Okay, I finished reading this awhile back and I really thought that I had already posted about it. In short, I loved it, I loved the whole experience. When I was younger, I read all of the James Bond books, he was just so cool, in the truest sense of the word. My favourite thing about James Bond was his flexibility and his ingenuity. His ability to think on the fly really because if there's one thing about those books, it's that there's always a jam to get out of.
So, why am I writing about James Bond when this isn't an Ian Fleming book? Because Richard Hannay really brought him to mind. The short story, Hannay's a retired soldier that is finding retirement a little dull. He offers the city an ultimatum: provide a little excitement or I'm on the next ship out of here. When he gets home, he's approached by a mysterious neighbour who asks for his help in a matter of international espionage (when I'm bored, I prefer that a friend shows up for coffee). There is a secret cabal planning to assassinate the Greek Premier... maybe... but he doesn't really know the guy so he could be lying... or it could be an even bigger conspiracy... maybe. I'm not sure that any of it is completely laid bare but you do know pretty quickly that this business is serious as the mysterious neighbour is killed within the week and Hannay has to outrun both the villains (which may or may not be real) and the police who would like to know why there's a dead body in his room.There was a tangible sense of pace to this book, you could feel the noose drawing tight around Hannay's neck at different times and it was a pleasure to watch him think so quickly on his feet (much like James Bond). The other common characteristic is the GIANT HORSESHOE THAT HE HAS UP HIS ASS (pardon the language). Not since James Bond have I seen a character that is so bloody LUCKY! At least he appreciates it, Richard Hannay has moments of great humour in his chase:
As I sat on the hillside, watching the tail-light dwindle, I reflected on the various types of crime I had now sampled. Contrary to general belief, I was not a murderer, but I had become an unholy liar, a shameless imposter, and a highwayman with a marked taste for expensive motor-cars.This after he carjacks a touring coupe being driven Marmaduke Jopley (and wouldn't that make a great name for a Bond villain?), the biggest boor that he had met in London. So, a little grand theft auto, a little comeuppance, it's all good. All of this from a book that barely clears 100 pages and apparently he stars in three more novels.
Hannay, Richard Hannay. Doesn't really have the same ring to it even if Daniel Craig would have been great in the movie.
