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Doctor Frigo
Thriller - Doctor Frigo is a doctor in a civil hospital on a small island in the French Antilles. He was the son of a very deeply and powerfully involved in the viole nt politics of a Central American state, and was assassinated, some say martyred. It takes a month - the span of the novel - to find out.
246 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1975
26 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Eric Ambler
111 books493 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 41 reviews
February 10, 2018
Goodreads tells me that Eric Ambler is my 5th most-read author – and I certainly admire his skill and ambition.
Skill because he seems to keep me reading without a great deal ever happening – always I identify with his naïve protagonist who puts himself in permanent danger, an amateur among ruthless professionals, Daniel in the lions’ den.
And ambition for the scope of his themes. I wonder how he felt so confident to deal with such diverse and grand matters – in this case a coup launched from a Caribbean island upon a Central American republic. He delivers great authenticity.
Ernesto Castillo works inconspicuously as a medic on the small island, when malevolent forces of authority conspire to manoeuvre him into a puppet role – for it was his father that was formerly deposed by assassination. But, having shunned his family legacy, why should he put himself in the firing line? And were the very people who now fete him responsible for his loss?
I think Ambler’s earlier thrillers (pre 1940) are his best, but the others I have read so far make enjoyable reading – and most of them do seem to be available via Prime/Kindle Unlimited, which is a bonus!
Skill because he seems to keep me reading without a great deal ever happening – always I identify with his naïve protagonist who puts himself in permanent danger, an amateur among ruthless professionals, Daniel in the lions’ den.
And ambition for the scope of his themes. I wonder how he felt so confident to deal with such diverse and grand matters – in this case a coup launched from a Caribbean island upon a Central American republic. He delivers great authenticity.
Ernesto Castillo works inconspicuously as a medic on the small island, when malevolent forces of authority conspire to manoeuvre him into a puppet role – for it was his father that was formerly deposed by assassination. But, having shunned his family legacy, why should he put himself in the firing line? And were the very people who now fete him responsible for his loss?
I think Ambler’s earlier thrillers (pre 1940) are his best, but the others I have read so far make enjoyable reading – and most of them do seem to be available via Prime/Kindle Unlimited, which is a bonus!
September 29, 2019
What at first appears to be a rare Ambler thriller that does not work quickly regains its footing and becomes a rather impressive insight into what motivates, and doesn't motivate, men surrounded with the temptations of power. Starting off in the French Antilles on the far southeastern edge of the Caribbean, the story shifts to an obscure Central American country that has fallen into and out of coups, rebellions, and revolts many times. Dr. Ernesto Castillo, who has also acquired the name Dr. Frigo, due to his somewhat remote bearing, is the son of a former liberalizing dictator of the country. Brought into yet another plot to overthrow the country, Castillo reluctantly finds himself accompanying yet another would-be dictator into power. But fate intervenes. On several levels, with the greatest irony being the fate of the new dictator, Villegas, who is saved from a terrible death only because of the plotting of his enemies.
Here, Ambler has once more turned to a bit of political moralizing, which he had let escape from his works in the 1960s. Granted, he is more interested in showing that there are no clean hands in this business of revolutions and counter-revolutions. But in doing so he brings to light the lust for control and the thriving of paranoia among all the participants in these type events. Only those smart enough to walk away from it all manage to escape with their sanity, and perhaps some of their principles, intact.
Interesting to see Ambler move his focus from the Balkans and Turkey to Central America. Also interesting to see his direct comparison of the two cultures and how, remarkably, Hapsburg interventionism afflicted both.
Here, Ambler has once more turned to a bit of political moralizing, which he had let escape from his works in the 1960s. Granted, he is more interested in showing that there are no clean hands in this business of revolutions and counter-revolutions. But in doing so he brings to light the lust for control and the thriving of paranoia among all the participants in these type events. Only those smart enough to walk away from it all manage to escape with their sanity, and perhaps some of their principles, intact.
