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The Pursued
Marjorie had never seen a dead body until she got home one tranquil summer evening and found her sister Dot lying on the kitchen floor in a pretty dress, with her head in the oven. She looked peaceful, as if she was asleep. Their mother suspects, however, that Dot's death was far from natural.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1935
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About the author
C.S. Forester
236 books981 followersCecil Scott Forester was the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith, an English novelist who rose to fame with tales of adventure and military crusades. His most notable works were the 11-book Horatio Hornblower series, about naval warfare during the Napoleonic era, and The African Queen (1935; filmed in 1951 by John Huston). His novels A Ship of the Line and Flying Colours were jointly awarded the 1938 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction.
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January 29, 2023
Η έκπληξη του περσινού καλοκαιριού! Ένα διαμαντάκι ξεχασμένο για 68 χρόνια (1935), το οποίο ανακαλύφθηκε σε δημοπρασία στο Λονδίνο το 2003. Το συγκεκριμένο μυθιστόρημα είχε απορριφθεί από τους εκδότες του Φόρεστερ, γιατί δεν θα είχε επιτυχία στο αναγνωστικό κοινό , το οποίο είχε συνηθίσει και αγαπήσει τις 'θαλασσινές περιπέτειές' που έγραφε μέχρι τότε (π.χ. 'Η βασίλισσα της Αφρικής').
Κι, όμως, σε αυτό το βιβλίο ο Φόρεστερ εντυπωσιάζει με το θέμα που διαλέγει να θίξει, το οποίο δικαιολογεί τη ρήση, 'Η εκδίκηση είναι ένα πιάτο που τρώγεται κρύο'. Σε όλο σχεδόν το πρώτο μέρος, οι αναγνώστες/στριες νιώθουν εγκλωβισμένοι σε ένα 'καταδιωκτικό' κλίμα όπου ο θήτης γίνεται θύμα και το θύμα θύτης. Υπάρχει διαρκώς μια αιωρούμενη απειλή σαν τη 'δαμόκλειο σπάθη', η οποία αποδίδεται με διαλόγους που 'τσακίζουν κόκαλα'.
O Φόρεστερ είναι γνώστης της φλεγματικής βρετανικής κουλτούρας του μεσοπολέμου, στην οποία φαίνονται έντονα τα κατάλοιπα της αυστηρής βικτωριανής εποχής, ιδιαίτερα, σε μια πλασματική 'πρόσοψη' της οικογενειακής ηρεμίας και της διατήρησης των προσχημάτων. 'Οι Καταζητούμενες' παρουσιάζουν καινοτομικά στοιχεία για την εποχή όπως την επαναστατική διάθεση της κεντρικής ηρωίδας, Μάρτζορι, η οποία, ενώ, στην αρχή, προσπαθεί να κρατήσει ενωμένη την οικογένειά της, αποφασίζει σχεδόν συνομωτικά να εγκαταλείψει το σύζυγό της, χωρίς, καν, να τον προειδοποιήσει. Εντυπωσιάζουν, ακόμα, οι 'εσωτερικές' συγκρούσεις της Μάρτζορι και της μητέρας της, κας Κλερ, οι οποίες δείχνουν πόσο καταπιεσμένες, αλλά και πόσο ύπουλες και εκδικητικές μπορούσαν να γίνουν οι γυναίκες εκείνης της εποχής.
Δύο ακόμα σημαντικά στοιχεία της εποχής είναι η ηθογραφική σκληρότητα με την οποία αντιμετωπίζει ο συγγραφέας τις παρεμβάσεις των γειτόνων στη ζωή της οικογένειας, και την βάναυση συμπεριφορά του πατέρα προς το μικρό του γιο, τη στιγμή που εκείνος τον φέρνει σε δύσκολη θέση. Πολύ ενδιαφέρον παρουσιάζει και το γεγονός ότι τον ρυθμό στη πλοκή τον δίνει ο μικρός γιός, ο Ντέρεκ.
Γενικά, πρόκειται για ένα έντονο ψυχολογικό θρίλερ με στοιχεία αστυνομικού μυθιστορήματος, τα οποία, κυρίως, παρουσιάζονται στην αρχή και στο τέλος του βιβλίου. Σε κάποιους αναγνώστες μπορεί να φανεί παράξενο ότι δεν υπάρχει έντονη πλοκή, ωστόσο, η αίσθηση του κινδύνου, της απειλής και της υποψίας συναρπάζουν. Ανήκει στα αστυνομικά μυθιστορήματα της κατηγορίας whydunit, όχι whodunit!
Y.Γ.: Παρατηρείται και μια ειρωνική διάθεση του συγγραφέα στα σημεία που οι διάλογοι γίνονται πιο γλυκεροί μεταξύ του ζευγαριού των ηρώων, το οποίο έρχεται σε πλήρη αντίθεση με την απειλή που κοντοζυγώνει.
Υ.Γ. 2: Θα μπορούσε να ενταχθεί στα 'ψυχολογικά/ψυχογραφικά' αστυνομικά μυθιστορήματα!
Βαθμολογία: 4,3/5 ή 8,6/10.
Κι, όμως, σε αυτό το βιβλίο ο Φόρεστερ εντυπωσιάζει με το θέμα που διαλέγει να θίξει, το οποίο δικαιολογεί τη ρήση, 'Η εκδίκηση είναι ένα πιάτο που τρώγεται κρύο'. Σε όλο σχεδόν το πρώτο μέρος, οι αναγνώστες/στριες νιώθουν εγκλωβισμένοι σε ένα 'καταδιωκτικό' κλίμα όπου ο θήτης γίνεται θύμα και το θύμα θύτης. Υπάρχει διαρκώς μια αιωρούμενη απειλή σαν τη 'δαμόκλειο σπάθη', η οποία αποδίδεται με διαλόγους που 'τσακίζουν κόκαλα'.
O Φόρεστερ είναι γνώστης της φλεγματικής βρετανικής κουλτούρας του μεσοπολέμου, στην οποία φαίνονται έντονα τα κατάλοιπα της αυστηρής βικτωριανής εποχής, ιδιαίτερα, σε μια πλασματική 'πρόσοψη' της οικογενειακής ηρεμίας και της διατήρησης των προσχημάτων. 'Οι Καταζητούμενες' παρουσιάζουν καινοτομικά στοιχεία για την εποχή όπως την επαναστατική διάθεση της κεντρικής ηρωίδας, Μάρτζορι, η οποία, ενώ, στην αρχή, προσπαθεί να κρατήσει ενωμένη την οικογένειά της, αποφασίζει σχεδόν συνομωτικά να εγκαταλείψει το σύζυγό της, χωρίς, καν, να τον προειδοποιήσει. Εντυπωσιάζουν, ακόμα, οι 'εσωτερικές' συγκρούσεις της Μάρτζορι και της μητέρας της, κας Κλερ, οι οποίες δείχνουν πόσο καταπιεσμένες, αλλά και πόσο ύπουλες και εκδικητικές μπορούσαν να γίνουν οι γυναίκες εκείνης της εποχής.
Δύο ακόμα σημαντικά στοιχεία της εποχής είναι η ηθογραφική σκληρότητα με την οποία αντιμετωπίζει ο συγγραφέας τις παρεμβάσεις των γειτόνων στη ζωή της οικογένειας, και την βάναυση συμπεριφορά του πατέρα προς το μικρό του γιο, τη στιγμή που εκείνος τον φέρνει σε δύσκολη θέση. Πολύ ενδιαφέρον παρουσιάζει και το γεγονός ότι τον ρυθμό στη πλοκή τον δίνει ο μικρός γιός, ο Ντέρεκ.
