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State of Seige
Steven Fraser was relieved to be leaving Indonesia at the end of his contract. Corruption and brutality had been increasingly the order of the day in the newly independent state of Sunda. But Fraser's trip home had barely begun when he tumbled into the thick of a military coup which threatened still further the island's tottering stability. He seemed merely an unimportant pawn in a violent political game, but only his technical expertise could buy Fraser his life - and that of his all too vulnerable fellow hostage.
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First published January 1, 1956
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About the author
Eric Ambler
115 books500 followersSuspense novels of noted English writer Eric Ambler include
Passage of Arms
(1959).
Eric Ambler began his career in the early 1930s and quickly established a reputation as a thriller of extraordinary depth and originality. People often credit him as the inventor of the modern political thriller, and John Le Carré once described him as "the source on which we all draw."
Ambler began his working life at an engineering firm and then at an advertising agency and meanwhile in his spare time worked on his ambition, plays. He first published in 1936 and turned full-time as his reputation. During the war, people seconded him to the film unit of the Army, where he among other projects authored The Way Ahead with Peter Ustinov.
He moved to Hollywood in 1957 and during eleven years to 1968 scripted some memorable films, A Night to Remember and The Cruel Sea, which won him an Oscar nomination.
In a career, spanning more than six decades, Eric Ambler authored 19 books, the crime writers' association awarded him its gold dagger award in 1960. Joan Harrison married him and co-wrote many screenplays of Alfred Hitchcock, who in fact organized their wedding.
Eric Ambler began his career in the early 1930s and quickly established a reputation as a thriller of extraordinary depth and originality. People often credit him as the inventor of the modern political thriller, and John Le Carré once described him as "the source on which we all draw."
Ambler began his working life at an engineering firm and then at an advertising agency and meanwhile in his spare time worked on his ambition, plays. He first published in 1936 and turned full-time as his reputation. During the war, people seconded him to the film unit of the Army, where he among other projects authored The Way Ahead with Peter Ustinov.
He moved to Hollywood in 1957 and during eleven years to 1968 scripted some memorable films, A Night to Remember and The Cruel Sea, which won him an Oscar nomination.
In a career, spanning more than six decades, Eric Ambler authored 19 books, the crime writers' association awarded him its gold dagger award in 1960. Joan Harrison married him and co-wrote many screenplays of Alfred Hitchcock, who in fact organized their wedding.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
March 6, 2024
This book is not set in the eastern Europe of pre-WWII but in Asia just after WWII.
Steve Fraser is about to leave the newly independent Asian colony of Sunda after working there for three years. He's setting himself up for one last lovely weekend with a luscious lady called Rosalie when there's a coup. The radio station that the coup leader is broadcasting from is one floor down from the borrowed flat where Fraser and Rosalie are spending their weekend.
Well, Fraser's romantic plans are put on hold and he finds himself fixing waterlogged generators and liaising with the coup leader's henchmen, one of whom he knows, to make sure he survives until Monday. As you would expect, the government fight back against the coup and one of the top targets of their shelling is the radio station. Some of the people supporting the coup are government agents and Fraser and Rosalie have to be careful not just of the bullets and shells but also about what they say and to whom.
Does the coup prevail or does the government take back control? Do Fraser and Rosalie survive and does their new-found love last beyond the weekend?
Steve Fraser is about to leave the newly independent Asian colony of Sunda after working there for three years. He's setting himself up for one last lovely weekend with a luscious lady called Rosalie when there's a coup. The radio station that the coup leader is broadcasting from is one floor down from the borrowed flat where Fraser and Rosalie are spending their weekend.
Well, Fraser's romantic plans are put on hold and he finds himself fixing waterlogged generators and liaising with the coup leader's henchmen, one of whom he knows, to make sure he survives until Monday. As you would expect, the government fight back against the coup and one of the top targets of their shelling is the radio station. Some of the people supporting the coup are government agents and Fraser and Rosalie have to be careful not just of the bullets and shells but also about what they say and to whom.
Does the coup prevail or does the government take back control? Do Fraser and Rosalie survive and does their new-found love last beyond the weekend?
February 21, 2017
Ah – I was sorry to reach the end of this one – the third of a trilogy that I borrowed through Prime.
It’s the usual Ambler thing – “unwitting amateur gets tangled with dangerous professionals” – but a formula that I enjoy, boosted here by an elegantly woven plot.
Set in post-colonial Southeast Asia, mechanical engineer Steven Fraser is comfortably ensconced in a borrowed penthouse suite with local girl Rosalie (let’s call her ‘a willing courtesan’) when a military coup explodes into life.
The apartment is on the 7th-floor of the national radio station building – it becomes commandeered by insurgents as their HQ. They enlist Steven to repair the generators. For his own and Rosalie’s safety he must play along.
With survival on a knife-edge, their chances are further compromised when Steven recognises one of the renegade officers. He deduces that the man is an agent provocateur – there is a much more sinister sub-plot afoot.
As mortars rain down upon the radio station, Steven is torn between his roles as inadvertent double agent and protector of Rosalie, with whom he forms an ever-closer bond.
Will they survive the hostilities? Will they be released unharmed? Oh – and will Steven get the girl?
It’s the usual Ambler thing – “unwitting amateur gets tangled with dangerous professionals” – but a formula that I enjoy, boosted here by an elegantly woven plot.
Set in post-colonial Southeast Asia, mechanical engineer Steven Fraser is comfortably ensconced in a borrowed penthouse suite with local girl Rosalie (let’s call her ‘a willing courtesan’) when a military coup explodes into life.
The apartment is on the 7th-floor of the national radio station building – it becomes commandeered by insurgents as their HQ. They enlist Steven to repair the generators. For his own and Rosalie’s safety he must play along.
With survival on a knife-edge, their chances are further compromised when Steven recognises one of the renegade officers. He deduces that the man is an agent provocateur – there is a much more sinister sub-plot afoot.
As mortars rain down upon the radio station, Steven is torn between his roles as inadvertent double agent and protector of Rosalie, with whom he forms an ever-closer bond.
Will they survive the hostilities? Will they be released unharmed? Oh – and will Steven get the girl?
September 2, 2018
quite interesring story and thriller. told in a way like old time south sea tales like j. conrad and others. confilcts between whites and natives in indonesia after liberation.
May 1, 2018
Ambler continues to be my go-to-writer for relief from the world's current chaos, by throwing me into other world's in chaos. Be it his tight plotting, evoking imagery, strong, simple, yet memorable characters, and an everyman's way of inclusivity in the prose, he gets me - or at least I feel he does. State of Siege, on the surface, is a tale about revolution and endurance, with two characters, burgeoning lovers, waiting out a surrounding battle in a building in a far-east city. But it's really about deception, hypocrisy, decency and the ability of the human spirit to endure all to find peace. A satisfying read.
December 17, 2023
Graham Greene called Eric Ambler as "unquestionably our finest thriller writer", a testimonial that is also to be found on the intriguing cover of the copy of this book. It is telling that Greene, who, in my humble opinion, is himself the finest thriller writer of the twentieth century, up there with John Buchan, found much to admire in Ambler's lean, business-like and crisp style of storytelling; both the writers did see eye to eye when writing about similar or even the same geopolitical conflicts or conundrums. However, while Ambler , if judged alone, was indeed capable of a tight, thrilling form of storytelling that could also be tinged with political prescience, he did lack what Greene possessed to distinguish his unique skill - a peerless understanding of human morality and political ambiguity, a sense of uncertainty and unpredictability that made his works transcend their genres effectively.
That is not to say that "The Night-comers" is any inferior work of fiction. Judged for its own merits, it is a commendably lean, though not quite mean, thriller set in the tumultuous milieu of Sunda, newly liberated from its Dutch masters, where there is already the hint of an armed insurgency. Steve Fraser, a contractual engineer, is all set to make his way home after completing his tenure; however, as he relaxes for a few days with an Indo-European woman in the hot and humid city of Selampang, they both find themselves trapped in a dangerous situation – as the troops of the Islamic revolutionary leader Sanusi take over the apartment of the building where they are residing for the night, which turns out to be the building for the country’s national radio service.
