The Four Feathers edition by AEW Mason Literature Fiction eBooks
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Harry Feversham is in love with the alluring Ethne Eustace. A dazzling engagement ball is held in their honour at her Irish country home. For Harry, it seems like life cannot get any better. But a mysterious package arrives for him and the contents turn out to be three white feathers. Publicly branded a coward, Harry suffers the ultimate humiliation when Ethne adds a fourth feather to his collection. Shunned from society, he sets out to regain his friends, fiancée and honour. Embarking on a deadly mission, which takes him from Ireland to England to Egypt, that tests his courage to the limits and his will to survive.
The Author Alfred Edward Wooley Mason was born in 1865. He was educated at Dulwich College before being sent up to Oxford University. Once his formal education was completed, Mason went on to become an actor. He began his writing career with historical fiction and then moved into the arena of politics, becoming a Liberal Member of Parliament for Coventry in 1906.
But his love of writing carried on and Mason developed his style to incorporate detective fiction, introducing one of the earliest fictional detectives, Inspector Hanaud, the Gallic counterpart to Sherlock Holmes. His detective fiction contains material clues and spontaneity. Throughout the course of his life he produced over thirty titles.
A E W Mason died in 1948.
The Four Feathers edition by AEW Mason Literature Fiction eBooks
This review is from the Kindle edition, March 24, 2011, free on Amazon. Mr. Mason had a way with words. His prose flows and paints almost visible pictures of his characters and scenes. Unfortunately his research skills did not match his writing skills or perhaps he didn't care about accuracy and thought that his readers would feel the same. This led to such things as the oft mentioned Musoline Overture which, despite its importance to the plot, does not exist. After a frustrating session on line, I finally found a November 8, 1902, review in The Spectator Archives. Here is the passage concerning the overture:"Mr. Mason's sketch of society in Donegal—the home of his heroine—is more remarkable for its sympathy than its inti- mate knowledge of Irish character or manners. We regret to have to add that the unfortunate references to Ethne's accom- plishments as a violinist will render it difficult for any one with the most rudimentary acquaintance with the fiddle to regard her as deserving of sympathy. At all the crucial points of her career she finds vent for her feelings by playing a piece which is called indifferently the Melusine and Musoline overture. Now, in the first place, people do not play overtures on the violin any more than they play single-handed quartets In the second, to allude to an existing and well-known piece like Mendelssohn's Melasine overture, and then to call it Musoline, not once but two or three times, is one of those things that no reviewer can understand."
This seems clear enough, except that internet sources which I consulted name the overture Melusina and Melusine rather than the Melasine of the review or the Musoline of Mr. Mason's novel. The Spectator reviewer was wrong about Mr. Mason referring to the Musoline Overture two or three times. There are many references to it throughout the novel as it assumes some importance to the story. Now we are getting far afield from a book review so I will just say that the little details in the book should not be accepted as accurate without checking. Of course most of us have no interest in checking every detail in a book. We would rather assume that the author, particularly one of Mr. Mason's standing and ability, writes from his knowledge of his subject or conducts rudimentary research. Alas, one can not make that assumption in this case.
THE FOUR FEATHERS is considered by most sources to be an adventure novel but in the first approximately 75% it deals more with romances and related problems. Most mentions of anything which I would consider adventure are discussions of events which happened elsewhere and how those events affect the romance. It says a great deal about Mr. Mason's skill as a writer that the book kept me interested throughout. I do not usually care for an abundance of romance in my reading materials.
I enjoyed the novel much more than I did the 2002 color movie version of the book, but not as much as the 1939 British movie. Not enough adventure and action as well as the whole "Musoline" overture problem which really annoyed the classical music lover in me. So, despite the quality of the prose and the very insightful examinations of honor, courage and cowardice, four stars.
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The Four Feathers edition by AEW Mason Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
Mason's 1902 classic adventure about British army officer Harry Feversham's endeavour to overcome the false label of "coward". Four times filmed. I saw the movie years ago. The book is a joy to read. You do not see that the writing is over a century old.
