‘So Disdained’ – Book Review

‘So Disdained’

Right now, I am reading ‘So Disdained’ by Nevil Shute. I took the book based on reading on its author and something of a foreword. It seemed to me that a person with experience on affairs of military like Mr. Shute might be a good read. I showed the book to my friend who is a great aficionado of spy novels, who at once told me Mr. Shute is not a good spy novelist, but even he after reading the foreword liked the feel. Anyway, I was going to read my first Nevil Shute novel and I was not going by another’s opinion.

The authors note about the novel told a lot – ‘…I was still obsessed with standard subjects as source of drama – spying, detection, and murder, so seldom encountered by real people in real life. Perhaps I was beginning to break lose from these constraints.’ The book was revised by the author himself and he ‘…altered a half a dozen outmoded pieces of slang’. One thing which I completely agree with author is about the book being published in US under the title ‘The Mysterious Aviator’, a title which does little justice to the book and speaks volumes about the Americans!

Book Description
One rainy night Peter Moran is driving across the Sussex countryside. When he stops to give a lift to a bedraggled pedestrian he is amazed to discover an old wartime comrade from the Royal Flying Corps. Moran's loyalty is tested as he agrees to help his friend, even though he has acted treasonably.

The start of the novel was not bad. It went along at a good pace, leisurely at times, never giving an impression of it being a spy novel! The book is (I am yet to finish it) a funny read, lots of ups and downs in tempo. Just when I feel the book is worthless you come up with a twist or a new character who/that makes you go just a few pages more. The first half itself has more than two troughs and the plot was laid out bare. As I could feel from the beginning, the book was no spy novel rather it’s an adventure class apart (You now know why my friend had his reservations)

The story had certain parts which a reader might think impossible, even then Mr. Shute pulls it off by saying, or rather his character saying he himself thought so. The there’s the behaviour of UK and Italy towards communism. Italian Fascisti (‘the volunteers’) figure prominently and the way Mr. Shute puts it, world war was looming from then on.

As I said, I liked the character profiling of Mr. Shute very much. Each of the characters occupies the seat with Mr. Moran, the principal of novel, at each part of story. Maurice Lenden, the ill fated aviator who lives for flying because he couldn’t do anything else. Mr. Moran is a nice British gentleman, courteous to ladies, duty coming first, mind-your-own-business type who feels it’s not in his to judge a man but feels he need to untie what he had tied. The Stenning character is really great; his entrance is timed to perfection by the author. No other character could deal with the matters in the climax, certainly not Moran. The women are true British – loving, devoted, and courageous and loves gardening. At one point, Moran on seeing a well tended garden feels which lady tends to it, like no man could have done that. The ladies, Molly, who lives solely for her husband, Lenden and Sheila who loves Moran, but never exhibits it profiles the British ladies perfectly. Their characters fit the women under blitz perfectly - resilient.

The best part was the scene before flight to save Lenden. I loved the scene where Moran takes Sheila in his arms and say he loves her. You ought to read it to feel it. If I write anymore then probably, I’ll end up giving away the plot.

On closing note, If the novel had title – The Mysterious Aviator, I would never have read it.

Get a list of NSN books available at Biblio.Com
Nevil Shute at Blogspot - Just started, not much activity as of now.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT - Part 5 of 5

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT

THE SECRET - Part 5 of 5

One day, the Sultan of turkey, who was very powerful, sent a letter to the Emperor. At the court of Emperor, it was an ominous letter for it had no outright declaration of war. “He has sent me three identical canes and I must find where each of them grows, else he’ll attack us with his huge army. What shall I do?” His council of ministers were equally stumped. No one could solve it. So Venus went to her friend in the tower, he gave her a solution which she told her father.

“Put the canes in warm water, Father. The one that sinks to the bottom grows near root, the one that neither floats nor sinks is cut at the middle, and the one that floats is from the top.”

When the answer was conveyed to the Sultan, he felt amazed. “Ah! The Emperor is cleverer than I thought.” In his court, he had a powerful witch who had told him to send the canes so that he had a reason to attack the empire of Hungary. She replied, “It isn’t the Emperor who is clever. It is a lad who has answered these questions. If he lives. He will become king of Hungary and your dream of Greater Sultanate will never happen. Kill Him.”