Out of this simple story, Ambler skilfully extricates a grain of suspense and urgency as the hostage situation is rendered further with touches of danger by the counter-attack of the Government forces, through air-raids and eventually an armed invasion of the city held by the fledgling army of the rebels. Fraser and the woman, named Rosalie Linden, find themselves vulnerable to the threat of being killed as undesirables by the fanatical troops in the building and later by the danger of death by destruction even as the situation turns in their favour when Fraser lends a hand in repairing the generators for the rebel troops even as their enemies are gaining the edge. In the meantime, Ambler gives a little room to delve into the modus operandi of Sanusi and his men, even though this facet of the story is almost completely ignored in the latter half of the novel.
Till the middle point of the book, the author is able to keep the reader on tenterhooks of paranoia and tension with a constantly suspenseful narrative. After that, however, as the situation becomes oddly hopeful for our entrapped protagonists, the tension and danger slacken even as the pace remains quite entertainingly fast. True to what Ian Fleming, another admirer, said, “The Night-comers” is indeed a splendid piece of battle writing and the nervous and even desperate chaos of the coup and the counter-offensive are chronicled by Ambler with seriousness and dread. One is able to hear the sinister whine of the dive-bombers and one finds oneself flung and hurtled by the incendiary force of the explosions and gunfire, as the writer keeps the siege simmering till it boils over magnificently in the end.
Where “The Night-comers” falters, however, is how it plays quite safe in its portrayal of the inconvenient truths of this situation. Ambler is strangely quiet and even stoic to the world-altering import of the coup – the very plausible outcome of an Islamic reign over the region of South East Asia can mean a very unexpected turn of consequences for the West and even for the continent. And while in the shrewd and secretive Major Suparto, he gives us a character who reveals a brief view of the state of affairs in a region newly liberated from colonial rule, he too is hardly developed into a convincing character – we know only the extent of his actions and intents.
It can be argued that the novel is told from the perspective of Fraser alone, though he too is hardly a character remarkable enough, whose real feelings never come to the surface, except in a scene of heated argument with Linden. Their “love affair” too feels only intermittently moving or empathetic even though the few moments of strained intimacy are some of the novel’s strongest scenes. And it is also regrettable that Sanusi’s religious faith, too, is unexplored. We never quite know what makes these men on the edge of death, be it the hopelessly idealistic rebel general or the shrewd General Ishak of the Government’s army, tick like loaded sticks of dynamite, condemned to their fate.
It is here that “The Night-comers” suffers in comparison to Greene’s accomplished thrillers, particularly “The Honorary Consul”, a novel more slow-burning and thoughtful in parts but wherein the author was able to infuse a throbbing pulse of suspense and despair to the proceedings and also took meticulous care to develop his characters, their personalities and conflicts and even establish their striking points of view. In this beautifully layered story, written in the fine tradition of Stevenson and Buchan, Colonel Perez, the bloodhound of the police, and Leon Rivas, the slippery leader of the hapless kidnappers, who still nurses his chosen faith, are both rounded out convincingly as people condemned by their duty. That novel, with an unpredictable and eye-widening denouement, was always suspenseful, beating with an almost unbearable pulse of pathos and despair.
In comparison, Ambler’s novel, though slimmer, is almost complacent in its predictability, in how it will end on a good note for its protagonists; even the Buchan novel that I am about to finish now has much more suspense as to how will things come to an end. But still, this was an enjoyable introduction for me to an author who certainly deserves to be read further and I am confident that I will surely enjoy his next novel, which should be one of his signature triumphs from the wartime years.
That is not to say that "The Night-comers" is any inferior work of fiction. Judged for its own merits, it is a commendably lean, though not quite mean, thriller set in the tumultuous milieu of Sunda, newly liberated from its Dutch masters, where there is already the hint of an armed insurgency. Steve Fraser, a contractual engineer, is all set to make his way home after completing his tenure; however, as he relaxes for a few days with an Indo-European woman in the hot and humid city of Selampang, they both find themselves trapped in a dangerous situation – as the troops of the Islamic revolutionary leader Sanusi take over the apartment of the building where they are residing for the night, which turns out to be the building for the country’s national radio service.
Out of this simple story, Ambler skilfully extricates a grain of suspense and urgency as the hostage situation is rendered further with touches of danger by the counter-attack of the Government forces, through air-raids and eventually an armed invasion of the city held by the fledgling army of the rebels. Fraser and the woman, named Rosalie Linden, find themselves vulnerable to the threat of being killed as undesirables by the fanatical troops in the building and later by the danger of death by destruction even as the situation turns in their favour when Fraser lends a hand in repairing the generators for the rebel troops even as their enemies are gaining the edge. In the meantime, Ambler gives a little room to delve into the modus operandi of Sanusi and his men, even though this facet of the story is almost completely ignored in the latter half of the novel.
Till the middle point of the book, the author is able to keep the reader on tenterhooks of paranoia and tension with a constantly suspenseful narrative. After that, however, as the situation becomes oddly hopeful for our entrapped protagonists, the tension and danger slacken even as the pace remains quite entertainingly fast. True to what Ian Fleming, another admirer, said, “The Night-comers” is indeed a splendid piece of battle writing and the nervous and even desperate chaos of the coup and the counter-offensive are chronicled by Ambler with seriousness and dread. One is able to hear the sinister whine of the dive-bombers and one finds oneself flung and hurtled by the incendiary force of the explosions and gunfire, as the writer keeps the siege simmering till it boils over magnificently in the end.
Where “The Night-comers” falters, however, is how it plays quite safe in its portrayal of the inconvenient truths of this situation. Ambler is strangely quiet and even stoic to the world-altering import of the coup – the very plausible outcome of an Islamic reign over the region of South East Asia can mean a very unexpected turn of consequences for the West and even for the continent. And while in the shrewd and secretive Major Suparto, he gives us a character who reveals a brief view of the state of affairs in a region newly liberated from colonial rule, he too is hardly developed into a convincing character – we know only the extent of his actions and intents.
It can be argued that the novel is told from the perspective of Fraser alone, though he too is hardly a character remarkable enough, whose real feelings never come to the surface, except in a scene of heated argument with Linden. Their “love affair” too feels only intermittently moving or empathetic even though the few moments of strained intimacy are some of the novel’s strongest scenes. And it is also regrettable that Sanusi’s religious faith, too, is unexplored. We never quite know what makes these men on the edge of death, be it the hopelessly idealistic rebel general or the shrewd General Ishak of the Government’s army, tick like loaded sticks of dynamite, condemned to their fate.
It is here that “The Night-comers” suffers in comparison to Greene’s accomplished thrillers, particularly “The Honorary Consul”, a novel more slow-burning and thoughtful in parts but wherein the author was able to infuse a throbbing pulse of suspense and despair to the proceedings and also took meticulous care to develop his characters, their personalities and conflicts and even establish their striking points of view. In this beautifully layered story, written in the fine tradition of Stevenson and Buchan, Colonel Perez, the bloodhound of the police, and Leon Rivas, the slippery leader of the hapless kidnappers, who still nurses his chosen faith, are both rounded out convincingly as people condemned by their duty. That novel, with an unpredictable and eye-widening denouement, was always suspenseful, beating with an almost unbearable pulse of pathos and despair.
In comparison, Ambler’s novel, though slimmer, is almost complacent in its predictability, in how it will end on a good note for its protagonists; even the Buchan novel that I am about to finish now has much more suspense as to how will things come to an end. But still, this was an enjoyable introduction for me to an author who certainly deserves to be read further and I am confident that I will surely enjoy his next novel, which should be one of his signature triumphs from the wartime years.
January 20, 2026
Der Roman beginnt im Urwald auf einer südostasiatischen Insel. Der britische Ingenieur Steve Fraser hat mehrere Jahre bei einem Staudammprojekt im fiktiven Staat Sunda gearbeitet. Sunda hatte sich nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg aus der damaligen niederländischen Kolonie gebildet. Eine ehemalige Guerillatruppe ist nun an die Regierung der jungen Republik gekommen und nutzt nun Regierungsposten und schafft zweifelhafte Verwaltungsposten, um die ehemaligen Militärs finanziell zu versorgen. Korruption und Vetternwirtschaft blühen. So sind auch einige Offiziere zum Staudammprojekt gekommen, obwohl sie über keinerlei Qualifikation verfügen. Sie machen sich wichtig und keine Freunde unter den Ingenieuren. Einzig der Major Suparto fällt Fraser positiv auf. Die Republik Sunda ist aber noch nicht vollends befriedet. Der ehemalige Oberst Sanusi, ein Muslim, hat sich zum Rebellenführer aufgeschwungen und der neuen Regierung den Kampf erklärt. Sanusi hat sich ins Hinterland zurückgezogen und ist dort schwer zu bekämpfen.