Γενικά, πρόκειται για ένα έντονο ψυχολογικό θρίλερ με στοιχεία αστυνομικού μυθιστορήματος, τα οποία, κυρίως, παρουσιάζονται στην αρχή και στο τέλος του βιβλίου. Σε κάποιους αναγνώστες μπορεί να φανεί παράξενο ότι δεν υπάρχει έντονη πλοκή, ωστόσο, η αίσθηση του κινδύνου, της απειλής και της υποψίας συναρπάζουν. Ανήκει στα αστυνομικά μυθιστορήματα της κατηγορίας whydunit, όχι whodunit!
Y.Γ.: Παρατηρείται και μια ειρωνική διάθεση του συγγραφέα στα σημεία που οι διάλογοι γίνονται πιο γλυκεροί μεταξύ του ζευγαριού των ηρώων, το οποίο έρχεται σε πλήρη αντίθεση με την απειλή που κοντοζυγώνει.
Υ.Γ. 2: Θα μπορούσε να ενταχθεί στα 'ψυχολογικά/ψυχογραφικά' αστυνομικά μυθιστορήματα!
Βαθμολογία: 4,3/5 ή 8,6/10.
August 20, 2018
Χαρακτηρισμένο ως ψυχολογικό θρίλερ, περίμενα να με συναρπάσει με τον ρυθμό, την πλοκή του και τους χαρακτήρες του. Δυστυχώς όχι όμως καθώς τα 2/3 του βιβλίου αναλώνονται σε μάλλον βαρετές περιγραφές για την ζωή της μέσης Βρετανίδας νοικοκυράς και μητέρας, παντρεμένη με μέθυσο, άπιστο, αγροίκο σύζυγο. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο η ιστορία μας δένει με την αυτοκτονία ενός χαρακτήρα που δεν προλαβαίνουμε να γνωρίσουμε ζωντανό. Και παρόλο που τα αίτια του αρχικού φονικού ποτέ δεν ξεκαθαρίζονται (πιθανώς προς χάριν δημιουργίας μυστηρίου), σε αυτό το κομμάτι του βιβλίου μοιάζει σαν να λείπει η σπιρτάδα και η ένταση του θρίλερ, πόσο μάλλον ψυχολογικού.
Όλες οι εξελίξεις τρέχουν στο τελευταίο τρίτο της ιστορίας μας που αν και παλεύουν να εξισορροπήσουν κάπως το σημείο όπου θέλει να καταλήξει ο συγγραφέας, δεν μας προσφέρουν ωστόσο την ανατροπή. Και πάλι μας αφήνει με αναπάντητα ερωτηματικά και με ένα φινάλε σχεδόν απόλυτα προβλέψιμο.
Απλώς συμπαθητικό.
Όλες οι εξελίξεις τρέχουν στο τελευταίο τρίτο της ιστορίας μας που αν και παλεύουν να εξισορροπήσουν κάπως το σημείο όπου θέλει να καταλήξει ο συγγραφέας, δεν μας προσφέρουν ωστόσο την ανατροπή. Και πάλι μας αφήνει με αναπάντητα ερωτηματικά και με ένα φινάλε σχεδόν απόλυτα προβλέψιμο.
Απλώς συμπαθητικό.
April 22, 2014
From BBC Radio 4 - Saturday Drama:
Most famous for his Hornblower series, C.S. Forester wrote three seminal psychological thrillers at the start of his career that took crime writing in a new direction, portraying ordinary, desperate people committing monstrous acts, and showing events spiralling terribly, chillingly, out of control.
The Pursued is a dark tale of retribution.
When Marjorie finds Dorothy, her pretty young sister, lying dead with her head in the oven the obvious assumption is suicide. But the girl's mother, Mrs Clair, a tough-minded woman is not convinced. She believes that Dorothy was murdered by Marjorie's cheating husband Ted. Unable to prove her theory, Mrs Clair begins to cook up a secret, terrible revenge.
C.S. Forester's London Noir
THE PURSUED
By C. S. Forester, dramatized by Paul Mendelson
Most famous for his Hornblower series, C.S. Forester wrote three seminal psychological thrillers at the start of his career that took crime writing in a new direction, portraying ordinary, desperate people committing monstrous acts, and showing events spiralling terribly, chillingly, out of control.
The Pursued is a dark tale of retribution.
When Marjorie finds Dorothy, her pretty young sister, lying dead with her head in the oven the obvious assumption is suicide. But the girl's mother, Mrs Clair, a tough-minded woman is not convinced. She believes that Dorothy was murdered by Marjorie's cheating husband Ted. Unable to prove her theory, Mrs Clair begins to cook up a secret, terrible revenge.
C.S. Forester's London Noir
THE PURSUED
By C. S. Forester, dramatized by Paul Mendelson
August 10, 2012
"The Pursued" is one of three crime novels written by C.S. Forester, who is much more famous for his seafaring tales featuring Horatio Hornblower (books which may well have inspired Patrick O'Brian to write his wonderful series of nautical novels set during the Napoleonic Wars). Unlike the other two thrillers - "Plain Murder" (which I have read and reviewed) and "Payment Deferred" - "The Pursued", which was written in 1935, was not published during Forester's lifetime. It seems that the manuscript went missing and was rediscovered only recently. The Penguin Classics edition of it that I have just read was issued in 2011 and is its first publication. It has been well worth the wait. "The Pursued" is an enjoyable, readable novel.
Set in the suburbs of London in the 1930s (when murder was a capital offence), "The Pursued" can best be described as an amalgam of sorts of the Noel Coward story and film "Brief Encounter", the Fitzrovia-based novels of English writer Patrick Hamilton and the psychological thrillers of American writer Patricia Highsmith. It features young housewife and mother of two Marjorie Grainger, whose relationship with her husband Ted is somewhat strained after ten or so years of marriage. After visiting a friend in central London one evening, Marjorie returns home to find her babysitting sister Dot dead, having apparently committed suicide by gassing herself in the oven. In fact, the likelihood is that Dot (who, it turns out, was pregnant) was, in fact, murdered by Ted in order to prevent her from revealing that he had been having an affair with her and was the father of the unborn child. Added to this mix are Marjorie's mother, Mrs Clair, and her tenant, George Ely. George is a handsome young bachelor who works for Ted and who is inexperienced in matters of the heart. He develops a close relationship with Marjorie. Events involving all these characters spiral out of control as a consequence of Dot's death.
"The Pursued" is well written and suspenseful. Its characterisation is good and it has that sometimes elusive quality that, in my view, is all-important for stories of its kind: a page-turning readability. Marjorie is a fully-fleshed, convincing character. Forester expertly portrays her desperation to set herself free from the dominating clutches of a man with whom she long ago fell out of love and with whom she is aghast at the prospect of having to endure enforced love-making. Marjorie's mother is also a fully-rounded and convincing character who, aware of Ted's apparent involvement in her daughter Dot's death, plots and schemes to try to get revenge in a way that will keep the rest of her family together. My one reservation about the story is that I found the conclusion to be unconvincing and implausible. This stands out as a weakness given that the events that precede it are manifestly credible. It's such a shame that an otherwise excellent novel is marred slightly in this way. Nonetheless, "The Pursued" is a very good thriller that, when all is said and done, is well worth reading. 8/10.
There is one other issue that I need to mention that may detract from the reader's enjoyment of the story. As in so many modern publishing ventures, it seems, the quality of the sub-editing of "The Pursued" is woeful. There are numerous typos and similar errors, e.g. "rococco" instead of "rococo" and "relived" instead of "relieved". Responsibility for quality control of this sort rests solely with the publisher. Penguin Classics appears to have given very little attention to proof-reading in this instance. That is unforgivable, the more so given that the price of the UK edition of the book that I have just read is £14.99 (which is itself questionable for a story that is surely out of copyright)!