Interesting to see Ambler move his focus from the Balkans and Turkey to Central America. Also interesting to see his direct comparison of the two cultures and how, remarkably, Hapsburg interventionism afflicted both.
November 23, 2017
Absolutely loved DOCTOR FRIGO. This book has not become dated at all, even though it was published in 1974. This is late Ambler at his very, very best. The knowing and cold attitude and outlook of the narrator are perfectly suited to Ambler’s own evisceration of what it’s like to live in a world where governments are all-too beholden to global corporations. In 1974, DOCTOR FRIGO was about banana republics. Today, it could be said to be about the US under Trump, or the UK under the Brexiteers. Timely to read it now in 2017. Brilliant! And exceedingly fine, clear, cynical prose.
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September 8, 2015Fucking Eric Ambler, man, fucking Eric Ambler. Best spy novelist ever, though the protagonists are never spies, just regular folk in over their heads. Very cleverly written, possessing a moral weight which more conventional novels in this genre can only dream of, never allwoing geopolitical concerns to outweigh the human element. Not his best (personally I would go with Judgment for Deltchev though there are lots of contenders) it's still pretty stellar, definitely worth a look.
January 16, 2017
Another disappointing late period Ambler. His early books are much better. But it just about served to fill in some time while waiting for a very late train.
November 20, 2011
See my review of Doctor Frigo, by Eric Ambler, at The Rap Sheet:
http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/2010/...
I'm a great fan of Ambler and enjoyed this book a great deal
http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/2010/...
I'm a great fan of Ambler and enjoyed this book a great deal
August 6, 2021
This is Ambler writing for older, more contemplative readers. (Ambler for grown-ups, you might say.) Yes it's slower than many of his other books; it lacks the big action-payoff climax so many of his other books have. But it more than makes up for the deficit, with vivid atmosphere, engaging characters, and gradual, long-term buildup of tension. Ambler manages this so masterfully that I don't miss the big heart-pumping moments from his other books. (Adrenalin is, after all, generic. If you can't get off without it, well, you can always read something by Lee Child or Thomas Harris or someone like that, immediately after you finish with this book.)
The title-character is a cynical doctor with a wry, sardonic sense of humor, and he writes with a doctor's understated, faux-clinical narrative style. (Besides being the protagonist, he's also the first-person narrator.) His unappealing personality makes him all the more appealing to the reader. (This is true of many of the characters in Ambler's best books, such as Arthur Simpson in The Light of Day and Dirty Story, and almost everyone in Passage of Arms.)
"Doctor Frigo" is a nickname which his underlings and colleagues call him behind his back, because of his cold, clinical manner. He has a weird girlfriend who thinks of everything in terms of the history of her family (she's descended from the Bourbon dynasty). And his father was a charismatic leader in a third-world country, until he got assassinated. Now, years later, Dr. Frigo has a new patient, another political leader, who appears to have had something to do with the assassination - maybe. As the book progresses, it gradually focuses more and more intensely on three questions: will Dr. Frigo take vengeance against the assassins? Will he return to his father's homeland and lead a revolutionary movement there, whose members his family name would inspire? And, will he be able to avoid being assassinated himself long enough to decide?
The title-character is a cynical doctor with a wry, sardonic sense of humor, and he writes with a doctor's understated, faux-clinical narrative style. (Besides being the protagonist, he's also the first-person narrator.) His unappealing personality makes him all the more appealing to the reader. (This is true of many of the characters in Ambler's best books, such as Arthur Simpson in The Light of Day and Dirty Story, and almost everyone in Passage of Arms.)
"Doctor Frigo" is a nickname which his underlings and colleagues call him behind his back, because of his cold, clinical manner. He has a weird girlfriend who thinks of everything in terms of the history of her family (she's descended from the Bourbon dynasty). And his father was a charismatic leader in a third-world country, until he got assassinated. Now, years later, Dr. Frigo has a new patient, another political leader, who appears to have had something to do with the assassination - maybe. As the book progresses, it gradually focuses more and more intensely on three questions: will Dr. Frigo take vengeance against the assassins? Will he return to his father's homeland and lead a revolutionary movement there, whose members his family name would inspire? And, will he be able to avoid being assassinated himself long enough to decide?