Nun läuft Frasers Vertrag aus und er möchte nun auch angesichts weiterer Gräueltaten gegen ehemalige niederländische Kolonisten die Heimreise antreten. Er verbringt ein paar letzte Tage in der Hauptstadt Selampang, um dort auf seine Papiere zur Ausreise zu warten. Ein befreundeter Pilot lädt ihn ein, in dessen Dachgeschosswohnung im Air House, einem markanten, modernen, mehrstöckigen Gebäude, in dem sich auch der zentrale nationale Radiosender befindet, zu wohnen. Fraser gönnt sich entspannte Tage, lernt in einer Bar Rosalie kennen, Tochter einer Ehe eines Europäers und einer Einheimischen. Bei einem gemeinsamen Spaziergang fällt Fraser ein Jeep auf, den er Major Suparto zuordnet und ist irritiert, das Fahrzeug in der Hauptstadt zu sehen. Fraser und Rosalie verbringen die Nacht im Dachapartment. Als sie morgens aufwachen, ist plötzlich Aufruhr im Haus und Suparto steht im Apartment. Es ist ein Putsch im Gange, Suparto gehört zu Sanusis Rebellen und Fraser und Rosalie stehen ab sofort unter Hausarrest und die Wohnung ist für die Rebellen beschlagnahmt.
Ein Schweigen entstand. Rosalies Hand lag reglos in meiner.
„Das Apartment“, fuhr Suparto fort, „gehört einem australischen Piloten. Er hat es dem Engländer zur Verfügung gestellt. Ich gebe zu, die Situation ist nicht gerade angenehm.“
„Man hätte sie den Soldaten überlassen sollen“, sagte Roda gereizt. […]
Sanusi wandte sich ab, um ins Wohnzimmer zu gehen. „Die Sache ist unwichtig“, sagte er, „sie kann später gelöst werden.“ (Auszug S. 107)
Nach einer langen Schaffenspause von über zehn Jahren hatte sich Eric Ambler nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg erst 1951 wieder mit einem neuen Roman zurückgemeldet. In „Der Fall Deltschev“ brach Ambler dann endgültig mit dem Kommunismus sowjetischen Stils, mit dem er vor dem Krieg durchaus – auch in seinen Romanen – sympathisiert hatte. In dieser zweiten Phase seines Schaffens als Autor zeitgenössischer Politthriller ging Ambler dann im Gegensatz zu manchen Kollegen weniger auf die Dynamiken der Großmächte im Kalten Krieg ein, sondern beschrieb die politischen und gesellschaftlichen Verwerfzonen an den Rändern, in „Besuch bei Nacht“ zum Beispiel im indonesischen Raum. Indonesien erlangte 1949 nach einem vierjährigen Krieg, der zumeist als Guerillakrieg geführt wurde, die Unabhängigkeit von den Niederlanden. In den Verhandlungen sollte Indonesien zukünftig als Föderation geführt werden, doch schon bald führte Präsident Sukarno das Land als Einheitsstaat, stark nationalistisch, gestützt durch das Militär und wirtschaftlich dem Kommunismus zugewandt. Damit waren die Spannungen zwischen den vielen Völkern und Religionsgemeinschaften vorprogrammiert. 1966 wurde geputscht und der durch die Amerikaner unterstützte General Suharto kam an die Macht und regierte mehr als dreißig Jahre diktatorisch.
In diesem Spannungsfeld siedelt Ambler seinen Plot an. Sein Protagonist ist wie üblich ein Unbeteiligter, dem im Verlauf der Handlung aber einiges an Verantwortung aufgebürdet wird. So ist es auch diesmal: Fraser, der anfangs sich mehr oder weniger nur unsichtbar machen will, um die Situation heil zu überstehen, gerät unter Druck, als man ihn von Seiten der Putschisten um ingenieurstechnische Hilfe bittet. Der Druck steigt noch, als er bemerkt, dass nicht alle Putschisten tatsächlich gegen die alte Regierung arbeiten. Fraser muss lavieren, um nicht nur sein Leben, sondern auch Rosalies zu retten, zu der er zunehmend Zuneigung entwickelt.
Eric Ambler schreibt wie gewohnt zurückhaltend und nüchtern, dennoch mit dosierter Spannung. Der Roman kommt stellenweise wie ein Kammerspiel daher, der Mittelteil spielt fast ausschließlich im Dachgeschossapartment. Ambler vermeidet eine klare Positionierung und eine Schwarz-Weiß-Zeichnung der verschiedenen Lager, sondern beschreibt eher analytisch die schwierige Lage der Putschisten, ihren vermeintlichen anfänglichen Erfolg umzumünzen. Die Figuren bleiben ein wenig unausgegoren, aber Ambler war schon immer ein Meister die Mechanismen politischer Macht zu beschreiben und war damit damals immer auf der Höhe der Zeit oder dieser sogar voraus. Der heutige Leser muss sich aber von den aktuellen Erwartungen an einen Thriller lösen, obwohl für Amblers Verhältnisse viele Geschosse durch die Gegend fliegen. Letztlich reiht sich „Besuch bei Nacht“ nahtlos in Amblers Gesamtwerk ein und bietet intelligente Unterhaltung mit politisch-gesellschaftlichen Stoffen, die zumeist bis in die heutige Zeit Relevanz behalten haben.
Nun läuft Frasers Vertrag aus und er möchte nun auch angesichts weiterer Gräueltaten gegen ehemalige niederländische Kolonisten die Heimreise antreten. Er verbringt ein paar letzte Tage in der Hauptstadt Selampang, um dort auf seine Papiere zur Ausreise zu warten. Ein befreundeter Pilot lädt ihn ein, in dessen Dachgeschosswohnung im Air House, einem markanten, modernen, mehrstöckigen Gebäude, in dem sich auch der zentrale nationale Radiosender befindet, zu wohnen. Fraser gönnt sich entspannte Tage, lernt in einer Bar Rosalie kennen, Tochter einer Ehe eines Europäers und einer Einheimischen. Bei einem gemeinsamen Spaziergang fällt Fraser ein Jeep auf, den er Major Suparto zuordnet und ist irritiert, das Fahrzeug in der Hauptstadt zu sehen. Fraser und Rosalie verbringen die Nacht im Dachapartment. Als sie morgens aufwachen, ist plötzlich Aufruhr im Haus und Suparto steht im Apartment. Es ist ein Putsch im Gange, Suparto gehört zu Sanusis Rebellen und Fraser und Rosalie stehen ab sofort unter Hausarrest und die Wohnung ist für die Rebellen beschlagnahmt.
Ein Schweigen entstand. Rosalies Hand lag reglos in meiner.
„Das Apartment“, fuhr Suparto fort, „gehört einem australischen Piloten. Er hat es dem Engländer zur Verfügung gestellt. Ich gebe zu, die Situation ist nicht gerade angenehm.“
„Man hätte sie den Soldaten überlassen sollen“, sagte Roda gereizt. […]
Sanusi wandte sich ab, um ins Wohnzimmer zu gehen. „Die Sache ist unwichtig“, sagte er, „sie kann später gelöst werden.“ (Auszug S. 107)
Nach einer langen Schaffenspause von über zehn Jahren hatte sich Eric Ambler nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg erst 1951 wieder mit einem neuen Roman zurückgemeldet. In „Der Fall Deltschev“ brach Ambler dann endgültig mit dem Kommunismus sowjetischen Stils, mit dem er vor dem Krieg durchaus – auch in seinen Romanen – sympathisiert hatte. In dieser zweiten Phase seines Schaffens als Autor zeitgenössischer Politthriller ging Ambler dann im Gegensatz zu manchen Kollegen weniger auf die Dynamiken der Großmächte im Kalten Krieg ein, sondern beschrieb die politischen und gesellschaftlichen Verwerfzonen an den Rändern, in „Besuch bei Nacht“ zum Beispiel im indonesischen Raum. Indonesien erlangte 1949 nach einem vierjährigen Krieg, der zumeist als Guerillakrieg geführt wurde, die Unabhängigkeit von den Niederlanden. In den Verhandlungen sollte Indonesien zukünftig als Föderation geführt werden, doch schon bald führte Präsident Sukarno das Land als Einheitsstaat, stark nationalistisch, gestützt durch das Militär und wirtschaftlich dem Kommunismus zugewandt. Damit waren die Spannungen zwischen den vielen Völkern und Religionsgemeinschaften vorprogrammiert. 1966 wurde geputscht und der durch die Amerikaner unterstützte General Suharto kam an die Macht und regierte mehr als dreißig Jahre diktatorisch.
