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The Other Side of the Coin
Bernard is a rubber tree planter. His wife, Patricia, an american, is a follower of non-violence. One fights against the Chinese partisans who harass the colons, the other one helps them.
The situation is paradoxal enough as it is when Patricia, a charitable mind, lets Ling, a young terrorist wounded in the alay jungle during a battle, into her house. She even proposes to feed his peers. Authorization which Ling takes advantage of. And here is the starting point of a mathematically inexorable intrigue. The humour and absurdism of which Pierre Boulle is fond of takes us to a harsh conclusion that he however manages to make acceptable.
The situation is paradoxal enough as it is when Patricia, a charitable mind, lets Ling, a young terrorist wounded in the alay jungle during a battle, into her house. She even proposes to feed his peers. Authorization which Ling takes advantage of. And here is the starting point of a mathematically inexorable intrigue. The humour and absurdism of which Pierre Boulle is fond of takes us to a harsh conclusion that he however manages to make acceptable.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1958
36 people want to read
About the author
Pierre Boulle
147 books286 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Pierre Boulle (20 February 1912 – 30 January 1994) was a French novelist best known for two works, The Bridge over the River Kwai (1952) and Planet of the Apes (1963) that were both made into award-winning films.
Boulle was an engineer serving as a secret agent with the Free French in Singapore, when he was captured and subjected to two years' forced labour. He used these experiences in The Bridge over the River Kwai, about the notorious Death Railway, which became an international bestseller. The film by David Lean won many Oscars, and Boulle was credited with writing the screenplay, because its two genuine authors had been blacklisted.
His science-fiction novel Planet of the Apes, where intelligent apes gain mastery over humans, was adapted into a series of five award-winning films that spawned magazine versions and popular themed toys.
Pierre Boulle (20 February 1912 – 30 January 1994) was a French novelist best known for two works, The Bridge over the River Kwai (1952) and Planet of the Apes (1963) that were both made into award-winning films.
Boulle was an engineer serving as a secret agent with the Free French in Singapore, when he was captured and subjected to two years' forced labour. He used these experiences in The Bridge over the River Kwai, about the notorious Death Railway, which became an international bestseller. The film by David Lean won many Oscars, and Boulle was credited with writing the screenplay, because its two genuine authors had been blacklisted.
His science-fiction novel Planet of the Apes, where intelligent apes gain mastery over humans, was adapted into a series of five award-winning films that spawned magazine versions and popular themed toys.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 12, 2024
This book is a short, ironic tale of life in the colonies. Bernard DeLavigne runs a large rubber plantation in Malaya with his wife, Patricia (Pat). They are surrounded by jungle, plagued by Communist terrorists and members of the elite European community that look down on the natives. Patricia is known for her kind-heartedness towards all. When Ling, a member of the Liberation Army, is wounded and winds up in Patricia’s garden, Pat is determined to save her from her misfortune and make her part of the family, giving her everything she’s never had. Little does Pat know Ling adapts quickly to civilized behavior. Soon, Ling turns Pat over to the terrorists and then leaves on vacation in France with Bernard.
December 30, 2019
Bizarre, misogynistic tale with nothing much going for it terms of story, characters, or even entertainment value. From the same mind that gave us Planet of the Apes.
Not recommended.
Not recommended.
October 6, 2007
A timely book -- about terrorism on a rubber plantation in the mid-twentieth century. I liked it, but I won't write a spoiler on it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews