The Dark Frontier

Rating:
Summary: Dark Parody of Mary Webb and Stella Gibbons
Review: Dark Parody of Mary Webb and Stella Gibbons

The Dark Frontier is the debut novel of Eric Ambler, who contributed so much to the espionage and crime genres through such marvelous books as Background to Danger, Epitaph for a Spy, Cause for Alarm, A Coffin for Dimitrios, and Journey into Fear. Written in 1936, it was not published in the United States for several decades. The book varies quite a lot from the rest of his work, and will be less satisfying to almost any reader. Serious Ambler fans, however, would be making a mistake if they passed up this book. Seeing this effort will help them appreciate the mature Ambler talent even more.

Most Ambler fans would do well to wait to read this one until they have read all the others, because it is clearly a lesser work for several reasons. First, it is an extreme parody of two popular English novelists that Ambler fans will undoubtedly not have read. As such, some of the pleasure of reading the parody is lost. Second, the book depends in part on Ambler's concepts of what might develop in weaponry after 1936. He did pretty well for his day, but not being surprised by the astonishing conjectures of "science fiction" element of the story also causes it to lose what was powerful color for contemporary readers. Third, the plot complications are not quite as delicious as those in the later Ambler works, and are intended to be pretty transparent as part of the parody.

That having been said, the sense of local color and suspense are strong and compelling. Mr. Ambler's story telling talents come through the parody quite well. I'm glad I read it, and I'm sure you will be too.

Make your efforts as timeless and universal as you can!

Donald Mitchell
Co-Author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

Rating:
Summary: The first novel by THE master of suspense and intrigue.
Review: The Dark Frontier, Eric Ambler's first novel, is often overlooked -- even by Ambler fans. This is unfortunate for, while it is not up to the standards of his subsequent novels, it is still quite good. Incidentally, although The Dark Frontier was written in the early 1930s, it involves the invention of a nuclear bomb -- one of the first (if not the first) novels on this subject.

Rating:
Summary: The first novel by THE master of suspense and intrigue.
Review: The Dark Frontier, Eric Ambler's first novel, is often overlooked -- even by Ambler fans. This is unfortunate for, while it is not up to the standards of his subsequent novels, it is still quite good. Incidentally, although The Dark Frontier was written in the early 1930s, it involves the invention of a nuclear bomb -- one of the first (if not the first) novels on this subject.

Rating:
Summary: His Prototype Adventure Story
Review: This 1936 novel tells of the vacation of Professor Henry J. Barstow after four months of hard work for a British government agency. After stopping at a hotel for lunch, he could not remember the next 39 days! All he remembers is waking up on a train and finding his passport lost. But the rest of the book fills in the missing story. [The Introduction says this was meant as a parody of stories like from E. Phillips Oppenheim.] Barstow meets a friendly talkative stranger who knows something about him and his remarks on atomic energy. Simon Groom confides in him that the first atomic bomb has been made! Then Groom offers Barstow an important job if he travels to Ixania, a country that is similar to Jugoslavia.

Somehow Professor Barstow is transformed into Conway Carruthers, secret agent, who will travel to Ixania. [There is one big problem with this. It is easier to teach a businessman or scientist to be a spy than to teach a spy to be a businessman or scientist.] Chapter 11 explains how to tap a telephone in a hotel. The newspaper reporter Casey is being used as a confidential agent for some bankers in America, through his contact with Nash. Professor Barstow is working with the Young Peasant Party to help with their planned revolution. [Is this all too incredible? But it is a parody.] There is a happy ending.

This was Eric Ambler's first novel, but not his best. It shows the plot twists that would enrich his later political thrillers. The recurring theme in many is how an ordinary man gets involved in important events, yet survives. The book also tells that carrying a pistol was quite common for travelers before WW II. The idea of an atomic bomb was also known, it just needed hundreds of millions to create one.



Rating:
Summary: Outdated.
Review: Written in 1935, this is Eric Ambler's very first published novel. As the author explains in the introduction, The Dark Frontier was meant to be a parody of the brand of adventure thriller he enjoyed as an adolescent but came to find rather silly when he reached adulthood.
That Ambler's tongue was firmly implanted in his cheek while writing this novel is quite obvious from the outlandish premise.
Henry Barstow, a mild mannered, straitlaced scientist, sustains a blow to the head which renders him unconscious. He then awakens as a different person. He is now Conway Carruthers, an Indiana Jones type action hero. Barstow as Carruthers travels to a fictitious Balkan state where he helps revolutionaries overthrow the government, squelches a nascent atomic weapons program and pines for the love of an evil countess. All the while risking his life at every turn.
Some insightful social and political commentary can be found in the midst of this intentionally bad novel. And it's interesting to read Ambler at the beginning of his literary career. But, since the writers and the writing being parodied, have been long forgotten, it's difficult for the modern reader to fully appreciate the book's intended comic nature.
Overall, I would characterize The Dark Frontier as a decent first effort by a young writer who would go on to accomplish great things. However, I would only recommend it to diehard Eric Ambler fans.

Rating:
Summary: Outdated.
Review: Written in 1935, this is Eric Ambler's very first published novel. As the author explains in the introduction, The Dark Frontier was meant to be a parody of the brand of adventure thriller he enjoyed as an adolescent but came to find rather silly when he reached adulthood.
That Ambler's tongue was firmly implanted in his cheek while writing this novel is quite obvious from the outlandish premise.
Henry Barstow, a mild mannered, straitlaced scientist, sustains a blow to the head which renders him unconscious. He then awakens as a different person. He is now Conway Carruthers, an Indiana Jones type action hero. Barstow as Carruthers travels to a fictitious Balkan state where he helps revolutionaries overthrow the government, squelches a nascent atomic weapons program and pines for the love of an evil countess. All the while risking his life at every turn.
Some insightful social and political commentary can be found in the midst of this intentionally bad novel. And it's interesting to read Ambler at the beginning of his literary career. But, since the writers and the writing being parodied, have been long forgotten, it's difficult for the modern reader to fully appreciate the book's intended comic nature.
Overall, I would characterize The Dark Frontier as a decent first effort by a young writer who would go on to accomplish great things. However, I would only recommend it to diehard Eric Ambler fans.