Heeding her advice, the Sultan summoned he young man and on his arrival he was attacked by a platoon of Turkish soldiers. Suddenly, the sword sprang from the scabbard and cut off their heads. Now Sultan summoned his entire army to confront one man. Sparing the Sultan the sword beheaded all the soldiers and came back to the scabbard.

The King of Hungary was so happy at Sultan’s defeat that he offered his daughter to the young man in marriage and declared him heir to the throne. “I must go and see my mother first.” “Then you must go in state, with a troop of soldiers.”

The poor widow was quite frightened to see a regiment of soldiers at her humble doorstep.
“Dear Mother! I’ve come to tell you my secret.” “Oh! It’s you!” She was beyond herself for it was so long she had heard from her son.

“I dreamt that I should become the Emperor of Hungary and now my dream has come true. If I’d spoken of it earlier, I’d have been killed. Had you not beaten me, I’d never have become the Emperor”
“I can still beat you though you are Emperor, you naughty boy!”

THAT’S ALL FOLKS!!

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT - Part 4 of 5

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT

THE PALACE - Part 4 of 5

So it was that the youth, instead of being hanged, was taken away in the golden coach to Buda hills, capital of Hungary.

“What is the secret that has brought you so much trouble?” “I cannot tell till it comes true.”

After travelling for several days, they reached Buda, where they found the beautiful princess picking roses in the garden. “Oh! What a handsome lad! Have you brought him from fairyland” “Ha, Ha, No! From the gallows!” Venus has, till that day, never consented to speak to any man. “I don’t care where you brought him from. I’ll marry him and none other.” Emperor was happy beyond dreams. Laughing, he said, “You may change your mind when you know how stubborn he is about sharing his secret.”

Weeks later, Venus wore her prettiest gown and went to visit the boy. “Oh! How lovely you look!” “Tell me. What I this wonderful secret of yours? Just whisper it in my ear.” “My angel, be wise and ask no question, for I will not tell you my secret.” “You must! You must! You must!” She nagged him till he could bear it no longer and lapped her so hard on the face. Such a delicate creature she is, her nose bled. When the Emperor saw what he has done to his precious, he swore, “I’ll starve him to death.” All the masons and bricklayers of the kingdom were summoned. “Build me a tower which has room for only a stool and a small table. Build it in three days.”

The Emperor was sure that once he was walled up in the tower the boy would die of starvation. Little did he know that his daughter had persuaded the masons to leave a little hole in the structure through which she passed him food and drink, for she loved him so much, and gave him love, she did.

This went on and Emperor forgot about the boy.

That's All Folks!!

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT - Part 3 of 5

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT

THE GALLOWS - Part 3 of 5

Thus they reached the palace, the King unable to extract anything from the boy the whole time. There he introduced the boy to his three pretty daughters. “Come, play with us.” they chorused. The four played together and became good friends. Time passed quickly in their joyful company, and he did not part with his sword and scabbard even for a second.


One afternoon, while they were playing, King said, “Did you know that he has a secret which he won’t tell anyone?” Now you know girls! “Oh! Has he? He’ll tell me.” The three girls asked him in their sweetest voices, but – “No, No, No! I shan’t tell anyone, and I’ll beat you if you ask me.” The King was shocked that anyone could threaten to beat hit precious daughters. “Take him away! The ungrateful wretch! I don’t want to see him anywhere near me.”

The sword clanking noisily, the boy was led away to the servants’ quarters. There he lived till he became 17 years old. Meanwhile, he elder two Princesses got married and gone away. Only the youngest remained. She was alone and life was becoming dull for her. The king was in council and the Queen ill in bed, so the little Princess wandered around the royal estate. ‘Oh! The servants’ quarters sounds so full of fun and cheer.’ Then she saw a very handsome young man standing there. ‘Oh! He’s more handsome than any prince I’ve ever seen’ “Hello, Little Princess.” She recognized her old playmate who had a secret. “Oh! It is you! Tell me your secret and I’ll marry you.” Infuriated he said, “I’d warned you years ago!” Picking up a stick he beat her. Thump. Thwack. “How dare you!” She ran and complained to her father. “I’ll have him sent to the gallows!” “(Sob! Sob!) Horrid boy!” Quickly the gallows were set up outside the town and all the people were invited to see the execution. The crowd thronged the place, “There he comes! The boy who dared to beat the King’s daughter.” “Serves him right.”