Set in the suburbs of London in the 1930s (when murder was a capital offence), "The Pursued" can best be described as an amalgam of sorts of the Noel Coward story and film "Brief Encounter", the Fitzrovia-based novels of English writer Patrick Hamilton and the psychological thrillers of American writer Patricia Highsmith. It features young housewife and mother of two Marjorie Grainger, whose relationship with her husband Ted is somewhat strained after ten or so years of marriage. After visiting a friend in central London one evening, Marjorie returns home to find her babysitting sister Dot dead, having apparently committed suicide by gassing herself in the oven. In fact, the likelihood is that Dot (who, it turns out, was pregnant) was, in fact, murdered by Ted in order to prevent her from revealing that he had been having an affair with her and was the father of the unborn child. Added to this mix are Marjorie's mother, Mrs Clair, and her tenant, George Ely. George is a handsome young bachelor who works for Ted and who is inexperienced in matters of the heart. He develops a close relationship with Marjorie. Events involving all these characters spiral out of control as a consequence of Dot's death.
"The Pursued" is well written and suspenseful. Its characterisation is good and it has that sometimes elusive quality that, in my view, is all-important for stories of its kind: a page-turning readability. Marjorie is a fully-fleshed, convincing character. Forester expertly portrays her desperation to set herself free from the dominating clutches of a man with whom she long ago fell out of love and with whom she is aghast at the prospect of having to endure enforced love-making. Marjorie's mother is also a fully-rounded and convincing character who, aware of Ted's apparent involvement in her daughter Dot's death, plots and schemes to try to get revenge in a way that will keep the rest of her family together. My one reservation about the story is that I found the conclusion to be unconvincing and implausible. This stands out as a weakness given that the events that precede it are manifestly credible. It's such a shame that an otherwise excellent novel is marred slightly in this way. Nonetheless, "The Pursued" is a very good thriller that, when all is said and done, is well worth reading. 8/10.
There is one other issue that I need to mention that may detract from the reader's enjoyment of the story. As in so many modern publishing ventures, it seems, the quality of the sub-editing of "The Pursued" is woeful. There are numerous typos and similar errors, e.g. "rococco" instead of "rococo" and "relived" instead of "relieved". Responsibility for quality control of this sort rests solely with the publisher. Penguin Classics appears to have given very little attention to proof-reading in this instance. That is unforgivable, the more so given that the price of the UK edition of the book that I have just read is £14.99 (which is itself questionable for a story that is surely out of copyright)!
September 22, 2021
A classic noir book where you do not have to strain your mind to find the killer. The killer is "declared" from the beginning, it is understood from the beginning of the story who he is.
But what happens when you can not denounce this man? When you do not have the option to do so?
Then a plan of revenge begins to be drawn up. A dramatic noir on how people close to the killer will handle this information. While they know who he is, they can't denounce him so easily and banish him from their lives. How will they handle the situation while having this information? What will they do?
Also characterized as a "psychological thriller" with 3 main protagonists and it all starts with the murder of Marjorie's sister, Dot.
You will dislike Ted, the "monster husband", you will feel sorry for Marjorie, the obedient wife who always needs someone to support her and you will admire Mrs. Claire for her ingenuity. Really smart woman.
A well-written noir that may not be as anxious as it may be today many noir / psychological thrillers but it is enjoyable to read and captivates you in its own way.
But what happens when you can not denounce this man? When you do not have the option to do so?
Then a plan of revenge begins to be drawn up. A dramatic noir on how people close to the killer will handle this information. While they know who he is, they can't denounce him so easily and banish him from their lives. How will they handle the situation while having this information? What will they do?
Also characterized as a "psychological thriller" with 3 main protagonists and it all starts with the murder of Marjorie's sister, Dot.
You will dislike Ted, the "monster husband", you will feel sorry for Marjorie, the obedient wife who always needs someone to support her and you will admire Mrs. Claire for her ingenuity. Really smart woman.
A well-written noir that may not be as anxious as it may be today many noir / psychological thrillers but it is enjoyable to read and captivates you in its own way.
March 9, 2017
Τα 2/3 του βιβλίου περιγράφουν την ζωή της Αγγλίδας πρωταγωνίστριας και σε καμία περίπτωση δεν θυμίζει ψυχολογικό,καθηλωτικό θρίλερ.
Ο ελληνικός τίτλος είναι αρκετά άστοχος καθώς δικαιολογείται μόνο προς το τέλος του βιβλίου και πάλι, χωρίς ιδιαίτερη ένταση.
Ο ελληνικός τίτλος είναι αρκετά άστοχος καθώς δικαιολογείται μόνο προς το τέλος του βιβλίου και πάλι, χωρίς ιδιαίτερη ένταση.
March 13, 2020
I've read and enjoyed many books by C. S. Forester, his Horatio Hornblower books, The African Queen, and various standalone books, including The Ship and 2 mysteries. The Pursued was discovered after Forester's death, even though it was originally written in 1935.
Marjorie lives with husband Ted and their two children, Anne and Derrick in London, down the road from Marjorie's mother, Mrs. Clair and her sister, Dot. Marjorie comes home from a night out with an old friend to find her sister dead, her head in the gas oven. Mrs. Clair and Marjorie eventually come to the belief that Dot and Ted had been having an affair and that Ted had killed her, making it seem like a suicide.
Through the remain of the story, Mrs. Clair plots her revenge against Ted. Ted is an arsehole. He is mean to his wife and kids, he cheats on Marjorie. Marjorie has grown to hate her husband over the course of their marriage. At Mrs. Clair's subtle instigation, she falls in love with George Ely, an employee of Ted's and a young man who moves into Mrs. Clair's home, renting the room that had belonged to Dot.
The tension builds, as George falls more and more in love with Marjorie but is frustrated because she can't leave Ted. Mrs. Clair plots and twists and turns, manipulating Ted and the others until the final violent conclusion. It's a fascinating, at times frustrating, story. It builds slowly, falls back at times, then lurches forward. It's peopled with interesting characters, especially Mrs. Clair, steely, calm and dedicated to avenging her dead daughter. (4 stars)
Marjorie lives with husband Ted and their two children, Anne and Derrick in London, down the road from Marjorie's mother, Mrs. Clair and her sister, Dot. Marjorie comes home from a night out with an old friend to find her sister dead, her head in the gas oven. Mrs. Clair and Marjorie eventually come to the belief that Dot and Ted had been having an affair and that Ted had killed her, making it seem like a suicide.
Through the remain of the story, Mrs. Clair plots her revenge against Ted. Ted is an arsehole. He is mean to his wife and kids, he cheats on Marjorie. Marjorie has grown to hate her husband over the course of their marriage. At Mrs. Clair's subtle instigation, she falls in love with George Ely, an employee of Ted's and a young man who moves into Mrs. Clair's home, renting the room that had belonged to Dot.
The tension builds, as George falls more and more in love with Marjorie but is frustrated because she can't leave Ted. Mrs. Clair plots and twists and turns, manipulating Ted and the others until the final violent conclusion. It's a fascinating, at times frustrating, story. It builds slowly, falls back at times, then lurches forward. It's peopled with interesting characters, especially Mrs. Clair, steely, calm and dedicated to avenging her dead daughter. (4 stars)
September 17, 2013
Other than knowing it was set in 1930s Britain, I had little idea what this book would be like as a read. I chose it because of its title and its classification as a Penguin Modern Classic. I half expected it to be along the lines of the Thirty-nine Steps, it isn't. Marjorie is trapped in a stultifying marriage to a man who mistreats her. Had he chosen not to mistreat her sister even more cruelly, Marjorie is to type of character who would have waited for the course of time to free her from Ted.