In diesem Spannungsfeld siedelt Ambler seinen Plot an. Sein Protagonist ist wie üblich ein Unbeteiligter, dem im Verlauf der Handlung aber einiges an Verantwortung aufgebürdet wird. So ist es auch diesmal: Fraser, der anfangs sich mehr oder weniger nur unsichtbar machen will, um die Situation heil zu überstehen, gerät unter Druck, als man ihn von Seiten der Putschisten um ingenieurstechnische Hilfe bittet. Der Druck steigt noch, als er bemerkt, dass nicht alle Putschisten tatsächlich gegen die alte Regierung arbeiten. Fraser muss lavieren, um nicht nur sein Leben, sondern auch Rosalies zu retten, zu der er zunehmend Zuneigung entwickelt.
Eric Ambler schreibt wie gewohnt zurückhaltend und nüchtern, dennoch mit dosierter Spannung. Der Roman kommt stellenweise wie ein Kammerspiel daher, der Mittelteil spielt fast ausschließlich im Dachgeschossapartment. Ambler vermeidet eine klare Positionierung und eine Schwarz-Weiß-Zeichnung der verschiedenen Lager, sondern beschreibt eher analytisch die schwierige Lage der Putschisten, ihren vermeintlichen anfänglichen Erfolg umzumünzen. Die Figuren bleiben ein wenig unausgegoren, aber Ambler war schon immer ein Meister die Mechanismen politischer Macht zu beschreiben und war damit damals immer auf der Höhe der Zeit oder dieser sogar voraus. Der heutige Leser muss sich aber von den aktuellen Erwartungen an einen Thriller lösen, obwohl für Amblers Verhältnisse viele Geschosse durch die Gegend fliegen. Letztlich reiht sich „Besuch bei Nacht“ nahtlos in Amblers Gesamtwerk ein und bietet intelligente Unterhaltung mit politisch-gesellschaftlichen Stoffen, die zumeist bis in die heutige Zeit Relevanz behalten haben.
November 7, 2013
I am a great admirer of Eric Ambler and thought I'd read all of his novels (most of them more than once); imagine my excitement when I came across this one, which had somehow escaped my notice. It concerns a British engineer in a fictionalized Indonesia in the 1950's who is about to fly out at the end of his contract when a coup attempt traps him in an apartment in a building being used as headquarters by the rebels. Most of the action takes place on that reduced stage, as he and his female companion, a young Eurasian woman, have to use their wits to survive threats from all sides. That makes the whole thing a bit claustrophobic and thus not one of his best works, but it has all the Ambler hallmarks of sophisticated social and political observation and cool, understated suspense. Nobody did intrigue in exotic locales better.
September 12, 2022
From a narrative point of view, this is an odd book. The main character is almost completely a bystander in his own story, someone who finds himself trapped in an apartment's bedroom when civil war engulf's the South East Asian country he is spending his last few days in. He and the lady of easy virtue he has hooked up with find themselves struggling to survive as the war rages around them, but it does feel like a book in which the protagonists spend their time keeping their heads down and trying not to annoy any of the armed and desperate men around them.
The setting is also interesting. Nostromo-style, Ambler sets this in an imaginary country, but one clearly situated in a fairly real place: a piece of the former Dutch East Indies that somehow became independent separately from Indonesia when Dutch rule ended after the Second World War. I presume the story is set in imaginary Sunda rather than actually existing Indonesia because Ambler didn't want to slavishly follow the real politics of post-war Indonesia. I think he might also have wanted to set his story in a country a good bit smaller than Indonesia.
The book evokes the tension and terror of being caught up in civil strife. There's a lovely scene where the narrator, a civil engineer, is given the impossible task of fixing a bombed out radio generator, on the understanding that if he fails he and his ladyfriend will be killed; anyone who has ever worked in a technical job with overdemanding clients will feel his pain.
One thing I did find myself wondering about was the attitude of people in Indonesia towards their former colonial masters, the Dutch. In the book, the Sundanese absolutely hate the Dutch, all of them. I know people in former colonies are generally glad that they are now free of their former masters, but they don't always completely loathe them, so I am curious as to whether the real-life Indonesians share with the fictional Sundanese their hatred of the Dutch. And if they do, what brought them to such a pass. Time I think to read some more on Dutch colonialism in South East Asia.
The setting is also interesting. Nostromo-style, Ambler sets this in an imaginary country, but one clearly situated in a fairly real place: a piece of the former Dutch East Indies that somehow became independent separately from Indonesia when Dutch rule ended after the Second World War. I presume the story is set in imaginary Sunda rather than actually existing Indonesia because Ambler didn't want to slavishly follow the real politics of post-war Indonesia. I think he might also have wanted to set his story in a country a good bit smaller than Indonesia.
The book evokes the tension and terror of being caught up in civil strife. There's a lovely scene where the narrator, a civil engineer, is given the impossible task of fixing a bombed out radio generator, on the understanding that if he fails he and his ladyfriend will be killed; anyone who has ever worked in a technical job with overdemanding clients will feel his pain.
One thing I did find myself wondering about was the attitude of people in Indonesia towards their former colonial masters, the Dutch. In the book, the Sundanese absolutely hate the Dutch, all of them. I know people in former colonies are generally glad that they are now free of their former masters, but they don't always completely loathe them, so I am curious as to whether the real-life Indonesians share with the fictional Sundanese their hatred of the Dutch. And if they do, what brought them to such a pass. Time I think to read some more on Dutch colonialism in South East Asia.
October 23, 2019
This fine thriller is set in an Malay-speaking nation near Indonesia, in a 48-hour coup. The descriptive quality of urban warfare is fine. The characterization is basic, but compelling. I'm ready for more Ambler!
Recommended.
Recommended.
November 29, 2014
Eric Ambler invented the modern political thriller, and his best novels hold up today, both as thrillers, and as explanations of various arenas of the cold war. A typical thriller goes like this: a young Englishman with some convenient profession, unsophisticated and politically naive, accidentally gets en-snarled in some dangerous situation along with a convenient beautiful young woman. They fall in love as they flee danger. You are supposed to identify with the young man and vicariously enjoy the sex and danger, and, along the way, learn enough geography, culture and political history that you can shine at the next cocktail party. Unlike the people at the party who have read the James Bond books of Ian Fleming, you will not sound like a boorish idiot, because Ambler was an intelligent and humane man.
In this book, the protagonist (so bland I've already forgotten his name)is an engineer about to leave Sunda, an imaginary independent republic that is in the middle of a civil war. The protagonist's last few days will be spent in the capital, where he will apartment-sit for a pal (in an apartment located in the same building as the city's RADIO STATION), and the pal sets him up with a prostitute as a parting gift. So when the rebels capture the radio station, the protagonist is perfectly located to be an Eric Ambler hero: Political situation? Check. Danger? Check. Beautiful spunky woman? Check!
Everything about this book is a little dated, so it's hard to see how progressive Ambler was for his time. He describes the cultural and political life of the Sundanese with sympathy, and some of the Sundanese characters are at least two-dimensional and possibly true stereotypes (a rickshaw driver would *have* to be friendly and servile to get tips) but the bulk of the characterizations seem like crude stereotypes of Asian people: lazy, corrupt, stupid, violent, short-sighted. It pains me to say this, because the coup in this book reminds me of the recent unrest in Egypt, where people's actions have indeed been stupid and short-sighted and the outcome just as dispiriting. Corruption is a natural state of human affairs, and Ambler could perhaps have tried harder to make sure we understood that.
Similarly, Ambler was a feminist for that time, and the fact that his heroine was a Eurasian prostitute is pretty remarkable. Compare this woman with the kind portrayed by Ian Fleming (naked and chained to a piece of furniture) to appreciate that Rosalie is a well-intentioned creation. However, the plot ties itself in a knot making sure the hero is chivalrous to her, sleeps with her, but whose future brilliant career as an engineer is in NO WAY CONTAMINATED BY HER. The hero didn't hire her himself, remember, his PAL DID. He doesn't abandon her even when he has a chance, and Ambler makes sure we know he'd take her with him IF HE COULD, but Ambler makes sure that's impossible.
