Jeffrey Archer. Paths of Glory.

George Mallory on his Everest expedition

Chomolungma, Mother Goddess of the Earth

Jeffrey Archer. Paths of Glory.London: Macmillan.2009.
ISBN. 978-0-330-50425-6

The paths of glory lead but to the grave...
Thomas Gray.

What a different Archer I am seeing now in this novel...there is truth in this fiction. There is fiction in this truth. The philosophy of the Gita, ' What did you bring to earth to say you've lost it? What did you lose that you had to redeem it? You've lost nothing. You've brought nothing...' is at the core of this story, a true story in part.

The novel marks a man's journey twoards his hour of glory, only for him to realise that his hour of glory is at home, in his wife. The discovery of an innate talent, the true potential to rise to the top, the endless hours of grooming and preparation, the friendships of a lifetime, the finding of true love, the sacrifices made to reach the pinnacle of glory...all these and more are drawn with fine strokes of penmanship.

Ruth and Chomolungma , the Mother Goddess of the Earth vie for Mallory's heart. Ruth wins his heart, but Chomolungma wins his body. The ultimate defiance of Chomolungma's supremacy and priamriness by placing Ruth's photo atop the Everest, I feel, brings Mallory down.

However, page 446 is still a mystery to me. I've read and re-read the page to see if I have missed any small clue and am still in the dark. Perhaps, other readers can illumine my mind.

The book is not the nail-biting type of wild life stor, nor is it a truly romantic novel of adventure, chivalry and daringness like his 'Prisoner of Birth'. Yet, one cannot put the book down, because one wants to know if all the efforts taken by Mallory and the sacrifices made by Ruth were worth it all.

At the end of the tale, we are told of the recovery of Mallory's body. This is the truth. Mallory dies after having planted the photo of Ruth atop the Everest. This is fiction. Or is it?

The Icarus Agenda

The Icarus Agenda. Robert Ludlum. Bantam House: U.S. 1989. ISBN 0 553 27800 2

This book is full of surprises all the way. It is the stuff of American heroes - the White House and a foreign land serve as backdrop.
The story is of a man of extraordinary courage whose political journey goes through more twists and turns than the by lanes of a small Indian town. The journey maintains a heart-thumping pace.

Evan Kendricks, a Colorado Congressman is at the centre of it - he is caught in an act of retribution for his daring rescue of freeing hostages held in Oman.

What makes it subtly profound is that he is loved by an Arab lover and Jewish surrogate father, even as a group of terrorists of Arab and Jewish origin scour the corners of the earth to kill him.

The plot is tight and moves ahead without uncouth pauses. The conversations are witty, light and good. The length of the book is a wee bit intimidating, but the length is perhaps the reason why the story evolves neatly...something that might not have happened if it had been shortened.

I liked the book because it kept me away from television and sometimes, when I just needed a winky wink, it helped me do just that...the extremely fine print ensured the objective was realised. No, honestly, I liked the book in the latter half...that much I have to honestly accept.