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Act of Darkness von Francis Henry King
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Act of Darkness (Original 1983; 1983. Auflage)

von Francis Henry King

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721366,758 (3.75)2
A gripping murder mystery and a profound meditation on the nature of evil The scene is 1930s India during the waning days of British colonization. The Thompsons, a prosperous and respectable English family, are enjoying a summer at their beautiful villa when a brutal murder is committed that will tear the family apart. But what seems at first to be an act of terrorism against British rule will turn out to be something much more sinister. After a series of surprising twists and turns, the truth behind the abominable crime will at last be revealed, an explanation far more shocking than anyone could have ever imagined ... One of the most distinguished English novelists of the 20th century, Francis King (1923-2011) wrote fifty books over a sixty-five year career. Act of Darkness (1983) was the author's best-selling and most universally acclaimed work, a remarkable achievement that is both a beautifully written literary novel and a gripping, page-turning thriller that is almost impossible to put down. 'A terrific mystery . . . Unfolds like an evil blossom, each layer of petals curling down to reveal another layer of ambiguity and menace' - New York Times 'Dark, lurid and shattering . . . he is a master novelist' - Melvyn Bragg 'Unputdownable' - Paul Bailey, Evening Standard 'Beautifully written . . . brilliantly successful' - Auberon Waugh, Daily Mail… (mehr)
Mitglied:plymouthproprietaryl
Titel:Act of Darkness
Autoren:Francis Henry King
Info:Little Brown & Co (T) (1983), Edition: 1st American ed, Hardcover, 331 pages
Sammlungen:Deine Bibliothek
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Act of Darkness von Francis King (1983)

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Penguin have done their best to make it look like a supernatural horror story, which is obviously what they thought would sell in the early 1980s, but in fact this turns out to be a kind of murder mystery, set in a dysfunctional British family in a country house in 1930s colonial India. The actual crime only happens a third of the way into the book, and we discover the who of the crime quite quickly, but the real mystery here is why, and that is only fully unwrapped nearly fifty years on, in a Patrick-Whiteish epilogue set in the Sydney art world.

The mystery aspect of the book is fun, and its digging into ideas about guilt and atonement is interesting too, but the real reason for reading it is its minute and detailed dissection of the complex mix of social, sexual and cultural tensions going on in the Thompson household against the background of the crumbling Raj.

It struck me as a very visually-constructed novel too, I'm sure it would have made a great TV miniseries back in the day, when the Raj was in fashion — but the LGBT plot lines might have been a bit challenging for British TV in the eighties. King's reputation for getting into difficulties with the libel laws would have put producers off as well. ( )
  thorold | Dec 4, 2021 |
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To the memory of
Alex Kellar
1905-82

in gratitude for that rare thing, an act of totally disinterested kindness
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The six-year-old boy, Peter, Pete, Peterkin, Petal, Pet, sprawls on his stomach, chin popped on hands, and stares down at the copy of the Illustrated London News in an attempt to decipher what is written below the photograph of the Indian Army officer whom he has always known as Uncle Jack.
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A gripping murder mystery and a profound meditation on the nature of evil The scene is 1930s India during the waning days of British colonization. The Thompsons, a prosperous and respectable English family, are enjoying a summer at their beautiful villa when a brutal murder is committed that will tear the family apart. But what seems at first to be an act of terrorism against British rule will turn out to be something much more sinister. After a series of surprising twists and turns, the truth behind the abominable crime will at last be revealed, an explanation far more shocking than anyone could have ever imagined ... One of the most distinguished English novelists of the 20th century, Francis King (1923-2011) wrote fifty books over a sixty-five year career. Act of Darkness (1983) was the author's best-selling and most universally acclaimed work, a remarkable achievement that is both a beautifully written literary novel and a gripping, page-turning thriller that is almost impossible to put down. 'A terrific mystery . . . Unfolds like an evil blossom, each layer of petals curling down to reveal another layer of ambiguity and menace' - New York Times 'Dark, lurid and shattering . . . he is a master novelist' - Melvyn Bragg 'Unputdownable' - Paul Bailey, Evening Standard 'Beautifully written . . . brilliantly successful' - Auberon Waugh, Daily Mail

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