January 4, 2022
This book starts ever so slowly. It is about a seemingly completely self absorbed doctor and some fairly inconsequential diarised meanderings of his mind.
Half way through the book, and we still don't appear to be much further forward - our doctor is involved in a seemingly doomed love affair with old European royalty, some sort of history with a Caribbean independence (or just a coup) movement, some strained relations with some medical colleagues and some seemingly dodgy doings with even dodgier, seedy individuals.
Whilst all of this could be leading to something, it's hardly a riveting read.
And then suddenly, everything starts making sense as the last quarter of the book literally explodes (OK, there are one or two small explosions and a bit of gunfire, if we're going to be pedantic about all of this), and the slow burning fuse that we had to (and yes, I will use the word) endure for so long suddenly becomes so relevant and wham, bam you have a thriller/ political intrigue novel like no other suddenly flourishing before your eyes - just when you least expected it.
The blurb always says "Eric Ambler at his best" on all of his books. He's never anything but his best - the best - in my eyes. Another fantastic, must read (even if it takes a while to realize it in this case!) book from a truly great writer.
Half way through the book, and we still don't appear to be much further forward - our doctor is involved in a seemingly doomed love affair with old European royalty, some sort of history with a Caribbean independence (or just a coup) movement, some strained relations with some medical colleagues and some seemingly dodgy doings with even dodgier, seedy individuals.
Whilst all of this could be leading to something, it's hardly a riveting read.
And then suddenly, everything starts making sense as the last quarter of the book literally explodes (OK, there are one or two small explosions and a bit of gunfire, if we're going to be pedantic about all of this), and the slow burning fuse that we had to (and yes, I will use the word) endure for so long suddenly becomes so relevant and wham, bam you have a thriller/ political intrigue novel like no other suddenly flourishing before your eyes - just when you least expected it.
The blurb always says "Eric Ambler at his best" on all of his books. He's never anything but his best - the best - in my eyes. Another fantastic, must read (even if it takes a while to realize it in this case!) book from a truly great writer.
September 24, 2025
Eric Ambler was a popular novelist of the 1960s and 70s. I suppose his genre was "suspense" or maybe "thriller," but the books were mainly gentle, witty entertainment. Many of his books are told in the first person by a sketchy character. The narrator claims that his role in some incident (actually, a scandal or crime) has been mischaracterized, and he wants you to know the real story. The fun for the reader is in figuring out what the real "real story" is.*
Doctor Frigo is the unflattering nickname given to Ernesto Castillo. He is the only son of a Latin American politician who was gunned down. Ernesto obtained legal resident status on a French island, where he practices medicine and stays aloof from the violent politics and conspiracies of his homeland.
But then, how did he wind up in his home country, on the front pages of the newspapers, and as the Minister of Education after a coup? Doctor Frigo says, "It wasn't my fault." See if you agree.
* The reader should hear a tiny alarm whenever a phrase like "Before I could object, he..." appears.
Doctor Frigo is the unflattering nickname given to Ernesto Castillo. He is the only son of a Latin American politician who was gunned down. Ernesto obtained legal resident status on a French island, where he practices medicine and stays aloof from the violent politics and conspiracies of his homeland.
But then, how did he wind up in his home country, on the front pages of the newspapers, and as the Minister of Education after a coup? Doctor Frigo says, "It wasn't my fault." See if you agree.
* The reader should hear a tiny alarm whenever a phrase like "Before I could object, he..." appears.
June 8, 2018
Eric Ambler is a well respected writer of spy stories who influenced Graham Greene and John Le Carre. His plot line in Dr Frigo is very similar to my own plot line in Weekend in Amsterdam, where an ordinary Joe is unwittingly drawn into a world of professional spies, and despite all the odds he triumphs.