But this isn't a domestic tale of disappointed dreams. As the blurb describes it, The Pursued is a dark, twisted tale of murder, lust and retribution. Sex and murder drive this story, yet both are kept very firmly in the background. This is a character driven tale, not action driven.
The story is told from the viewpoint of each of the protagonists. We move from the innermost thoughts of one character to the innermost thoughts of the next. This is a very clever storytelling device, allowing us to know what the characters think is going to happen next. The suspense comes from discovering whether events unfold as the characters believe, and what ramifications follow. This is a story of consequences, a slowly paced, yet page turning psychological drama, with the most unlikely conspirator. Definitely a modern classic.
Nina Jon is the author of the Jane Hetherington Adventures in Detection crime and mystery series
But this isn't a domestic tale of disappointed dreams. As the blurb describes it, The Pursued is a dark, twisted tale of murder, lust and retribution. Sex and murder drive this story, yet both are kept very firmly in the background. This is a character driven tale, not action driven.
The story is told from the viewpoint of each of the protagonists. We move from the innermost thoughts of one character to the innermost thoughts of the next. This is a very clever storytelling device, allowing us to know what the characters think is going to happen next. The suspense comes from discovering whether events unfold as the characters believe, and what ramifications follow. This is a story of consequences, a slowly paced, yet page turning psychological drama, with the most unlikely conspirator. Definitely a modern classic.
Nina Jon is the author of the Jane Hetherington Adventures in Detection crime and mystery series
December 27, 2011
C.S. Forester wrote The Pursued in the 1930s, but it was never published and the manuscript was eventually lost. Having at last been found, it was published by Penguin Classics in 2011, and it is really good. It's a noirish novel (think Patrick Hamilton, or Alfred Hitchcock) of murder and domestic drama in the suburbs. As the novel opens, Marjorie returns home one evening, expecting to find her unmarried sister, Dot, caring for her children. Instead, Dot is dead with her head in the oven. Marjorie and her mother come to realize that Marjorie's loutish, cruel husband, Ted, is responsible, and Marjorie's mother concocts an elaborate plot to take revenge on him.
Forester has a knack for pacing and suspense, but what he particularly got right were the suffocating details of Marjorie's stifling lower-middle-class life - washing on Monday (and mangling, and ironing), struggling back from the shops without a car, yielding reluctantly to her husband when he's inclined to 'be troublesome', anxiously guarding herself from the neighbourhood gossips, who are childless women with only an hour or two of housework to keep them occupied. Forester struck me as very observant of the details of domestic life for a man writing in the 1930s.
Forester has a knack for pacing and suspense, but what he particularly got right were the suffocating details of Marjorie's stifling lower-middle-class life - washing on Monday (and mangling, and ironing), struggling back from the shops without a car, yielding reluctantly to her husband when he's inclined to 'be troublesome', anxiously guarding herself from the neighbourhood gossips, who are childless women with only an hour or two of housework to keep them occupied. Forester struck me as very observant of the details of domestic life for a man writing in the 1930s.
January 15, 2012
Lovely design, great that it's been published but £14.99?
Come one Penguin, CS Forester doesn't need the money - he's been dead for 45 years.
Greedy fucks.
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I loved the first half, less sure about the ending. It's good that it was found and published - CS is a great writer. Some typos that I guess are down to poor proofing but I would have been nice if Penguin had given some more info and history on this lost manuscript.
Come one Penguin, CS Forester doesn't need the money - he's been dead for 45 years.
Greedy fucks.
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I loved the first half, less sure about the ending. It's good that it was found and published - CS is a great writer. Some typos that I guess are down to poor proofing but I would have been nice if Penguin had given some more info and history on this lost manuscript.
May 12, 2019
Interesting set up, awkward torrid sex scenes. Even having been written in 1935 doesn't completely excuse the bad dialog in the love scenes. Sheesh.
July 19, 2015
Ήταν ΚΑΚΟ και δεν είχε λόγο ύπαρξης. Το βιβλίο ονομάζεται "Οι καταζητούμενες" και οι πρωταγωνίστριες δεν καταζητούνται παρά μόνο στις τελευταίες 70-80 σελίδες στις οποίες και εκτυλίσσονται ουσιαστικά όλα τα ενδιαφέροντα γεγονότα (μη φανταστείτε γενικά πολύ ενδιαφέροντα ωστόσο). Στις πρώτες 200+ σελίδες του βιβλίου διαβάζουμε ένα βασανιστικό τίποτα που περιγράφει τη ζωή της μέσης αγγλίδας του '30 (ίσως και του σήμερα...) η οποία όπως όλοι μπορούμε να φανταστούμε ΕΙΝΑΙ ΒΑΡΕΤΗ (του κερατά). Νιώθω ότι έχασα πολύτιμο χρόνο απ' τη ζωή μου.
December 16, 2016
What a gem of a book by the author of The African Queen and the Horatio Hornblower series! Glad that this 'lost' novel was found. Intriguing book set in the 1930's London, this book seems rather risqué for its time, but remains truly captivating and enthralling in its tale of lust, deceit, murder, and pursuit of happiness. Great read, and looking forward to read more of his novels.
August 14, 2015
In 1935, between writing his first and second Hornblower novels, C.S. Forester wrote a detective thriller that was never published and later turned up in an auction and was later published in 2011. Pay close attention to the last line for the final twist.
October 2, 2015
I enjoyed this book but was a little disappointed with the ending. It was easy to read and built up very well but the passionate love affair just seemed to peter out.
October 6, 2017
A bit old-fashioned and dated but nonetheless an enoyable light and easy read/listen.
September 10, 2018
Buenísimo libro tal como lo dice en su portada un clásico de novela negra. Es una lastima que casi nadie lo conozca.
May 6, 2025
Returning from a night out, Ted and Marjorie discover Marjorie’s sister Dot dead in the kitchen - head in the gas oven, the gas on. Did Dot take her own life - or, as Marjorie begins to suspect, was her husband Ted somehow involved…
CS Forester’s The Pursued is another of his British noir novels, similar to Payment Deferred - and it’s a decent book though not as good as that one.
The first 50 or so pages are great. Forester wastes no time in setting up the premise. I especially liked how he jumped around in the heads of the different characters, even Ted’s, without giving things away about whodunit. Which is good because Marjorie is a bit of a damp squib, so the variety of seeing the story from her perspective, Ted’s and Mrs Clair, her mother, keeps the story engaging.
What’s inspired is Mrs Clair herself. A grandmother, I initially wrote her off as the old biddy that’s always in stories’ backgrounds, but she quickly becomes the best character in the story as she realises her son-in-law killed her youngest daughter and is making her surviving daughter’s life a misery, and decides, well, if the law won’t punish him, then I’ll just kill him myself. What an awesome old biddy!
Then the novel slows down considerably for about a hundred pages when we have to slog through a rather soppy romance. I know why Forester chose to do this - to give the actions of the final act a believability - but it was still dull to get through. The story picks up again in the remaining pages as the inevitable confrontation with Ted happens and the title makes itself clear.
This novel has a strange origin story. Forester wrote it in 1935 and sent copies to his US and UK publisher but asked they hold off on publishing as his nautical adventure series Hornblower was hitting big and he thought this dark crime story appearing in between Hornblower books would seem weird to his audience. Then the manuscripts went missing for the rest of the author’s life - he died believing they were forever lost. A copy re-emerged in 1999 at auction, it was bought, and, after some legal wrangling, was finally published in 2011, 76 years after it was written!
Part of me wonders if it wasn’t initially published because it could be seen as derivative of James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, which had been published the year before and has a very similar story (although this story has been done before many times by other writers, and also been lived out in real life like in the Ruth Snyder case in the 1920s).