In the silence, his sentence was being read by the judge when suddenly the sword by his side clanked loudly. “..........he should be hanged till he is dead.”

Just then a golden coach appeared with the coat of arms of Land of Magyars. The Emperor of Hungary stepped out in style. “Spare the life of that boy.” King was exasperated by this. “He has beaten my only daughter who only asked him to tell her his secret.” “I cannot pardon him! No, Your Majesty, I cannot do that.” The Emperor of Hungary was polite and persuasive but he was also most powerful man in Hungary. “Give him to me. I’m sure he’ll tell the secret to my lovely daughter, Venus.” “Well, if you want him, take him. Only don’t let me ever see his face again.”

That's All Folks!

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT - Part 2 of 5

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT

THE SECRET - Part 2 of 5

Even then, nothing escapes a mother’s eye. Next day, “Sit still and eat your porridge. Why are you fidgety and excited?” “Er- Nothing! I had a dream last night.” The boy replied. “Tell me all about it!” his mother enquired him excitedly. To her dismay, he replied, “I can’t tell it to anybody until it comes true.” His mother was angry. “You rude, impudent boy! I’ll spank you till you tell me.” He cried and cried while she beat him but he didn’t tell her about his dream. It was no use. Her arm was tired of spanking but she got nothing out of the boy. In her anger she turned him out of the house, “Go Away, you horrid child.” It hurt him to not to tell his mother but he knew he must not.

Sore and aching he ran out to his secret place in the woods and knelt weeping before his sword. So loudly did he weep that the ruler of the state, who happened to be passing by, heard him. ‘Who’s crying so bitterly? Let me go and see.’ Following the sound he reached the boy. “Why are you crying, lad?” “My mother beat me.” The King hated to see anyone cry and asked the boy’s mother to send him to palace. “He can stay with me and be a companion to my daughters.” “I hope he is more obedient to me than he is to me.” King asked him to take whatever he needed, for he was taking the boy to his palace. Then the boy remembered his sword.
“Oh! I must fetch something from the woods.” “Yes, but be quick about it!”

On the way King asked, “Why were you crying so bitterly?” “My mother beat me so much” replied the boy. “Why did she do so?” “That’s because I wouldn’t tell her about my dream” “Why didn’t you tell her? After all she’s your mother” “I shan’t tell any one till it comes true.” “You mean you won’t tell me either?” “No, Your Majesty. Not even to you.”

That's All Folks!!

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT - Part 1 of 5

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECERT

[Supposedly a Hungarian Folktale]

WISH - Part 1 of 5

Once upon a time in the small village of a state in Hungary, there lived a poor widow and her son. This is the story of that boy, my dear friend. His name doesn’t matter because he could be you or me.
Maybe, it will make you believe in destiny.

The widow was poor and lived far, far away from the town. The cottage was all she had, and of course her only son, apple of her eyes. The little boy loved playing behind his cottage. He was happy playing alone, a jolly boy he was. He was no different from other children of his age, inquisitive and innocent.

One day while playing like he did the day before and the day before that he went a little further. Behind the bushes he found something that took his fancy. He took it inside to show his mama. “Mama! Look what I found behind the cottage.” “Oh! That’s a scabbard. Good! You have a toy to play with.” The boy didn’t know what a scabbard was. So he did what his mother told him. The boy slung the scabbard on his side with a bit of rope. So fond was he of his new toy that he was never seen without it. He wore it while he played, while he ate and even while he slept.

Days changed to years, the boy grew worldly wise but the scabbard didn’t loose its fancy on the boy. The scabbard was a strange one, for it grew as its owner became older. “Oh! It still touches my ankles as it did when I was four. I wish I had a sword to keep in it.”

His wish was granted soon. While playing in the woods – “Hey! What’s this? A real sword!” Excitedly, he pulled the sword out of the earth and tried to slip it into his scabbard. “It fits! How wonderful.” He slipped the sword seven times in and out of the scabbard, unable to believe his eyes. ‘It fits so well, you can hardly see it, but I will keep it the woods for safety.’ He buried his sword in the woods and decided not to speak to his mother about his discovery for fear she would tell her neighbours about it.

That's All Folks!!