That said I found this novel slow and the apathy and cowardice of the main character soon convinced me that I didn't much care what happened to him. I persevered thinking that the story would build to an explosive ending, but the end came more as a whimper than an explosion. I had already written the ending in my head while reading but when it came I much preferred my own.
I have not read Eric Ambler before but I'm sure with his reputation he must have written better stories than this one.
That said I found this novel slow and the apathy and cowardice of the main character soon convinced me that I didn't much care what happened to him. I persevered thinking that the story would build to an explosive ending, but the end came more as a whimper than an explosion. I had already written the ending in my head while reading but when it came I much preferred my own.
I have not read Eric Ambler before but I'm sure with his reputation he must have written better stories than this one.
May 25, 2024
This was a well-crafted quality read. Evenly-paced with a plausible and absorbing storyline that kept me interested but never really thrilled. There was a little romance as the main character was dating a Hapsburg heiress who was in the throes of a divorce which provided a resonance but much of the book focused on conversational dialogues rather than descriptions, a style which I do not favour as I prefer descriptions, whether of characters or places.
Set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Paul-les-Alizes in the late 60s it had the potential to be a bit more exciting but I feel that it lacked atmosphere and there was not enough background material to generate more suspense in the somewhat lacklustre plot. That said the characters were real and it did generate interest in this area and period.
Set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Paul-les-Alizes in the late 60s it had the potential to be a bit more exciting but I feel that it lacked atmosphere and there was not enough background material to generate more suspense in the somewhat lacklustre plot. That said the characters were real and it did generate interest in this area and period.
November 13, 2024
Goodreads obviously have a ‘thing’ about Ambler. They have 48 editions listed, this is said to be the first edition, but the blurb is just a seller’s description of a copy for sale, which probably means the whole thing has just been lifted from Amazon by AI and is not to be trusted.
The copy I’ve just read appears to be a U.K. fist, and has a cover used in Goodreads listings to illustrate another edition by a different publisher…
The novel, Ambler’s second to last, is an invigorating read about politics and coups in a Caribbean country told from the point of view of a doctor who happens to be the son of an assassinated former left wing leader, and because of that, is considered to be useful by Western secret services as well as leaders of a new coup.
The copy I’ve just read appears to be a U.K. fist, and has a cover used in Goodreads listings to illustrate another edition by a different publisher…
The novel, Ambler’s second to last, is an invigorating read about politics and coups in a Caribbean country told from the point of view of a doctor who happens to be the son of an assassinated former left wing leader, and because of that, is considered to be useful by Western secret services as well as leaders of a new coup.
March 17, 2024
Another top-shelf story by Eric Ambler. His writing/stories remind me of Graham Greene and Somerset Maugham. Third-world setting, corrupt totalitarian government, reluctant hero who is fully human and not particularly talented. The lines are blurred, the fog created by insatiable bureaucracy and over-reaching diplomats is omnipresent. His plots weave back and forth across the very thin line that separates cynicism and reality acceptance where hope is a mere spark that refuses extinguishment. 4 stars.
December 13, 2019
Un autore che non conoscevo per un thriller politico, un filone del thriller di cui ancora non avevo letto nulla. Per quanto sia stata una lettura molto scorrevole, in quanto lo stile di Amber è fluido e semplice, la storia è priva di suspense e soltanto un paio di personaggi risultano interessanti. Non è questo il genere di thriller che preferisco, ma se capiterà leggerò altro dell'autore.
March 31, 2024
I did have 20 free kindle books to read,sitting on my detective/mystery/thriller shelf and this was the last of them,thank God,or it may have put me off of reading the others,which were more than acceptable.
To me the plot was dull,took so much time to get going,if it ever really did.Hardly any action,as I'm told his previous books had.
Found it a strain and hard going in places .The characters portrayed had about as much personality as a grain of rice.Not for me.
Now to start on my kindle romance shelf,consisting of 14 free books,which I hope to find much easier going.
To me the plot was dull,took so much time to get going,if it ever really did.Hardly any action,as I'm told his previous books had.
Found it a strain and hard going in places .The characters portrayed had about as much personality as a grain of rice.Not for me.
Now to start on my kindle romance shelf,consisting of 14 free books,which I hope to find much easier going.
November 6, 2017
Interesting portrait of the little man caught up in bigger political machinations. Doctor Frigo maybe the son of an assassinated Central American leader, but does he share the party's thirst for power when they come knocking? 3.5 stars
March 11, 2018
Slow starting, but sped up. Intrigue at its ugliest. Latin American political machinations, horrible dictators, lies and deceit. A well meaning decent doctor gets involved through no fault on his part. Finally gets our of his jam but just!
March 18, 2018
En esta novela, Ambler nos presenta a un joven médico, que, muy a su pesar, se ve involucrado en conspiraciones palaciegas, espionaje,y crímenes políticos, junto a un grupo de exiliados que prepara su vuelta al poder en una imaginaria república centroamericana.
June 12, 2018
Not to be confused w A Coffin for Dimitrios. But a really fascinating character study, a set piece -- a Caribbean revolution -- puts interesting players in play, Elizabeth most especially, never a line out of place. All the characters are interesting, right down to the masseuse. Three and a half.
July 30, 2022
Follow Dr Frigo as he is unwillingly drawn into the dangerous manipulations of a government overthrow on an isle in the Caribbean.
Eric Ambler gives readers brilliant writing, believable characters, and stunning plots.
Eric Ambler gives readers brilliant writing, believable characters, and stunning plots.
November 11, 2023
Another wickedly perceptive and amusing reflection on corrupt doings in countries that should have remained colonies of larger empires. The biggest variation from Ambler's other works is that our "hero" is not European, but rather a francophile Central American.
April 19, 2021
This book dates from 1974 but it has lost none of its relevance of sparkle. Memorable characters, gripping plot, great style -what more could you ask for?
January 7, 2026
Really not something I’d usually go for! 1970s political thriller. Whilst I feel a lot of it went over my head… I was engaged throughout and keen to read a few of his other more popular ones.
March 19, 2018
Without being my favorite genre, still belonging to some extent to the crime novel. I must admit that when it comes to reading a novel about espionage, I literally must open my third eye because of the complexity of certain chapters.
Any conversation within the book influences the plot, and the letting escape is to lose something fundamental that in the end may weigh on the outcome.
Doctor frigo would describe it as a novel that stands out in its genre, but which I recommend reading being fond of the genre. That you enjoy topics such as politics and economics to enjoy it better.
April 14, 2022
I respect Ambler's writing and his understanding of the interconnected workings of government, politics, religion, science, culture and media. I will read more of his novels. I discovered this one while dusting my book shelves, and was intrigued enough just looking at it, not to toss it in the recycle box.
The novel, is presented in the form of a Doctor "Frigo's" journal, the doctor also being the son of an assassinated political leader in an unstable Caribbean country who gets sucked into participating in a coup d'état.
I found the book fascinating but slow-going. Not a page turner, more a soporific, it served as a very good segue to a nice afternoon nap. Over a period of days, I read a bit then dozed. I looked forward to it!
Not that much has changed really since the early 1970's. Even though we now have very sophisticated technological tools for disseminating information, the spectrum from deceit to honesty has only become more dimensional. And the role of the commodity oil is still front and center.
"… from that moment the value of this resource, this now precious asset, will begin to diminish. And I am not simply speaking of quantities. Economists' and technologists' estimates vary, but we may reasonably assume that within fifteen years oil as an energy source will have much less importance than it has at present. Its importance as the base commodity in the manufacture of other things may increase–all sorts of possibilities already exist in those fields–but it is on its value as an energy source that its present price is based… do we sink back into an agrarian mediocrity, will we have used our time and money to buy the toys we now associate with affluence, or will we have used them to effect a transformation?"