Although, what sets The Pursued apart from Postman is the inclusion of the third character, Mrs Clair - it’s not just the two lovers, Marjorie and George, being left up to decide what to do about the unwitting husband, but also the grandmother character, who actually masterminds the whole thing. And it’s Mrs Clair’s revenge plan that’s the most intriguing part of the story, as I kept reading to find out how exactly this old lady would take him out.
And while the story is unpredictable for the key moments, the ending is disappointingly predictable because I feel that the morals of the time meant that you couldn’t tell a story where criminals get away with it. Even though, ironically, it’s the morals of the time that led to such a situation - apparently even though Ted beat up his wife and kids, because he was being cucked by his adulterous wife, he’d still get to keep the house, his job and custody of the children, while his wife would lose everything and her boyfriend would lose his job! Ah, the good old days eh? When nothing made sense…
The novel could definitely be leaner but I did enjoy parts of The Pursued and it’s a solid crime novel - Forester’s both a strong storyteller and writer. And it’s always good to see lost manuscripts being found and published, regardless of it not being among their author’s best work. If you want to read a better CS Forester noir story, Payment Deferred is the one to check out, and if you want to read a better version of The Pursued, I recommend James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice.
CS Forester’s The Pursued is another of his British noir novels, similar to Payment Deferred - and it’s a decent book though not as good as that one.
The first 50 or so pages are great. Forester wastes no time in setting up the premise. I especially liked how he jumped around in the heads of the different characters, even Ted’s, without giving things away about whodunit. Which is good because Marjorie is a bit of a damp squib, so the variety of seeing the story from her perspective, Ted’s and Mrs Clair, her mother, keeps the story engaging.
What’s inspired is Mrs Clair herself. A grandmother, I initially wrote her off as the old biddy that’s always in stories’ backgrounds, but she quickly becomes the best character in the story as she realises her son-in-law killed her youngest daughter and is making her surviving daughter’s life a misery, and decides, well, if the law won’t punish him, then I’ll just kill him myself. What an awesome old biddy!
Then the novel slows down considerably for about a hundred pages when we have to slog through a rather soppy romance. I know why Forester chose to do this - to give the actions of the final act a believability - but it was still dull to get through. The story picks up again in the remaining pages as the inevitable confrontation with Ted happens and the title makes itself clear.
This novel has a strange origin story. Forester wrote it in 1935 and sent copies to his US and UK publisher but asked they hold off on publishing as his nautical adventure series Hornblower was hitting big and he thought this dark crime story appearing in between Hornblower books would seem weird to his audience. Then the manuscripts went missing for the rest of the author’s life - he died believing they were forever lost. A copy re-emerged in 1999 at auction, it was bought, and, after some legal wrangling, was finally published in 2011, 76 years after it was written!
Part of me wonders if it wasn’t initially published because it could be seen as derivative of James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, which had been published the year before and has a very similar story (although this story has been done before many times by other writers, and also been lived out in real life like in the Ruth Snyder case in the 1920s).
Although, what sets The Pursued apart from Postman is the inclusion of the third character, Mrs Clair - it’s not just the two lovers, Marjorie and George, being left up to decide what to do about the unwitting husband, but also the grandmother character, who actually masterminds the whole thing. And it’s Mrs Clair’s revenge plan that’s the most intriguing part of the story, as I kept reading to find out how exactly this old lady would take him out.
And while the story is unpredictable for the key moments, the ending is disappointingly predictable because I feel that the morals of the time meant that you couldn’t tell a story where criminals get away with it. Even though, ironically, it’s the morals of the time that led to such a situation - apparently even though Ted beat up his wife and kids, because he was being cucked by his adulterous wife, he’d still get to keep the house, his job and custody of the children, while his wife would lose everything and her boyfriend would lose his job! Ah, the good old days eh? When nothing made sense…
The novel could definitely be leaner but I did enjoy parts of The Pursued and it’s a solid crime novel - Forester’s both a strong storyteller and writer. And it’s always good to see lost manuscripts being found and published, regardless of it not being among their author’s best work. If you want to read a better CS Forester noir story, Payment Deferred is the one to check out, and if you want to read a better version of The Pursued, I recommend James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice.
May 7, 2020
Murder mystery/love story set in 1930's London. A beleaguered wife in a loveless marriage to a brutish husband comes home to find her sister with her head in the oven. On scanty evidence she finds that her husband had killed the girl and made it look like a suicide. On even less evidence her mother comes to the same conclusion. The wife doesn't know what to do. The mother decides to kill the husband. Then they go on vacation.
The legend is that Forester wrote the first Hornblower novel, then wrote this piece, and before it was published Hornblower became immensely popular so Forester had this manuscript pulled so that it would not fall between two Hornblower's. Then it was lost, and not found again until 1999. This explains the similarities between The Pursued and his other murder novel Payment Deferred. Same meek housewife, same brutish husband, same dead relative, same two children. But this one is from the POV of the wife, with the addition of an evil mother-in-law. And a love affair.
This is not really a mystery but instead a psychological love story. The wife seeks escape from her husband in the arms of another. The mother seeks revenge for the death of her favorite daughter, and is willing to sacrifice everything to get it. She is really the best character, cold and calculating while maintaining the persona of a harmless little old lady. It would have been better if more of the book had been devoted to her, as the last quarter of the book is, and that is the only part that really moves along and is engaging. Most of the story follows the wife and her aimless attempt to get out from under her husband, including taking up with a simple minded pool boy. While housekeeping and doing the wash. The book is somewhat slowly developing, with a sudden rush at the end.
As always some of the fun in reading books is in the anachronisms. In 1936, you could go on a 3 week vacation for $12(pounds, actually), zoom along in your 7 HP roadster at the breakneck speed of 20 mph, and if you needed to make a call the house next door actually had a telephone. And it seems that everyone ate eggs and bacon 3 times a day, with tea. If you were caught for murder you could expect to rot in jail for a couple of weeks, have your trail, and then be hanged a week later.
The legend is that Forester wrote the first Hornblower novel, then wrote this piece, and before it was published Hornblower became immensely popular so Forester had this manuscript pulled so that it would not fall between two Hornblower's. Then it was lost, and not found again until 1999. This explains the similarities between The Pursued and his other murder novel Payment Deferred. Same meek housewife, same brutish husband, same dead relative, same two children. But this one is from the POV of the wife, with the addition of an evil mother-in-law. And a love affair.
This is not really a mystery but instead a psychological love story. The wife seeks escape from her husband in the arms of another. The mother seeks revenge for the death of her favorite daughter, and is willing to sacrifice everything to get it. She is really the best character, cold and calculating while maintaining the persona of a harmless little old lady. It would have been better if more of the book had been devoted to her, as the last quarter of the book is, and that is the only part that really moves along and is engaging. Most of the story follows the wife and her aimless attempt to get out from under her husband, including taking up with a simple minded pool boy. While housekeeping and doing the wash. The book is somewhat slowly developing, with a sudden rush at the end.
As always some of the fun in reading books is in the anachronisms. In 1936, you could go on a 3 week vacation for $12(pounds, actually), zoom along in your 7 HP roadster at the breakneck speed of 20 mph, and if you needed to make a call the house next door actually had a telephone. And it seems that everyone ate eggs and bacon 3 times a day, with tea. If you were caught for murder you could expect to rot in jail for a couple of weeks, have your trail, and then be hanged a week later.
November 11, 2014
Publicado en http://lecturaylocura.com/capsulas-po...