This book, while not bad, highlights the weaknesses of this kind of thriller. First of all, the narrative is *inherently* racist and nationalist because it assumes you will not be interested in the topic unless there is a stand-in for YOU, the reader. This is the same problem you see in books like "The Killing Fields", where the hero is Sydney Shanberg, the worried American journalist, not Dith Pran, the Cambodian photographer who actually experienced the horror of Pol Pot's regime. One strongly suspects that if the protagonist of this book were a young Sundanese engineer caught up in a coup, the book wouldn't have been a best seller. Couldn't have been, no matter how well-written.
And you might think, well, for the PLAY version I'd fix these problems and then "State of Seige" would be fine (it has to be a play because it mostly takes place in one room- there would be major problems turning this into a movie). If you were skillful, you could make the protagonist a little racist and sexist to begin with, and then learn ALONG WITH THE PLAYGOER, that the Sundanese are actually smart and Rosalie is actually a real human being. But the more you tinker with the specifics of Ambler's plot, the more you realize how much his humanism and optimism already gets in the way of plausibility. Why exactly wasn't the protagonist immediately killed by the rebels and Rosalie gang-raped? Because Ambler would prefer not to write that book. Why didn't the protagonist just dump the prostitute and flee? Because Ambler doesn't approve of that. Why doesn't the protagonist cut a deal with the revolutionaries? Oh, Ambler REALLY wouldn't approve of that. So you are left having to accept his artificial construct or else create your less racist more feminist construct, but aware that none of this could ever actually happen. You are left understanding that the genre of Englishman-accidentally-in-danger-from-foreigners is a really difficult genre.
In this book, the protagonist (so bland I've already forgotten his name)is an engineer about to leave Sunda, an imaginary independent republic that is in the middle of a civil war. The protagonist's last few days will be spent in the capital, where he will apartment-sit for a pal (in an apartment located in the same building as the city's RADIO STATION), and the pal sets him up with a prostitute as a parting gift. So when the rebels capture the radio station, the protagonist is perfectly located to be an Eric Ambler hero: Political situation? Check. Danger? Check. Beautiful spunky woman? Check!
Everything about this book is a little dated, so it's hard to see how progressive Ambler was for his time. He describes the cultural and political life of the Sundanese with sympathy, and some of the Sundanese characters are at least two-dimensional and possibly true stereotypes (a rickshaw driver would *have* to be friendly and servile to get tips) but the bulk of the characterizations seem like crude stereotypes of Asian people: lazy, corrupt, stupid, violent, short-sighted. It pains me to say this, because the coup in this book reminds me of the recent unrest in Egypt, where people's actions have indeed been stupid and short-sighted and the outcome just as dispiriting. Corruption is a natural state of human affairs, and Ambler could perhaps have tried harder to make sure we understood that.
Similarly, Ambler was a feminist for that time, and the fact that his heroine was a Eurasian prostitute is pretty remarkable. Compare this woman with the kind portrayed by Ian Fleming (naked and chained to a piece of furniture) to appreciate that Rosalie is a well-intentioned creation. However, the plot ties itself in a knot making sure the hero is chivalrous to her, sleeps with her, but whose future brilliant career as an engineer is in NO WAY CONTAMINATED BY HER. The hero didn't hire her himself, remember, his PAL DID. He doesn't abandon her even when he has a chance, and Ambler makes sure we know he'd take her with him IF HE COULD, but Ambler makes sure that's impossible.
This book, while not bad, highlights the weaknesses of this kind of thriller. First of all, the narrative is *inherently* racist and nationalist because it assumes you will not be interested in the topic unless there is a stand-in for YOU, the reader. This is the same problem you see in books like "The Killing Fields", where the hero is Sydney Shanberg, the worried American journalist, not Dith Pran, the Cambodian photographer who actually experienced the horror of Pol Pot's regime. One strongly suspects that if the protagonist of this book were a young Sundanese engineer caught up in a coup, the book wouldn't have been a best seller. Couldn't have been, no matter how well-written.
And you might think, well, for the PLAY version I'd fix these problems and then "State of Seige" would be fine (it has to be a play because it mostly takes place in one room- there would be major problems turning this into a movie). If you were skillful, you could make the protagonist a little racist and sexist to begin with, and then learn ALONG WITH THE PLAYGOER, that the Sundanese are actually smart and Rosalie is actually a real human being. But the more you tinker with the specifics of Ambler's plot, the more you realize how much his humanism and optimism already gets in the way of plausibility. Why exactly wasn't the protagonist immediately killed by the rebels and Rosalie gang-raped? Because Ambler would prefer not to write that book. Why didn't the protagonist just dump the prostitute and flee? Because Ambler doesn't approve of that. Why doesn't the protagonist cut a deal with the revolutionaries? Oh, Ambler REALLY wouldn't approve of that. So you are left having to accept his artificial construct or else create your less racist more feminist construct, but aware that none of this could ever actually happen. You are left understanding that the genre of Englishman-accidentally-in-danger-from-foreigners is a really difficult genre.
April 30, 2019
Eric Ambler was the first of a kind and there still hasn't been anyone better.
In this one, he tackles challenging issues that are still with us today. The setting is in a newly independent country in Southeast Asia, with all its struggles after having gained independence, the legacy of colonialism. He vividly describes the lack of human capital, the fight for control over the new nation, the competing visions, corruption, incompetence, cruelty, societal divisions. I couldn't help but think of South Sudan that currently -- more than six decades after Ambler wrote this book -- is going through such struggles and internal strife that is tearing this world's newest nation apart.
Another theme in State of Siege that still resonates today pertains to race and ethnicity. Rosalie, the main female protagonist, is Eurasian, equally despised by the white colonialists and the fervent Sunda nationalists, and consequently suffers from self-doubt. The owner of the New Harmony Club, Mor Sai Lim, is Chinese, belonging to a minority that, then and now, was wealthy and powerful, but seen as separate from the native population, who could easily be agitated against the Chinese.
Very interesting and prescient, but never distracting from the exciting plot and action.
In this one, he tackles challenging issues that are still with us today. The setting is in a newly independent country in Southeast Asia, with all its struggles after having gained independence, the legacy of colonialism. He vividly describes the lack of human capital, the fight for control over the new nation, the competing visions, corruption, incompetence, cruelty, societal divisions. I couldn't help but think of South Sudan that currently -- more than six decades after Ambler wrote this book -- is going through such struggles and internal strife that is tearing this world's newest nation apart.
Another theme in State of Siege that still resonates today pertains to race and ethnicity. Rosalie, the main female protagonist, is Eurasian, equally despised by the white colonialists and the fervent Sunda nationalists, and consequently suffers from self-doubt. The owner of the New Harmony Club, Mor Sai Lim, is Chinese, belonging to a minority that, then and now, was wealthy and powerful, but seen as separate from the native population, who could easily be agitated against the Chinese.
Very interesting and prescient, but never distracting from the exciting plot and action.
July 10, 2013
A thriller worthy of the name, from the days shortly before Ian Fleming got his typewriter out and everything began to get a just a little bit silly.
Steve Fraser is the reluctant hero of this short retelling in the first person of his horrific involvement in a coup (or counter-coup) in colonial SE Asia. He's a resourceful fellow, of perhaps better than average height, build, courage, intelligence, etc., but no superman. Fraser's an engineer, so has practical knowledge and skills, and he speaks the local language, which is always useful.
He finds himself (we find ourselves!), through a short series of wholly credible accidents and coincidences, caught up, with a woman, in a military revolution, just as he's on his way out of the country. It's a dreadful mess, in the way that such things must, in truth, be, and it's terrifying to watch it unfolding with all the inexorable inevitability of an uncontrollable natural disaster...
Without a single gadget in sight!
Steve Fraser is the reluctant hero of this short retelling in the first person of his horrific involvement in a coup (or counter-coup) in colonial SE Asia. He's a resourceful fellow, of perhaps better than average height, build, courage, intelligence, etc., but no superman. Fraser's an engineer, so has practical knowledge and skills, and he speaks the local language, which is always useful.
He finds himself (we find ourselves!), through a short series of wholly credible accidents and coincidences, caught up, with a woman, in a military revolution, just as he's on his way out of the country. It's a dreadful mess, in the way that such things must, in truth, be, and it's terrifying to watch it unfolding with all the inexorable inevitability of an uncontrollable natural disaster...
Without a single gadget in sight!
April 22, 2016
The UK title The Night-Comers is the title to use if you are downloading as an entertaining 6.5-hour-long audiobook from Audible.