The novel, is presented in the form of a Doctor "Frigo's" journal, the doctor also being the son of an assassinated political leader in an unstable Caribbean country who gets sucked into participating in a coup d'état.
I found the book fascinating but slow-going. Not a page turner, more a soporific, it served as a very good segue to a nice afternoon nap. Over a period of days, I read a bit then dozed. I looked forward to it!
Not that much has changed really since the early 1970's. Even though we now have very sophisticated technological tools for disseminating information, the spectrum from deceit to honesty has only become more dimensional. And the role of the commodity oil is still front and center.
"… from that moment the value of this resource, this now precious asset, will begin to diminish. And I am not simply speaking of quantities. Economists' and technologists' estimates vary, but we may reasonably assume that within fifteen years oil as an energy source will have much less importance than it has at present. Its importance as the base commodity in the manufacture of other things may increase–all sorts of possibilities already exist in those fields–but it is on its value as an energy source that its present price is based… do we sink back into an agrarian mediocrity, will we have used our time and money to buy the toys we now associate with affluence, or will we have used them to effect a transformation?"
April 2, 2009
Dr. Frigo is the nickname of Dr. Ernesto Castillo. His father either died or was assassinated and was a leading figure in the Democratic Socialist Party in St. Paul-les Alizes. With his death, ledership in the party would normally go to Ernest.
With this in mind, Ernesto is summoned to Commissaire Gillon's office to defend himeslf and assure the Commissaire that he had no interest in politics.
Manuel Villegas, who leads the Mexican group from the party and Segura Rojas, a compatriot of Dr. Castillo's father, return to the Island.
Ernesto has a mistress, Elizabeth Martens, who gives him advice. She believes that the French Secret Service needs a victory and wants to control Villegas.
A CIA agent approaches Ernesto and offers him a bribe. Castillo is persuaded that if he wants to know how his father died, he will pretend to go along with Rojas and Villegas.
Villegas had been in Mexico because he was exiled there by the junta that overthrew Catilllo's father. His health isn't good and Gillon and the CIA agent think that if they get inside information about his health from Castillo, they will have an advantage.
The story is told in narrative form and there is little drama or suspense. It's more in a style of learning the facts from newspaper articles, simply put to the readers to let them draw their own conclusions. The style reminded me of Graham Greene in "The Honorary Consul."
For a novel written in 1974, it was interesting to see what was accepted as crime literature or mystery novels at the time.
With this in mind, Ernesto is summoned to Commissaire Gillon's office to defend himeslf and assure the Commissaire that he had no interest in politics.
Manuel Villegas, who leads the Mexican group from the party and Segura Rojas, a compatriot of Dr. Castillo's father, return to the Island.
Ernesto has a mistress, Elizabeth Martens, who gives him advice. She believes that the French Secret Service needs a victory and wants to control Villegas.
A CIA agent approaches Ernesto and offers him a bribe. Castillo is persuaded that if he wants to know how his father died, he will pretend to go along with Rojas and Villegas.
Villegas had been in Mexico because he was exiled there by the junta that overthrew Catilllo's father. His health isn't good and Gillon and the CIA agent think that if they get inside information about his health from Castillo, they will have an advantage.
The story is told in narrative form and there is little drama or suspense. It's more in a style of learning the facts from newspaper articles, simply put to the readers to let them draw their own conclusions. The style reminded me of Graham Greene in "The Honorary Consul."
For a novel written in 1974, it was interesting to see what was accepted as crime literature or mystery novels at the time.
May 22, 2016
Ernesto Castillo is a hospital doctor, working in a Central American state. The son of an assassinated South American politician, he is nicknamed "Doctor Frigo" on account of his emotional detachment. When he is called upon, however, to tend to the ailing would-be president of his home country, a man who may have information about the death of his father, he is drawn into the world of international political intrigue.