Cápsulas policíacas: C.S. Forester y Jim Thompson. Dos consagrados
Podría haber dedicado a ambos libros una entrada completa; sin embargo, a veces tengo esta tendencia curiosa a agrupar, para dar salida libros que quiero comentar (algunos ni llegan a ser comentados); lo más curioso es que me gusta encontrar puntos en común entre ellos, un hilo conductor que los una. En este caso más que una temática (la novela negra) les uniría su caracterización como clásicos del negro.
Así, tenemos inicialmente la novela “Los perseguidos” del escritor Cecil Scott Forester (1899-1966); novela que se trató de un manuscrito perdido durante casi 70 años y encontrado en 2003 cuando el autor ya había fallecido, había sido escrita, sin embargo, en 1935; en pleno auge de las novelas de detectives.
Hablé hace poco sobre “suicidios aparentes”; un poco antes que el escritor japonés, Forester planteó otro de esos casos donde se nota desde el principio que hay gato encerrado por la forma en que ha muerto un personaje; pero Forester, sorprendentemente, no plantea el caso como una investigación estándar, si no que se centra (desde un narrador omnisciente, eso sí) más bien en cómo vive la situación la hermana de la fallecida, Marjorie, ante la posible amenaza de su marido:
“Marjorie sabía perfectamente que aquella noche no iba a dormir: ahora permanecía siempre despierta, inquieta y nerviosa, cuando Ted se ponía “pesado”, y aquella noche fue mucho, mucho peor. Supuso que debían de ser las dos cuando Ted se durmió, acalorado y pesado a su lado, con el aliento un poquito más ruidoso que cuando estaba despierto. Ella se quedó echada de espaldas en el borde de la cama, con la almohada metida en la nuca, demasiado cansada para llorar, y con las emociones demasiado confundidas para que su sufrimiento fuese agudo. Solo era consciente de sentir una depresión negra e insomne, una infelicidad mucho más arraigada de la que había conocido nunca.”
Y sorprende precisamente porque se dedica a expresar los miedos de una mujer ante la infelicidad en el matrimonio, que tiene un causante principal, su marido Ted; todo ello ambientado en un tiempo tan lejano como eran los primeros años del siglo XX y desde la perspectiva de un hombre; sinceramente, lo hace muy bien; pinta en primer lugar la situación y, a continuación, asistimos a la liberación de Marjorie al conocer el amor de nuevo en un período vacacional, alejado de su opresor:
“Marjorie sintió un dolor estremecedor en el pecho cuando el sol bajó todavía más. Aquel lugar, absolutamente maravilloso, la tristeza de la tarde, el dolor al saber que aquel tiempo tan feliz estaba concluyendo, todo aquello pesaba sobre ella mientras luchaba por tomar una decisión sobre Ted. La cabeza le daba vueltas, no podía pensar con claridad.”
La instigadora de un cambio brutal será, paradójicamente, su madre, que tampoco confía en Ted, a pesar de que parezca no entender la situación:
“En ese caso, sería también inútil buscar la ayuda de su madre para dejar a Ted. Su madre sería la última persona de toda la tierra que animase a una esposa a separarse de su marido. La cabeza le daba vueltas a Marjorie. Estaba exhausta por la tensión emocional.”
Ella será el desencadenante de un tour de force del que tendrán que escapar, convirtiendo la parte final de la novela en una persecución como si de un capítulo de “El fugitivo” se tratase. No hay lugar a una resolución del crimen inicial; todo ello se sustituye por un buen manejo de la trama y una desviación hacia lo más negro, olvidando la parte más detectivesca.
La conclusión al viaje deja buen sabor de boca a pesar de lo aparentemente negativo. Una gran novela, sin lugar a dudas.
Los textos provienen de la traducción de Ana Herrera Ferrer de “Los perseguidos” de C.S. Forester.
LaSangreKingLa segunda propuesta viene de otro clásico, uno de los más grandes, del que vemos publicado otra de sus obras, “La sangre de los King”; hablamos, claro que sí, de Jim Thompson. Estamos ante una obra crepuscular, ya en el final de su carrera, un Thompson muy pasado de vueltas se desvió hacia el western y lo dotó de la violencia habitual en sus obras; violencia que, en este caso, traspasa las fronteras familiares, solo hay que ver cómo Critch King habla de su madre; siempre resulta muy crudo leer algo de esta magnitud:
“Solo durante el último año, cuando su madre ya llevaba más de dos años haciendo de puta. Y una puta, si se la magulla y se la maltrata, acaba viendo disminuidos sus ingresos. Ray había conseguido contenerse. Aquella noche, sin embargo Ray había ido demasiado lejos. No tenía nada que perder golpeándola, o eso le parecía. La estúpida zorra había estado ocupada todo el día. Un cliente tras otro. Y sin embargo, al final de la jornada había vuelto con menos dinero del que tenía al principio. Además de su cuerpo, regalaba el dinero. ¡Coño gratis y encima regalaba dinero!”
Los King son salvajes por naturaleza, hasta tal punto que llegan a definir sus propias reglas por las que regirse; sus límites están muy por encima de lo que entendemos como ética, de ahí que todo lo que vaya sucediendo esté “justificado”, han sido educados así por su patriarca:
“-Somos totalmente distintos. Nos lo han inculcado. Papá era más salvaje que civilizado. Entre él y Tepaha nos educaron para creer que podíamos hacer prácticamente cualquier cosa, siempre y cuando no nos cogieran. Por lo que se refiere a nuestra madre… Bueno, acabó vendiendo el culo a cualquiera que llegaba. Lo vendía o lo regulaba; tampoco parecía importarle mucho.
[…]
-Pero no pasa nada si lo hace un King. La diferencia entre el bien y el mal es algo que no va con nosotros.”
En tal orden de cosas, no es extraño comprobar como un hermano intenta matar al otro sin ningún tipo de remordimiento:
“-Eh… ¿Qué crees que ocurrió? –dijo Arlie por fin-. ¿Se rompió la cincha?
-Debió de ser eso. Si alguien la cortó, debía de ser un hijo de puta miserable, malnacido, cabrón y desgraciado, ¿no te parece? Yo no conozco a nadie de por aquí que lo sea, ¿y tú?”
Aparte de la violencia explícita y de tipo psicológica que se gasta el norteamericano, falta profundización psicológica, y la trama, para qué engañarnos, es simple y dulcificada en un final poco coherente con lo leído anteriormente; el estilo, inconfundible, hace que valga la pena su lectura, pero no estamos ante una de sus obras maestras. Por lo menos puede servir para acercarse a ellas.
Los textos provienen de la traducción de Damià Alou de “La sangre de los King” de Jim Thompson.
Cápsulas policíacas: C.S. Forester y Jim Thompson. Dos consagrados
Podría haber dedicado a ambos libros una entrada completa; sin embargo, a veces tengo esta tendencia curiosa a agrupar, para dar salida libros que quiero comentar (algunos ni llegan a ser comentados); lo más curioso es que me gusta encontrar puntos en común entre ellos, un hilo conductor que los una. En este caso más que una temática (la novela negra) les uniría su caracterización como clásicos del negro.
Así, tenemos inicialmente la novela “Los perseguidos” del escritor Cecil Scott Forester (1899-1966); novela que se trató de un manuscrito perdido durante casi 70 años y encontrado en 2003 cuando el autor ya había fallecido, había sido escrita, sin embargo, en 1935; en pleno auge de las novelas de detectives.