Searching for information about this book, either under the UK title or the US title State of Siege, yields a spider's web of irrelevant connections. People or groups irrelevantly connected include but are not limited to: Marlon Brando, Henry James, Patti LuPone, Albert Camus, the US Agency for International Development, and Tom Clancy.
Perhaps it is bad form to re-cycle one's witticism, such as they are, but my opinion of this book is adequately summed up in a review I wrote of another Ambler book: “This is what your grandma thought was good airplane reading, and she had better taste than you.”
Searching for information about this book, either under the UK title or the US title State of Siege, yields a spider's web of irrelevant connections. People or groups irrelevantly connected include but are not limited to: Marlon Brando, Henry James, Patti LuPone, Albert Camus, the US Agency for International Development, and Tom Clancy.
Perhaps it is bad form to re-cycle one's witticism, such as they are, but my opinion of this book is adequately summed up in a review I wrote of another Ambler book: “This is what your grandma thought was good airplane reading, and she had better taste than you.”
April 29, 2016
An English engineer finishing his three-year assignment in a fictional Malaysian banana republic in the mid-50s is caught up in a civil war. This is a straightforward story, but it's elevated by its attention to problems facing politically unstable countries, as in the following:
"The moment of greatest difficulty for all revolutionary leaders seems to be the moment of success; the moment when, from being rebels in conflict with authority, they themselves have suddenly become the authority, and the fighting men who procured the victory wait jealously, and inconveniently, for their reward. Armies of liberation are more easy to recruit than they are to disarm and disband."
Ambler also deals well with the cultural difficulties faced by any Westerner when trying to function in the Malaysian environment. All in all, the book is a cut above the normal mindless thriller.
"The moment of greatest difficulty for all revolutionary leaders seems to be the moment of success; the moment when, from being rebels in conflict with authority, they themselves have suddenly become the authority, and the fighting men who procured the victory wait jealously, and inconveniently, for their reward. Armies of liberation are more easy to recruit than they are to disarm and disband."
Ambler also deals well with the cultural difficulties faced by any Westerner when trying to function in the Malaysian environment. All in all, the book is a cut above the normal mindless thriller.
March 30, 2013
I'm borderline obsessed with Ambler's pre-WWII golden age, and The Night-Comers is the latest written, chronologically-speaking, Ambler novel I've read. Compared to his classics, this one starts slowly, but the last half is can't quite put it down riveting. Still, I rank it a notch below his best work.
i-get-the-picture
August 7, 2013This one has lost my interest. Either I've burned out on Ambler for the week (3 books in 5-6 days) or it's simply not as good as the others. I think it's probably the latter.
September 17, 2016
Not typical Ambler, but still worth the read.
January 6, 2019
Most of us attempt to attain a certain level of skill. This seems like an incredibly simple and obvious statement to make. We would much rather be good at something than to fail at it completely. This concept especially goes for people we hire to complete tasks for us. When you employ a plumber or a mechanic you expect them to know which end of the wrench to use or to understand the correct way to change a set of spark plugs.
For most of the world a basic level of competency is expected. You don’t have to be an expert. You don’t have to be world renown or a Nobel prize winner, but you should at least know which end is up.
Americans are a little different in this regard. (Or at least we like to think that we are.) There is a culture of exceptionalism with Americans for which sometimes, rightly or wrongly, we are criticized. Traditionally, Americans concept of what should be considered acceptable is to be the best you can be in whatever you are doing. You should never accept second best and always strive for being number one. This attitude often annoys Americas friends and allies as well as their enemies. It is only in recent years we have seen a more lenient level of competency with the culture of everyone getting a participation award.
This level of exceptionalism, however, has invaded and skewed certain concepts; and at one point during the Golden Age of Science Fiction led to the overabundance of what is known as the “competent man”. A stock character in science fiction in the late 1930s and 1940s, the “competent man” isn’t really just competent at all. Or rather, he is exceptionally competent. He is able not just to do one thing well but all things well. He is just as comfortable performing the basic tasks of whatever his job might be - negotiating a treaty or running a lab - as he is flying a spaceship or climbing a mountain. Additionally, there is no explanation as to why the “competent man” is able to perform all these tasks. He just can. (Also, it’s always a he; this was the rampant sexism of the early science fiction age.)
Being exceptional - or at least competent - in your job or one aspect of your life is a good thing. Being competent in everything, a modern Renaissance man if you will, is simply unbelievable. Unbelievable whether it is in real life (sorry Mr. President but you can’t be the expert in everything) or if it is in a fiction. What’s more, in both cases having someone that can do anything or even just thinks they can gets really annoying after a very short while.
The Night-Comers is the eighth novel I’ve read by Eric Ambler, these include; A Coffin for Dimitrios, Epitaph for a Spy, Journey Into Fear, The Schirmer Inheritance, Passage of Arms, Judgement On Deltchev, and The Light of Day . This review also marks the fifth novel of Ambler’s I have reviewed. Although I don’t really count two of them because they were perfunctory one or two sentence reviews that didn’t provide any context or critique. (Sorry about that and please don’t look for them on my blog, hopefully they are buried far enough in the bowels of Goodreads.)
Over the course of these 8 books, which cover over 32 years of the authors career from 1937 to 1959, there has been a subtle development of the main characters. Ambler is considered to be one of those that helped to develop the genre of the modern spy thriller. I’ve mention myself he is most likely the grandfather of the genre whom John le Carré and Tom Clancyhave to thank for their careers. The development of the main character over the course of the books goes from an amatuer without any knowledge of what they are doing being thrust well over their heads; to a character that amazingly seems to be able to deal with the situation. As I mentioned in my review of Judgement on Deltchev, the protagonist seemed more ankle deep in trouble as opposed to neck deep.
Even though the Ambler novels have the advantage of not having a mythos or legacy to follow from story to story with the same main protagonist or set of protagonist continuing like the cast from one of our favorite tv shows, he has fallen into the same trap that you see with Jack Ryan from the Clancy novels. The protagonist becomes competent.
In Epitaph for a Spy, the protagonist, Josef Vadassy, is a stateless linguist on vacation. He has neither the skills, nor the countenance to figure out who, among the many and varied guests at his vacation hotel, could possibly be a spy. He bumbles his way through the novel trying to turn what native intelligence he has - he is able to speak three languages so he’s not a complete fool - to the task but only because he has to in order to save his own skin.
By contrast Steven Fraser, the cool and collected British engineer, has no problem navigating the treacherous shores of the Southeast Asian coup he has landed in. He is able to competently fix an electrical generator, even though he is a mechanical not an electrical engineer. Additionally, he negotiates to maintain both his life and the life of the young lady he’s attached to when he is required to confront the architects of the coup. And, as he just so happens to have served in the British Army during the war, he purports himself well enough to understand the capabilities - not only of tanks - but of Naval gunfire and anti-aircraft guns.
All of this may sound great if we’re watching a James Bond or Jason Bourne movie. In fact Eric Ambler did have a good run as a scriptwriter in Hollywood after his own stint in the service during World War 2. Unfortunately I didn’t grab a copy of Casino Royale or The Bourne Conspiracy . I grabbed an Eric Ambler novel and quite frankly I miss some of the rougher aspects of his earlier, pre-military service and Hollywood affected, works.
The Night-Comers is a fun read and a well crafted tale and I stand by the four stars (why out of five; and again, I still don’t know why they’re stars) I gave it. The characters, while not completely three dimensional, are thick enough that a slight breeze wouldn’t blow them away. You are going to enjoy the book when you read it; especially if it is your first time reading an Eric Ambler novel. Unfortunately, if it is your first time you will miss out on some of the more interesting aspects of the creation of the genre. If, like me, this is just one of the many novels by the grandfather of the spy thriller you’ve read, you may find yourself missing the early days. Lamenting that grandpa seems to have changed some of those wonderful stories he once told in order to compete with the ones in the movies.
For most of the world a basic level of competency is expected. You don’t have to be an expert. You don’t have to be world renown or a Nobel prize winner, but you should at least know which end is up.
Americans are a little different in this regard. (Or at least we like to think that we are.) There is a culture of exceptionalism with Americans for which sometimes, rightly or wrongly, we are criticized. Traditionally, Americans concept of what should be considered acceptable is to be the best you can be in whatever you are doing. You should never accept second best and always strive for being number one. This attitude often annoys Americas friends and allies as well as their enemies. It is only in recent years we have seen a more lenient level of competency with the culture of everyone getting a participation award.