Eric Ambler has been hailed by the likes of John Le Carre and Len Deighton as the father of the political thriller. "Doctor Frigo" deals more in politics than thrills. A late entry in his canon, written in the early 1970s, it gets bogged down early on in the minutiae of diplomatic wrangling, the plot only taking flight late in the day. Castillo is intentionally portrayed as a cold fish; he is thus hard to wholly identify with, even as he finds himself manipulated by all who surround him, whether the thuggish politicos or his self-important girlfriend.
The writing is dense and forensically detailed, although less involving than the work of other authors who have dabbled in this area (Graham Greene's espionage-tinged entertainments such as "The Honorary Consul" and "Our Man In Havana" being my personal high water mark). Nevertheless, one does find oneself anxious to see how things pan out - although, this being a first-person narrative, options are limited.
A valuable introduction to a historically important writer; but for a more entertaining take on the subject, I would recommend Woody Allen's "Bananas".
Eric Ambler has been hailed by the likes of John Le Carre and Len Deighton as the father of the political thriller. "Doctor Frigo" deals more in politics than thrills. A late entry in his canon, written in the early 1970s, it gets bogged down early on in the minutiae of diplomatic wrangling, the plot only taking flight late in the day. Castillo is intentionally portrayed as a cold fish; he is thus hard to wholly identify with, even as he finds himself manipulated by all who surround him, whether the thuggish politicos or his self-important girlfriend.
The writing is dense and forensically detailed, although less involving than the work of other authors who have dabbled in this area (Graham Greene's espionage-tinged entertainments such as "The Honorary Consul" and "Our Man In Havana" being my personal high water mark). Nevertheless, one does find oneself anxious to see how things pan out - although, this being a first-person narrative, options are limited.
A valuable introduction to a historically important writer; but for a more entertaining take on the subject, I would recommend Woody Allen's "Bananas".
October 19, 2015
Ambler è uno dei miei autori peferiti. Ho penato per trovare questo romanzo e la lettura - poteva essere diverso ? - non mi ha affatto deluso. E' vero, c'è meno mistero e più incanaglimento in questo libro, ma se penso che è stato scritto negli anno '70 trovo sbalorditivo che non sia affatto invecchiato come altri suoi.
La splendida anatomia del complotto che conduce in porto con le parole dell'antipatico dottor Frigo è da manuale.
L''antipatico' dottor Frigo! Come al solito Ambler riesce a farci sentire che ciascuno di noi è un dottor Frigo in potenza: pieni di difetti e convinti di capire le situazioni che altri invece dominano a nostra insaputa. La divertente storia d'amore - discreta rispetto al racconto - oscilla tra la prosaicità e una pretestuosa grandiosità: in questo contrasto c'è tutta l'abilità di Ambler nell'uso dell'ironia come profumo del racconto.
Ed è SOLO una storia di spie...
[audiolibro]
La splendida anatomia del complotto che conduce in porto con le parole dell'antipatico dottor Frigo è da manuale.
L''antipatico' dottor Frigo! Come al solito Ambler riesce a farci sentire che ciascuno di noi è un dottor Frigo in potenza: pieni di difetti e convinti di capire le situazioni che altri invece dominano a nostra insaputa. La divertente storia d'amore - discreta rispetto al racconto - oscilla tra la prosaicità e una pretestuosa grandiosità: in questo contrasto c'è tutta l'abilità di Ambler nell'uso dell'ironia come profumo del racconto.
Ed è SOLO una storia di spie...
[audiolibro]
February 23, 2016
Another great read from Eric Ambler. Once again, the first-person dialogue of the lead character meant I got drawn into the novel from the outset, and his style of writing allows for a much deeper connection with the protagonist. In terms of the story, I personally felt that the final part came and went rather quickly, but this may be because I was enjoying the book so much that I didn't want it to end.
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