As a young boy Harry is present during the Crimean War Veteran dinners at his father's estate. The former officers are discussing people who were cowards in battle. When years later Harry himself is an officer and newly engaged he all of a sudden resigns his commission while the next days his regiment is ordered off to the Sudan. People become aware he had prior knowledge and they send him white feathers to brand him a coward. His fiancée adds one of her own before breaking off their engagement.
Harry has a conversation with one of the Crimean officers who ensures him that fear to die in battle is not cowardice but using your brain and that being afraid would not mean one would not do something heroic. Courage is not the lack of fear - but the willingness to do what needs to be done regardless of fear. Harry was afraid he would damage the good reputation of his father and Ethne if he ever would show fear like the guys had done in his dad's war comrade's tales.
Harry disappears.
While the movie with Heath Ledger focussed on the adventures of Harry the book evolves around his former fiancée Ethne. She is now courted by Harry's friend Durrance but realises she is still in love with Harry although no one has ever heard from him again. She realises that she has been too harsh on Harry and feels like she destroyed his life. Then Durrance goes blind and Ethne accepts his marriage proposal because she does not want his life to be destroyed as well.
In the meantime tales reach her from Sudan that Harry is saving the men who accused him and does deeds more courageous than would ever have been expected from him. He seems to want to redeem himself and erase the past.
So what will happen now? Will Harry survive? But what of his best friend who is about to marry the love of his life?
Good psychology and adventure. Old fashioned honour. Writing style feels very modern. Very different from the movie. A theme set in a story written just after the Sudan war and during the Boer War I believe. An era where the military power of Great Britain was still a lifestyle. Can really recommend.
This review is from the edition, March 24, 2011, free on . Mr. Mason had a way with words. His prose flows and paints almost visible pictures of his characters and scenes. Unfortunately his research skills did not match his writing skills or perhaps he didn't care about accuracy and thought that his readers would feel the same. This led to such things as the oft mentioned Musoline Overture which, despite its importance to the plot, does not exist. After a frustrating session on line, I finally found a November 8, 1902, review in The Spectator Archives. Here is the passage concerning the overture
"Mr. Mason's sketch of society in Donegal—the home of his heroine—is more remarkable for its sympathy than its inti- mate knowledge of Irish character or manners. We regret to have to add that the unfortunate references to Ethne's accom- plishments as a violinist will render it difficult for any one with the most rudimentary acquaintance with the fiddle to regard her as deserving of sympathy. At all the crucial points of her career she finds vent for her feelings by playing a piece which is called indifferently the Melusine and Musoline overture. Now, in the first place, people do not play overtures on the violin any more than they play single-handed quartets In the second, to allude to an existing and well-known piece like Mendelssohn's Melasine overture, and then to call it Musoline, not once but two or three times, is one of those things that no reviewer can understand."
This seems clear enough, except that internet sources which I consulted name the overture Melusina and Melusine rather than the Melasine of the review or the Musoline of Mr. Mason's novel. The Spectator reviewer was wrong about Mr. Mason referring to the Musoline Overture two or three times. There are many references to it throughout the novel as it assumes some importance to the story. Now we are getting far afield from a book review so I will just say that the little details in the book should not be accepted as accurate without checking. Of course most of us have no interest in checking every detail in a book. We would rather assume that the author, particularly one of Mr. Mason's standing and ability, writes from his knowledge of his subject or conducts rudimentary research. Alas, one can not make that assumption in this case.
THE FOUR FEATHERS is considered by most sources to be an adventure novel but in the first approximately 75% it deals more with romances and related problems. Most mentions of anything which I would consider adventure are discussions of events which happened elsewhere and how those events affect the romance. It says a great deal about Mr. Mason's skill as a writer that the book kept me interested throughout. I do not usually care for an abundance of romance in my reading materials.
I enjoyed the novel much more than I did the 2002 color movie version of the book, but not as much as the 1939 British movie. Not enough adventure and action as well as the whole "Musoline" overture problem which really annoyed the classical music lover in me. So, despite the quality of the prose and the very insightful examinations of honor, courage and cowardice, four stars.
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