This level of exceptionalism, however, has invaded and skewed certain concepts; and at one point during the Golden Age of Science Fiction led to the overabundance of what is known as the “competent man”. A stock character in science fiction in the late 1930s and 1940s, the “competent man” isn’t really just competent at all. Or rather, he is exceptionally competent. He is able not just to do one thing well but all things well. He is just as comfortable performing the basic tasks of whatever his job might be - negotiating a treaty or running a lab - as he is flying a spaceship or climbing a mountain. Additionally, there is no explanation as to why the “competent man” is able to perform all these tasks. He just can. (Also, it’s always a he; this was the rampant sexism of the early science fiction age.)
Being exceptional - or at least competent - in your job or one aspect of your life is a good thing. Being competent in everything, a modern Renaissance man if you will, is simply unbelievable. Unbelievable whether it is in real life (sorry Mr. President but you can’t be the expert in everything) or if it is in a fiction. What’s more, in both cases having someone that can do anything or even just thinks they can gets really annoying after a very short while.
The Night-Comers is the eighth novel I’ve read by Eric Ambler, these include; A Coffin for Dimitrios, Epitaph for a Spy, Journey Into Fear, The Schirmer Inheritance, Passage of Arms, Judgement On Deltchev, and The Light of Day . This review also marks the fifth novel of Ambler’s I have reviewed. Although I don’t really count two of them because they were perfunctory one or two sentence reviews that didn’t provide any context or critique. (Sorry about that and please don’t look for them on my blog, hopefully they are buried far enough in the bowels of Goodreads.)
Over the course of these 8 books, which cover over 32 years of the authors career from 1937 to 1959, there has been a subtle development of the main characters. Ambler is considered to be one of those that helped to develop the genre of the modern spy thriller. I’ve mention myself he is most likely the grandfather of the genre whom John le Carré and Tom Clancyhave to thank for their careers. The development of the main character over the course of the books goes from an amatuer without any knowledge of what they are doing being thrust well over their heads; to a character that amazingly seems to be able to deal with the situation. As I mentioned in my review of Judgement on Deltchev, the protagonist seemed more ankle deep in trouble as opposed to neck deep.
Even though the Ambler novels have the advantage of not having a mythos or legacy to follow from story to story with the same main protagonist or set of protagonist continuing like the cast from one of our favorite tv shows, he has fallen into the same trap that you see with Jack Ryan from the Clancy novels. The protagonist becomes competent.
In Epitaph for a Spy, the protagonist, Josef Vadassy, is a stateless linguist on vacation. He has neither the skills, nor the countenance to figure out who, among the many and varied guests at his vacation hotel, could possibly be a spy. He bumbles his way through the novel trying to turn what native intelligence he has - he is able to speak three languages so he’s not a complete fool - to the task but only because he has to in order to save his own skin.
By contrast Steven Fraser, the cool and collected British engineer, has no problem navigating the treacherous shores of the Southeast Asian coup he has landed in. He is able to competently fix an electrical generator, even though he is a mechanical not an electrical engineer. Additionally, he negotiates to maintain both his life and the life of the young lady he’s attached to when he is required to confront the architects of the coup. And, as he just so happens to have served in the British Army during the war, he purports himself well enough to understand the capabilities - not only of tanks - but of Naval gunfire and anti-aircraft guns.
All of this may sound great if we’re watching a James Bond or Jason Bourne movie. In fact Eric Ambler did have a good run as a scriptwriter in Hollywood after his own stint in the service during World War 2. Unfortunately I didn’t grab a copy of Casino Royale or The Bourne Conspiracy . I grabbed an Eric Ambler novel and quite frankly I miss some of the rougher aspects of his earlier, pre-military service and Hollywood affected, works.
The Night-Comers is a fun read and a well crafted tale and I stand by the four stars (why out of five; and again, I still don’t know why they’re stars) I gave it. The characters, while not completely three dimensional, are thick enough that a slight breeze wouldn’t blow them away. You are going to enjoy the book when you read it; especially if it is your first time reading an Eric Ambler novel. Unfortunately, if it is your first time you will miss out on some of the more interesting aspects of the creation of the genre. If, like me, this is just one of the many novels by the grandfather of the spy thriller you’ve read, you may find yourself missing the early days. Lamenting that grandpa seems to have changed some of those wonderful stories he once told in order to compete with the ones in the movies.
November 13, 2018
The usual well crafted effort by Ambler. The protagonist, Steve Fraser, is an engineer working as a contractor in a newly independent Southeast Asian country. He has managed to float above the turmoil inherent in a society left ill-prepared for self-government by their former colonial masters and now on the verge of the inevitable civil war. With one day to go before leaving the country, Fraser inadvertently and reluctantly becomes involved with the rebels (ideologues promising paradise) who are opposing the current corrupt and mismanaged government operating in a system that has yet to mature to the point where enough folks are in on the graft to make the prospects of rebellion seem both farfetched and very likely unprofitable. Fraser tries desperately to remain neutral, but is forced to help the rebels, hoping to save his own life and that of his newly acquired love interest. The thematic backbone of the novel is loyalty and this theme is played out through the experiences of several of the characters. Fraser is interesting because for years he has had little at stake emotionally in a land he cannot feel any attachment to, but falling in love has amplified his survival streak to include not only himself, but his woman friend whom he chooses to feel responsible for. Ambler is more interested, mercifully, in exploring how the main characters deal with the loyalty issue; the politics and ideologies of it all are the usual eternal claptrap foisted on all earthly populations. Ambler, I believe, is assuming that his readers are sophisticated enough to foresee the inevitable outcomes: there are no real surprises and today's outcome could be reversed and new gang of crooks will take over as human nature will always subvert the promises of any and all ideologies. In this novel, individuals both succeed and fail, any triumph rendered bitter sweet by a significant personal loss. I believe Ambler's interest in the delicate balance between self-interest and self-sacrifice elevate this book beyond being a mere political potboiler. There are no innocents, but to Ambler's credit, he lets the story form a backdrop to the resolution of personal crises, which is as it should be in a novel of this type. If I want blather about causes and justice, I can watch the nightly news. The muck is eternal and in State of Siege, the siege is the assault on the individual by those in power or those who want it.
August 10, 2019
Set in a fictional Southeast Asian country undergoing a coup, State of Siege is a pure action adventure novel. But it's one with clear political overtones. If we are to take the discussions between Steve Fraser, a British engineer who is the protagonist of this story, and his interlocutor, Major Suparto, as the voice of the author, then it's clear that Ambler is pessimistic about the short term outlook for newly independent countries emerging from colonial rule. The choice, here, is between a corrupt and incompetent government and a corrupt and fanatical one. Neither one has the answers for the people of the country. But at least the incumbent government might allow for the eventual development of a mature somewhat peaceful and semi-liberal state. Why? Because its incompetence will give a chance for new and reasonable elements of society to emerge.
Clearly, Ambler had his finger on the pulse of what was happening in Southeast Asia during the 1950s. This novel, which mirrors much of what had and was going to happen in Indonesia, sees the danger of falling into the competing ideological camps of major political powers. And it also echoes the concerns Ambler explored in another later novel set in Southeast Asia, Passage of Arms, which was published just two years later, in 1959. There, a Communist rebellion made possible gun running and the pursuit of an anti-Communist Islamic revolution. The humor, irony, and wit of Passage of Arms, however, doesn't exist in State of Siege, which is charged with melancholy, especially towards the end. Yet it's a story you don't want to end. Why? Because of the love story Ambler puts in place to foreground his tale. The bitterness of Fraser's ultimate departure from the Sundan Eurasian woman he meets, Rosalie, is sharp and sudden. The reader wants more. But of more there is none to be had.
Clearly, Ambler had his finger on the pulse of what was happening in Southeast Asia during the 1950s. This novel, which mirrors much of what had and was going to happen in Indonesia, sees the danger of falling into the competing ideological camps of major political powers. And it also echoes the concerns Ambler explored in another later novel set in Southeast Asia, Passage of Arms, which was published just two years later, in 1959. There, a Communist rebellion made possible gun running and the pursuit of an anti-Communist Islamic revolution. The humor, irony, and wit of Passage of Arms, however, doesn't exist in State of Siege, which is charged with melancholy, especially towards the end. Yet it's a story you don't want to end. Why? Because of the love story Ambler puts in place to foreground his tale. The bitterness of Fraser's ultimate departure from the Sundan Eurasian woman he meets, Rosalie, is sharp and sudden. The reader wants more. But of more there is none to be had.
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May 20, 2024This feels considerably more sophisticated, and considerably more modern, than Ambler's earlier novels. Steven Fraser—another engineer protagonist—is about to leave the fictional island-nation of Sunda, near the Indonesian archipelago, at the end of his contract when a coup d’état occurs. He finds himself stranded in an apartment located on the top floor of a strategically important building, trying to keep both himself and a local mixed-race woman named Rosalie with whom he’s spending the weekend from being killed by the fanatical Islamist forces that have just taken over. The focus on insurgency, and on a regime that relies on anti-colonial feeling but offers just as much killing as the Dutch did, is perhaps what lends The Night-Comers its air of modernity; it doesn’t feel like a historical novel in the same way as the 1940s thrillers do. Rosalie’s concerns about her racial status and the vulnerability that comes with it are particularly well treated. With an Asian father and a European mother, she is considered freakish by other Sundanese, and her arrangement over the weekend with Fraser makes her a race traitor in the eyes of the insurgents—she is at far greater risk than he, throughout the novel. She’s also not a helpless woman, a mere slut, or a femme fatale: she’s smart and resourceful while still frightened for her life, and the fact that she makes her living keeping men company is never used as a reason to dismiss or discount her. The secondary characters, including the military men, are also drawn with great depth. Given that Ambler’s most famous novels all pre-date The Night-Comers, it’s a surprisingly excellent specimen.
March 29, 2023
Forgot where I found out about this book, but the synopsis started something like this:
``Guy works as an engineer for dam construction in 1950s former Dutch Indies colony.''
That has nothing to do with 90% of the book, which is spent in one of the most contrived settings ever, with two of the most boring characters ever. This guy is some sort of James Bond, always conveniently eavesdropping, coincidentally being in the middle of everything without any reason, unreasonably offering his life multiple times for a prostitute who he loves so much, that when they are waiting for a few hours, all they do is play cards (instead of getting to know each other, philosophize, whatever).
Maybe a 12 y/o around 1956 would have loved this, but the glorification of combat (while not intriguingly described) just adds up to a whole load of nothing.
I should have known, when I got the first edition hardcover at garbage bin price.
I don't often finish books I'll rate with one star, but this was thin, easy to read and sort of made me feel better about my own writing. I mean, if this got published to at least some acclaim, I have chances to get published too.
``Guy works as an engineer for dam construction in 1950s former Dutch Indies colony.''
That has nothing to do with 90% of the book, which is spent in one of the most contrived settings ever, with two of the most boring characters ever. This guy is some sort of James Bond, always conveniently eavesdropping, coincidentally being in the middle of everything without any reason, unreasonably offering his life multiple times for a prostitute who he loves so much, that when they are waiting for a few hours, all they do is play cards (instead of getting to know each other, philosophize, whatever).
Maybe a 12 y/o around 1956 would have loved this, but the glorification of combat (while not intriguingly described) just adds up to a whole load of nothing.
I should have known, when I got the first edition hardcover at garbage bin price.
I don't often finish books I'll rate with one star, but this was thin, easy to read and sort of made me feel better about my own writing. I mean, if this got published to at least some acclaim, I have chances to get published too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2022
-4.5- This was a fantastic book written by a master of the suspense genre from the 20th century. A combination of The Quiet American and The Year of Living Dangerously. In this novel our protagonist is an engineer sent to an Asian third world shithole to help build a damn for power, and get it online. Our man in Asia is a day away from leaving when an islamic rebel coup takes place from the very apartment he is staying because it is supposed to be empty. Little do the Islamic rebels know it is a trap sprung by the corrupt government to finally eradicate the Islamic extremists (sound familiar?). Pretty relevant considering the book was written in 1956! Ambler introduces a fantastic mixed race female and covers the soft racism she experiences from both whites and asians. This book is a masterpiece of subtle nuance and word play. I had been struggling with several books I expected to be good and were not, so it was nice to pull one out by a master writer and not be disappointed. For a discerning reader looking for a complex story sharply written this book is for you.
December 26, 2023
It's not advisable to let yourself become trapped in a third world political upheaval, which is what happens to the unfortunate Steve Fraser just hours before he is due to fly from the Southeast Asian colony of Sunda. (Indonesia)
Although written in 1956, this thriller is still timely and relevant despite the passage of time. Steve is an engineer who has been working there for three years on a dam project, so he has a slight advantage between his skills and knowledge of the colony. (More precisely, former Dutch colony, with a corrupt and unstable government.)
In today's world, travelers still get caught up in wars, disasters, and all manner of upheavals, whether they are aware of risks or not. So, it's easy to identify with the unfortunate Steve Fraser and wonder how one would bear up under such an utterly impossible situation.
The incomparable Eric Ambler once again leaves his readers breathless.
Although written in 1956, this thriller is still timely and relevant despite the passage of time. Steve is an engineer who has been working there for three years on a dam project, so he has a slight advantage between his skills and knowledge of the colony. (More precisely, former Dutch colony, with a corrupt and unstable government.)
In today's world, travelers still get caught up in wars, disasters, and all manner of upheavals, whether they are aware of risks or not. So, it's easy to identify with the unfortunate Steve Fraser and wonder how one would bear up under such an utterly impossible situation.
The incomparable Eric Ambler once again leaves his readers breathless.
May 15, 2017
First Eric Ambler book for me and what a treat. Very laconic, naturalistic style. An engineer having a final night in a fictitious Indonesia look-a-like capital finds himself caught up in a coup. He isn't a spy but he is an ex-army chap who quietly knows what he has to do to stay safe. He is accompanied by a call-girl, with whom he has a business like relationship which develops into a more loving and poignant footing.
I really liked this and will definitely look out for more Eric Ambler. He was a thriller writer admired by Graham Greene and Ian Fleming. The style was quite low-octane, but with well drawn and insightful human beings as characters, and a plot that kept me turning the pages. Lovely.
I really liked this and will definitely look out for more Eric Ambler. He was a thriller writer admired by Graham Greene and Ian Fleming. The style was quite low-octane, but with well drawn and insightful human beings as characters, and a plot that kept me turning the pages. Lovely.
June 15, 2020
There is enough material here for an epic thriller, but Ambler keeps it tight. He plunges us into newly independent Sunda, a bystander trapped in the midst of an attempted coup. The narrator is a British engineer, on his way home after a stint working on the construction of a dam. We're introduced to the local culture and complex politics through his eyes as the apartment he has been loaned for a brief period before he can fly out is commandeered as headquarters by a group of military people out to overthrow the government.
I've read one other of Ambler's books, A Coffin for Dimitrios, which I also enjoyed, and on the strength of State of Siege, I'll read others as well.
I've read one other of Ambler's books, A Coffin for Dimitrios, which I also enjoyed, and on the strength of State of Siege, I'll read others as well.
December 11, 2023
If you enjoy Graham Greene and Somerset Maugham, you will enjoy Eric Ambler. The Consulting Resident Engineer to the North Sundra Power and Irrigation Project’s three-year contract had run its course and, he was headed home. First stop the capital city then the big iron bird to mother England. Unfortunately a revolution broke out in the capital city the night before his plane was scheduled to depart…4 stars.
February 13, 2025
What an exciting experience!
The setting is Southeast Asia, in the former Dutch colony of Sunda. An innocent British engineer, Steven Fraser, and his beautiful Eurasian companion, Rosalie, get stuck between two military factions battling for supremacy.
At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book as I don’t particularly enjoy reading stories about war or politics. But Eric Ambler’s “State of Siege” totally won me over. By the end I was breathless!
The setting is Southeast Asia, in the former Dutch colony of Sunda. An innocent British engineer, Steven Fraser, and his beautiful Eurasian companion, Rosalie, get stuck between two military factions battling for supremacy.
At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book as I don’t particularly enjoy reading stories about war or politics. But Eric Ambler’s “State of Siege” totally won me over. By the end I was breathless!
September 2, 2017
Very much enjoyed this story. Nice blend of 1950s Asian atmosphere, engineering and political intrigue. Locales and characters were effortlessly drawn, making for a very comfortable and pleasurable reading experience. Plot was logically and carefully crafted, with a believable and reasonable outcome.
May 1, 2022
Clearly a page-turner, this is yet not one of Ambler's best. The plotting and characterization are assured though some of the dialog doesn't quite ring true given the action at hand, and there is a certain implausibility regarding the protagonist's escaping injury during the violence at the climax of the story. Still, an enjoyable read for a weekend at the beach.
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