Hablé hace poco sobre “suicidios aparentes”; un poco antes que el escritor japonés, Forester planteó otro de esos casos donde se nota desde el principio que hay gato encerrado por la forma en que ha muerto un personaje; pero Forester, sorprendentemente, no plantea el caso como una investigación estándar, si no que se centra (desde un narrador omnisciente, eso sí) más bien en cómo vive la situación la hermana de la fallecida, Marjorie, ante la posible amenaza de su marido:
“Marjorie sabía perfectamente que aquella noche no iba a dormir: ahora permanecía siempre despierta, inquieta y nerviosa, cuando Ted se ponía “pesado”, y aquella noche fue mucho, mucho peor. Supuso que debían de ser las dos cuando Ted se durmió, acalorado y pesado a su lado, con el aliento un poquito más ruidoso que cuando estaba despierto. Ella se quedó echada de espaldas en el borde de la cama, con la almohada metida en la nuca, demasiado cansada para llorar, y con las emociones demasiado confundidas para que su sufrimiento fuese agudo. Solo era consciente de sentir una depresión negra e insomne, una infelicidad mucho más arraigada de la que había conocido nunca.”
Y sorprende precisamente porque se dedica a expresar los miedos de una mujer ante la infelicidad en el matrimonio, que tiene un causante principal, su marido Ted; todo ello ambientado en un tiempo tan lejano como eran los primeros años del siglo XX y desde la perspectiva de un hombre; sinceramente, lo hace muy bien; pinta en primer lugar la situación y, a continuación, asistimos a la liberación de Marjorie al conocer el amor de nuevo en un período vacacional, alejado de su opresor:
“Marjorie sintió un dolor estremecedor en el pecho cuando el sol bajó todavía más. Aquel lugar, absolutamente maravilloso, la tristeza de la tarde, el dolor al saber que aquel tiempo tan feliz estaba concluyendo, todo aquello pesaba sobre ella mientras luchaba por tomar una decisión sobre Ted. La cabeza le daba vueltas, no podía pensar con claridad.”
La instigadora de un cambio brutal será, paradójicamente, su madre, que tampoco confía en Ted, a pesar de que parezca no entender la situación:
“En ese caso, sería también inútil buscar la ayuda de su madre para dejar a Ted. Su madre sería la última persona de toda la tierra que animase a una esposa a separarse de su marido. La cabeza le daba vueltas a Marjorie. Estaba exhausta por la tensión emocional.”
Ella será el desencadenante de un tour de force del que tendrán que escapar, convirtiendo la parte final de la novela en una persecución como si de un capítulo de “El fugitivo” se tratase. No hay lugar a una resolución del crimen inicial; todo ello se sustituye por un buen manejo de la trama y una desviación hacia lo más negro, olvidando la parte más detectivesca.
La conclusión al viaje deja buen sabor de boca a pesar de lo aparentemente negativo. Una gran novela, sin lugar a dudas.
Los textos provienen de la traducción de Ana Herrera Ferrer de “Los perseguidos” de C.S. Forester.
LaSangreKingLa segunda propuesta viene de otro clásico, uno de los más grandes, del que vemos publicado otra de sus obras, “La sangre de los King”; hablamos, claro que sí, de Jim Thompson. Estamos ante una obra crepuscular, ya en el final de su carrera, un Thompson muy pasado de vueltas se desvió hacia el western y lo dotó de la violencia habitual en sus obras; violencia que, en este caso, traspasa las fronteras familiares, solo hay que ver cómo Critch King habla de su madre; siempre resulta muy crudo leer algo de esta magnitud:
“Solo durante el último año, cuando su madre ya llevaba más de dos años haciendo de puta. Y una puta, si se la magulla y se la maltrata, acaba viendo disminuidos sus ingresos. Ray había conseguido contenerse. Aquella noche, sin embargo Ray había ido demasiado lejos. No tenía nada que perder golpeándola, o eso le parecía. La estúpida zorra había estado ocupada todo el día. Un cliente tras otro. Y sin embargo, al final de la jornada había vuelto con menos dinero del que tenía al principio. Además de su cuerpo, regalaba el dinero. ¡Coño gratis y encima regalaba dinero!”
Los King son salvajes por naturaleza, hasta tal punto que llegan a definir sus propias reglas por las que regirse; sus límites están muy por encima de lo que entendemos como ética, de ahí que todo lo que vaya sucediendo esté “justificado”, han sido educados así por su patriarca:
“-Somos totalmente distintos. Nos lo han inculcado. Papá era más salvaje que civilizado. Entre él y Tepaha nos educaron para creer que podíamos hacer prácticamente cualquier cosa, siempre y cuando no nos cogieran. Por lo que se refiere a nuestra madre… Bueno, acabó vendiendo el culo a cualquiera que llegaba. Lo vendía o lo regulaba; tampoco parecía importarle mucho.
[…]
-Pero no pasa nada si lo hace un King. La diferencia entre el bien y el mal es algo que no va con nosotros.”
En tal orden de cosas, no es extraño comprobar como un hermano intenta matar al otro sin ningún tipo de remordimiento:
“-Eh… ¿Qué crees que ocurrió? –dijo Arlie por fin-. ¿Se rompió la cincha?
-Debió de ser eso. Si alguien la cortó, debía de ser un hijo de puta miserable, malnacido, cabrón y desgraciado, ¿no te parece? Yo no conozco a nadie de por aquí que lo sea, ¿y tú?”
Aparte de la violencia explícita y de tipo psicológica que se gasta el norteamericano, falta profundización psicológica, y la trama, para qué engañarnos, es simple y dulcificada en un final poco coherente con lo leído anteriormente; el estilo, inconfundible, hace que valga la pena su lectura, pero no estamos ante una de sus obras maestras. Por lo menos puede servir para acercarse a ellas.
Los textos provienen de la traducción de Damià Alou de “La sangre de los King” de Jim Thompson.
December 26, 2020
A totally blind read from an author I’ve never heard of, picked up from the library based on an interesting blurb alone. If I didn’t look up C.S. Forester and learn that he was primarily a writer of naval adventure and historical novels, I probably would have assumed he was one of those acclaimed old-fashioned inverted detective/psychological thriller authors like Francis Iles and Julian Symons based on the confidence of this book alone.
The Pursued is quite an unnerving little thriller that uses its genre to enwrap what is actually mostly a slice-of-life story about the stresses of pre-WWII middle class British life. The murder narrative is here and is pretty grisly for its era but is sandwiched between quite a lot of kitchen sink realism and romantic melodrama.
Ultimately I was a little disappointed that the narrative didn't live up to its potential and was also kind of bored by the repetitiveness and many tonal shifts, but was really interested in the book's very nihilistic tone that illustrates a certain hopelessness amongst this sect of British society -- and which makes it I think a much better example of true British noir than anything by James Hadley Chase and the like. I'll also give this book a huge amount of credit though for its female protagonist and the very sympathetic focus on the role and anxieties of her femininity, as well as for making the most sociopathic character in the entire story a kindly old lady.
The Pursued is quite an unnerving little thriller that uses its genre to enwrap what is actually mostly a slice-of-life story about the stresses of pre-WWII middle class British life. The murder narrative is here and is pretty grisly for its era but is sandwiched between quite a lot of kitchen sink realism and romantic melodrama.
Ultimately I was a little disappointed that the narrative didn't live up to its potential and was also kind of bored by the repetitiveness and many tonal shifts, but was really interested in the book's very nihilistic tone that illustrates a certain hopelessness amongst this sect of British society -- and which makes it I think a much better example of true British noir than anything by James Hadley Chase and the like. I'll also give this book a huge amount of credit though for its female protagonist and the very sympathetic focus on the role and anxieties of her femininity, as well as for making the most sociopathic character in the entire story a kindly old lady.
August 20, 2024
If the audio play version of the book stayed true to the written word, then it felt like a very contrived tale! The premise sounded good in theory: Marjorie's sister Dorothy is found dead while babysitting Marjorie's child...their mother, Mrs. Clair instinctively knows Marjorie's husband, Ted, is behind it even if Marjorie herself refuses to admit it...and Mrs. Clair vows to do something about it. The execution, however, is a whole other matter!
