Monday, April 03, 2017

Rogue Male


Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household is a 1939 thriller, a classic in the field. This is a quick read, a real page-turner. It has been adapted for film twice, and a new adaptation starring Benedict Cumberbatch is in the works.

from the back of the book:
Rogue Male is one of the classic thrillers of the 20th century. An Englishman plans to assassinate the dictator of a European country. But he is foiled at the last minute and falls into the hands of ruthless and inventive torturers. They devise for him an ingenious and diplomatic death but, for once, they bungle the job and he escapes. But England provides no safety from his pursuers -and the Rogue Male must strip away all the trappings of status and civilization as the hunter becomes a hunted animal.
The NYRB says, "the book is no less remarkable as an exploration of the lure of violence, the psychology of survivalism, and the call of the wild." The Independent says, "This 1939 novel, a clear precursor of Fleming and Forsyth, is much more than a first-class thriller. As Robert Macfarlane's preface argues, it is a "stone-cold classic"." Kirkus Reviews calls it "Exciting reading".

6 comments:

  1. OH this sounds wonderful. I would love to find this at my library. Of course, I adore Benedict Cumberbatch, so hope to see it when it comes out (not in theaters, though).

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    1. It's an older book, and some libraries don't keep books around if they were written that long ago. I'm _definitely_ looking forward to the Cumberbatch adaptation!

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  2. You find such interesting books. I've never heard of this one, but sounds like one I would enjoy. like being able to put a list of potential reads together and this one will go on it. Hugs-Erika

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    1. I came across this one used for cheap and couldn't resist ;) Sometimes books just have that appeal, don't they, where you know you'll like them and so add them to your stack :)

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  3. I absolutely love Benedict Cumberbatch so I know I will see the movie version for sure. Doubt I will get to the book before that but it sounds really good. :)

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    1. It has a clear through line to the plot, and I can see how it'll make a great film. He'll be good in it.

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