft goes upstream. Slowly the waters become murky and you encounter turbulence. That is when you come across the real rough - you hit the rough patch and the raft just gets thrown hither and thither - you cling on to the raft for dear life. Just when you are about to surrender yourself to fate the raft reaches calmer waters and the sailing becomes smooth. The experience was chilling while it lasted. But looking back, you realize the adventure and also realise that you have enjoyed the adventure to the core. Similar is with these books - the story builds up bit by bit, reaches a crescendo, the events rush at lightning speed and then the book ends. Hope you get the gist.
What started as a review of the book has become a review of the author’s works. I would urge all fans of fiction to actually read through the books and enjoy the gripping tale. If I were to list out the names of the characters, what they do, how the story takes shape etc, then I will most likely divulge the climax without intending to - that spoils the fun of the book. On the other hand, if one were to jump headlong into the story without knowing what to expect, the experience pans out differently. So I have tried to strike a balance and have put as much as possible without disclosing any of the actual plots or the climax.
Its been a while since I read Alistair Maclean. But it was fun while it lasted. Ice Station Zebra, HMS Ulysses, Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, The Last frontier etc are some of the recommended works and notable ones from one of the masters of War time stories.
So long !
Cheers !
Bye bye!