Publication
PENGUIN CLASSICS (2009), 224 p.
Original publication date
1940
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Description
Returning to his hotel room after a late-night flirtation with a cabaret dancer at an Istanbul b ite, Graham is surprised by an intruder with a gun. What follows is a nightmare of intrigue for the English armaments engineer as he makes his way home aboard an Italian freighter. Among the passengers are a couple of Nazi assassins intent on preventing his returning to England with plans for a Turkish defense system, the seductive cabaret dancer and her manager husband, and a number of surprising allies. Thrilling, intense, and masterfully plotted, Journey Into Fear is a classic suspense tale from one of the founders of the genre.
User reviews
LibraryThing member zakvreeland
Great one; gothic, small spaces. Beautiful.
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
I had looked forward to reading this novel for quite some time, but found myself sadly disappointed. Unfortuantely some novels do not age well and this one seemed dreadfully dated. It was written in a rather detached and stilted manner and i found it difficult to find any shred of empathy for any
The blurb on the cover, and the forewrod by Norman Stone tried to compare this book with the espionage-based works of Graham Greene, but that was a claim that proved to be stunning in its unsubstantiated bravado. Having enjoyed Ambler's "Intercom Conspiracy" (which struck me as representing the cutting edge of spy fiction back when I was a teenager), this more famous and more celebrated work was a crushing diapppointment. If I should fancy a future trip back to an older, more innocaent age of espionage, I will make do with excursions to Greeneland!
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of the characters at all. certainly the principal protagonist, Mr Graham, is conspicuous by his lack of any engaging characteristics at all, and Josette, the dancer and wannabe vamp, was one of the most plastic characters I have encountered for a long time.The blurb on the cover, and the forewrod by Norman Stone tried to compare this book with the espionage-based works of Graham Greene, but that was a claim that proved to be stunning in its unsubstantiated bravado. Having enjoyed Ambler's "Intercom Conspiracy" (which struck me as representing the cutting edge of spy fiction back when I was a teenager), this more famous and more celebrated work was a crushing diapppointment. If I should fancy a future trip back to an older, more innocaent age of espionage, I will make do with excursions to Greeneland!
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LibraryThing member Roycrofter
As I finish each of Ambler's books it's like saying goodbye to old friends. The great take-away from Journey Into Fear for me was the author's description of Graham's resolution of self-preservation as he found himself in an untenable position. A universal story of courage and fortitude told
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beautifully and simply. Show Less
LibraryThing member MrsLee
A British engineer, Graham, finds his life on the line as he travels home from Turkey during WWII. His head holds crucial information for some powerful war machinery which is being sold to Turkey. Nazi agents do not want him to reach home. Turkish secret intelligence are trying to keep him alive.
The story had a few slow spots, but the suspense was upheld until the end. Although Mr. Graham was a bit of a non-entity, it worked well in the story of a man who knows nothing of intrigue suddenly having it thrust upon him.
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The problem is, Graham isn't sure who is who, where the danger lies or even if there is danger. He is stuck on a ship with a cast of characters and the reader is left to sort through them and decide whether he is right or wrong when he places his trust in some and not others. A movie was made of this, staring Joseph Cotton as Mr. Graham, which is a perfect fit, although as I was reading I saw Cary Grant in that role, surrounded by Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Claude Rains among others.The story had a few slow spots, but the suspense was upheld until the end. Although Mr. Graham was a bit of a non-entity, it worked well in the story of a man who knows nothing of intrigue suddenly having it thrust upon him.
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LibraryThing member TadAD
Very 1940s; reasonable suspense; main character a bit thin but what we saw of him was interesting.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I don't know what it is but despite the fact that this thriller had many elements I like, as a whole it didn't quite work for me. Maybe it was the personality of the main character... Maybe it was just my mood right now. Even though it was missing some ingredient to make it a great book for me, it
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was still a good example of the "innocent person caught up in intrigue" type of thriller & the setting was wonderful. Show Less
LibraryThing member jonfaith
I suppose two and half would be the more accurate decision. Enough atmospere and twists but the impossible resolution bit me wrongly. There wasn't much of the literary present. A dearth of depth and plot which skipped forward over crucial development left a certain displeasure as well.
LibraryThing member edwinbcn
As the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle are the archetypal detective stories and Conan Doyle virtually seen as the father of the genre, likewise the novels of Eric Ambler are seen as the best earliest examples of the spy novel.
While some of Ambler's novels see a lot of action,
What makes the novels special is that they were written at a time when war was about to break out, and Ambler's assessment of the rise to power of the Nazis is very accurate and astonishing (not in this novel). Particularly to contemporary readers, in the late 1930s and early 40s these novels must had a great sense of actuality. To readers of our time the novels present an exotic forray into espionage of the first half of the Twentieth Century; they are still very exciting to read. Five of Ambler's spy novels have been reissued in the collection of Penguin Modern Classics.
While some of Ambler's novels see a lot of action,
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«Journey into Fear» is more about the subtle build-up of tension of a man who knows himself in danger of getting murdered. What makes the novels special is that they were written at a time when war was about to break out, and Ambler's assessment of the rise to power of the Nazis is very accurate and astonishing (not in this novel). Particularly to contemporary readers, in the late 1930s and early 40s these novels must had a great sense of actuality. To readers of our time the novels present an exotic forray into espionage of the first half of the Twentieth Century; they are still very exciting to read. Five of Ambler's spy novels have been reissued in the collection of Penguin Modern Classics.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
3.5 stars rounded up. I don't know what it is but despite the fact that this thriller had many elements I like, as a whole it didn't quite work for me. Maybe it was the personality of the main character... Maybe it was just my mood right now. Even though it was missing some ingredient to make it a
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great book for me, it was still a good example of the "innocent person caught up in intrigue" type of thriller & the setting was wonderful. Show Less
LibraryThing member louisste
A very good story, perhaps a bit dated, but that may be the attraction. Well worth 5 stars.
Media reviews
California Literary Review
Primarily set on a ship in the Mediterranean with a small number of passengers, Journey into Fear is a closed-world narrative. While building the requisite tension and suspense, Ambler also keeps the political dimension in the foreground. Finding himself in the psychological equivalent of a death
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cell, Graham [the protagonist] is forced to reassess his outlook on life and experiences enlightenment. The boat journey becomes a journey of self-discovery, with fear being the necessary stimulus. Graham finds within himself the strength to resist what seems inevitable – his murder. In this way, he personifies Britain’s need to take on the Nazi threat. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0141190302 / 9780141190303
Physical description
224 p.; 7.8 x 5.08 inches
Pages
224