Books: A Coffin for Dimitrios
Author :
Nona
Blog :Nona's Pensieve
Date: 8/23/2012 11:50:00 AM
Set between the two world wars, Eric Ambler's novel chronicles an author's journey to trace the life of an individual. When the dead body of a notorious criminal named Dimitrios is found in Turkey, a mystery writer Charles Latimer is interested in writing a novel based on the story of this criminal. But in order to find the history of Dimitrios, Charles has to cross continents, meet mysterious people and get them into confidence.
The simplicity in Eric Ambler's novel is the biggest plus points. There are no doomsday scenarios or scary villains. It is just an ordinary man trying to follow the footsteps of another man in the reverse order. In the reverse order, I mean tracing a life with the death as the starting point. Despite being devoid of cliched trappings of a thriller, this books ends up being a thriller because of the way it is narrated. The locales shift rapidly. New characters are introduced. Plots are revealed in the form of communciation between the lead character and the people he befriends during the quest. These communication are through conversations or letters.
It is for you if you love to read a simple story and beautiful language. It is also for you if you would like to experience some old world charm with a dash of mystery.
Tags: Books,Eric Ambler