Actually, I didn't read very far into this book. The nearly exclusive use of dialogue, boring dialogue at that, became annoying enough that I finally decided to give it up and move on to another book. I read "The Mask of Demetrios" (originally "The Coffin of Demetrios") about a year ago, and loved, loved it. Written in 1939, it relates to events dating from the early 1920s (Greco-Turkish War and the horrible events in Smyrna--now Izmir) through the narrator's/protagonist's present time of 1938, taking place in Turkey, Greece, other Balkan areas, and Paris. Ambler has been considered by many to be the father of the spy novel, and influenced Graham Greene and John LeCarre as well as Alfred Hitchcock. So "The Care of Time" was especially disappointing, but given that it was written 42 years and quite a few books later, maybe Ambler became formulaic in his writing (think of any one of the myriad popular writers cranking out Stuff every year.) Or maybe I just picked a not so good one. Or didn't give it a chance. I thought so highly of Demetrios though that I will try some other Ambler work.
Ambler's late in the day thriller pitches an American ghostwriter into regime change and middle-east intrigue through the rather novel device of a simple television interview. Of course, the interview is heavily rigged as it is conducted deep within an Austrian mine-shaft, which an Arab prince proposes to turn into a nuclear shelter. The latter part of the book consists of the Prince's desperate attempts to retrieve the tapes. Ghostwriter Halliday understands his NATO brief from the start, even if the interview comes as something of a surprise to the reader. All in all, as complex as most of Ambler's thrillers, but less satisfying. Reading between the lines of dialogue is difficult first time round - this is a book that handsomely rewards re-reading.
What do You think about The Care Of Time (1981)?
Another of those 80s book without the modern gadgets. I found it quite interesting when everything happens on the field and your life depends on your smart thinking. The author has provided a very detailed description of everything in this book and then there are lengthy pieces of dialogue between the characters. Because of that the book has grown to close to 278 pages. The actual plot and the story line is quite simple. If you do not like reading details and you do not have patience then this book is not for you.I liked it. :-)
—Ajitabh Pandey
ambler wrote thrillers for nearly five decades, and in doing so transformed the genre completely. his early thrillers were written in the backdrop of world war 2, while this one - his last - at tail end of the cold war. his mastery of geopolitics is very sound, as always. the beauty of the book is how much he accomplishes merely through clever dialogue and intricate plotting. he doesn't need explosions, cool gadgets or contrived action to keep the book interesting. robert halliday, a professional ghostwriter of some repute is hired, in a rather bizarre way, by an international mercenary to ostensibly write a biography of sergei nechayev, a 19th century russian anarcho-terrorist. the plot takes off from there and touches upon the delicate geopolitics of the middle east and how nato, the us, and the soviet union are all vying for some sort of superiority. thoughtful, interesting and delighting.
—Comrade_Bazarov
