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Transaction
August 2010
On Sale: July 31, 2010
312 pages
ISBN: 1412811724
EAN: 9781412811729
Paperback (reprint)
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Suspense
Fact is a poor story-teller as Maugham reminds us. Fact
starts a story at random, rambles on inconsequentially and
tails off, leaving loose ends, without a conclusion. It
works up to an interesting situation, has no sense of climax
and whittles away its dramatic effects in irrelevance. While
some novelists believe this is a proper model for fiction,
Maugham believes that fiction should not seek to copy life,
but instead choose from life what is curious, telling, and
dramatic, but keep to it closely enough not to shock the
reader into disbelief. In short, fiction should excite,
interest, and absorb the reader. Ashenden: The British Agent is founded on Maugham's
experiences in the English Intelligence Department during
World War I, but rearranged for the purposes of fiction.
This fascinating book contains the most expert stories of
espionage ever written. For a period of time after it was
first published the book became official required reading
for persons entering the secret service. The plot follows the imaginary John Ashenden who during
World War I is a spy for British Intelligence. He is sent
first to Geneva and later to Russia. Instead of one story
from start to finish, the chapters contain individual
stories involving many different characters. All of the
people whom Ashenden meet during his travels have their own
reason for being involved in the spy game, and each are more
complex than they first look.
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