First of all, there was some doubt as to the authenticity of the novel having been written by C M Forester himself, and after listening to the play, I could totally see why. It wasn't a well-sussed story. At the start of the play, I thought Mrs. Clair will come up with something very conniving for revenge, but it just develops into a nonsensical farce. A mother, meaning Marjorie, who is dearly attached to her child, leaves the same child behind and goes on the run at her mom's say-so; and her mom's reasons defied all logic! Then you feel sorry for the other gentleman suitor in the story. A convoluted contrived mess.
Mr. Forester may have begun writing it, but somebody else tried to finish it, is what I think.
First of all, there was some doubt as to the authenticity of the novel having been written by C M Forester himself, and after listening to the play, I could totally see why. It wasn't a well-sussed story. At the start of the play, I thought Mrs. Clair will come up with something very conniving for revenge, but it just develops into a nonsensical farce. A mother, meaning Marjorie, who is dearly attached to her child, leaves the same child behind and goes on the run at her mom's say-so; and her mom's reasons defied all logic! Then you feel sorry for the other gentleman suitor in the story. A convoluted contrived mess.
Mr. Forester may have begun writing it, but somebody else tried to finish it, is what I think.
October 3, 2025
Although not a book I would want to read again, I ended up giving it 4 stars because of the character development and the author's sharp observation of details of everyday life and ordinary people. The main character, Marjorie, is a woman married to an abusive husband - a pathetic and accepting woman. Contrast her with her tough-minded mother, who is willing to step outside her limitations and plan ..... ??
The story proceeds as Marjorie's sister Dot is found dead in their house with her head in the gas oven. Suspicion that this is not suicide soon reveals details which implicate ....??
Another murder is committed, and readers will certainly be in no doubt as to the culprit.
The police become involved, and the conspirators are taken into custody, but the ending is nonetheless not completely clearcut.
This is the first book I've read by this author, not having been able to bring myself to pick up any of the Hornblower novels, of which there is a set at my local library. Maybe it's time to dip in.
Rating 3.9.
The story proceeds as Marjorie's sister Dot is found dead in their house with her head in the gas oven. Suspicion that this is not suicide soon reveals details which implicate ....??
Another murder is committed, and readers will certainly be in no doubt as to the culprit.
The police become involved, and the conspirators are taken into custody, but the ending is nonetheless not completely clearcut.
This is the first book I've read by this author, not having been able to bring myself to pick up any of the Hornblower novels, of which there is a set at my local library. Maybe it's time to dip in.
Rating 3.9.
March 16, 2019
First published in 1935, 'The Pursued' takes the modern reader back to a bygone age where men were men and women were submissive wives who did what they were told. The story works within the social climate of the 1930s, although a modern reader might wonder why the female protagonist doesn't just leave her brutish husband. Unlike the other two crime stories I've read by Forester, this one does leave me rooting for the protagonist, partly because she's so pathetic and her husband so nasty. (Not much subtlety there, Mr Forester.) If anything, you feel compelled to read on because you want her to get away with it, since this would seem like poetic justice in some way. However, in the tradition of many writers before him, Forester shows that crimes cannot go unpunished - although some readers may find the book's ending unsatisfactory, I would argue that the real 'mastermind' behind the crime does receive her just deserts.
January 22, 2023
A well-paced, easily digestible noir crime narrative set in suburban London and written in 1935 (although the manuscript was lost for 70 years). C S Forester writes with humour and directness, making it quite easy to engage with. At the centre of the novel, there is the suffocation of a loveless marriage, in which Marjorie is subjected to the whims of an exceptionally unlikeable Ted, who is almost a caricature for a misogynistic, brutish man. His level of selfishness and lack of love for his family is unbelievable - he is not a very well-rounded character. It would have added some depth and intrigue to the story if he was slightly more three-dimensional.
There isn’t really mystery here, although the assumption that Ted killed Dorothy to cover up her pregnancy and their affair is never actually proven. As the reader you are mostly waiting to see what plan Mrs. Claire has been hatching and how it will all unfold.
There isn’t really mystery here, although the assumption that Ted killed Dorothy to cover up her pregnancy and their affair is never actually proven. As the reader you are mostly waiting to see what plan Mrs. Claire has been hatching and how it will all unfold.
February 22, 2023
This is the final Forester book that I will be able to read. Everything else I've already read or is out of print. After so many of his novels that I have really enjoyed, this was a let down. The summary sounds great and maybe it was for the late 30's, but I think I only read it to the end because I knew there was no more Forester to be read. The majority of his novels, that I enjoyed, were military fiction. The Forester novels are amazing, with action, comedy, and entertaining stories. They are good enough that Evie, a teenager, spent $80, of her own money, to buy a complete set. She enjoyed it so much, and rereads it from time to time. She has very strong opinions of which in the series are the best.
December 8, 2025
- Comentario: Positivo: Novela corta, con prosa delicada que facilita y agiliza el ritmo de lectura; Descripciones acertadas que evocan la sensación vivir en los tranquilos suburbios londinenses de los años 30. Un antagonista bien escrito que ocasiona verdadero desprecio para los lectores, así como una figura de mentor igualmente bien dotada de características convirtiéndole en un maravilloso personaje.
Negativo: Historia sencilla y no excesivamente atrapante, con momentos que no envejecieron bien del todo; De los 4 protagonistas, 2 están magistralmente escritos, mientras que los otros 2 flaquean en presentar características que generen interés en los lectores; Cierre argumental que, si bien no es malo, deja bastante que desear para lo que se venia planteando.
Negativo: Historia sencilla y no excesivamente atrapante, con momentos que no envejecieron bien del todo; De los 4 protagonistas, 2 están magistralmente escritos, mientras que los otros 2 flaquean en presentar características que generen interés en los lectores; Cierre argumental que, si bien no es malo, deja bastante que desear para lo que se venia planteando.
September 29, 2019
Ein schönes, spannendes Buch, das in den 1950er Jahren in einer Vorstadt von London spielt.
Überraschend feministisch aus Sicht eines omniszenten Erzählers geschrieben.
Leider hatte ich das Gefühl, das letzte Drittel des Buches hatte der Autor nicht geplant, sondern spontan von einer Handlung zur nächsten aufgeschrieben, wie es ihm grade eingefallen war.
Ich persönlich glaube, es gibt einen guten Grund, warum das Buch so lange "verschollen" war und nie veröffentlicht wurde.
Es hat trotzdem Spaß gemacht zu lesen und bezüglich der weiblichen Charaktere können sich zeitgenössische Autoren gerne eine oder zwei Scheiben abschneiden.
Überraschend feministisch aus Sicht eines omniszenten Erzählers geschrieben.
Leider hatte ich das Gefühl, das letzte Drittel des Buches hatte der Autor nicht geplant, sondern spontan von einer Handlung zur nächsten aufgeschrieben, wie es ihm grade eingefallen war.
Ich persönlich glaube, es gibt einen guten Grund, warum das Buch so lange "verschollen" war und nie veröffentlicht wurde.
Es hat trotzdem Spaß gemacht zu lesen und bezüglich der weiblichen Charaktere können sich zeitgenössische Autoren gerne eine oder zwei Scheiben abschneiden.
February 5, 2023
This is the final novel in the crime trilogy written before CSF's fame with Hornblower. It was awful. I just couldn't quit it mainly because it was so awful. It's funny in its awfulness. Lots of money talk (guineas, quid, shilling and pence) and I found an interesting site that follows the English pound's value through the centuries, and later, measured in decades. So I gave it 2 stars for that and all the little factoids that are interesting now. A lovely description of what the motor car did for out of the city people and rural.
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