Am lumea în buzunar

by James Hadley Chase, Dinu Georgescu (traducător)

This is the job they have all been waiting for. The job that will set them up for life. A million dollars split five ways, who wouldn't be interested? The only catch is that it's the very definition of impossible...or is it? Armed with a brilliant plan, the four men and one woman think they can crack it. But as tensions in the group begin to mount and things start to go wrong, the million dollars feels more out of reach than ever. Even though it is right with them...

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Noir, Mystery, Novels

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

René Lodge Brabazon Raymond was born on 24th December 1906 in London, England, the son of Colonel Francis Raymond of the colonial Indian Army, a veterinary surgeon. His father intended his son to have a scientific career, was initially educated at King's School, Rochester, Kent. He left home at the age of 18 and became at different times a children's encyclopedia salesman, a salesman in a bookshop, and executive for a book wholesaler before turning to a writing career that produced more than 90 mystery books. His interests included photography (he was up to professional standard), reading and listening to classical music, being a particularly enthusiastic opera lover. Also as a form of relaxation between novels, he put together highly complicated and sophisticated Meccano models.

In 1932, Raymond married Sylvia Ray, who gave him a son. They were together until his death fifty three years later. Prohibition and the ensuing US Great Depression (1929–1939), had given rise to the Chicago gangster culture just prior to World War II. This, combined with her book trade experience, made him realise that there was a big demand for gangster stories. He wrote as R. Raymond, James Hadley Chase, James L. Docherty, Ambrose Grant and Raymond Marshall.

During World War II he served in the Royal Air Force, achieving the rank of Squadron Leader. Chase edited the RAF Journal with David Langdon and had several stories from it published after the war in the book Slipstream: A Royal Air Force Anthology.

Raymond moved to France in 1956 and then to Switzerland in 1969, living a secluded life in Corseaux-sur-Vevey, on Lake Geneva, from 1974. He eventually died there peacefully on 6 February 1985.

Reviews

[Sumaîya Afrôze Puspîta · Rating 4 out of 5]

দি ওয়ার্ল্ড ইন মাই পকেট– হাতের মুঠোয় পৃথিবী! সব মানুষের মনেই হয়তো পুরো পৃথিবীকে মুঠোয় পুরে ফেলার এক অপ্রকাশিত বাসনা থাকেই।‌ তবে কেউ কেউ প্রকাশিত হয়ে প্রচণ্ড আগ্রাসী হয়ে ওঠে। আর তার ফলাফল এই ব‌ইয়ের মাঝেই আছে।

প্রথমদিকে গল্প খুবই শ্লথগতিতে এগিয়ে গেছে। যার জন্য কিছুটা বিরক্ত লাগছিল... চারজন ছেলে এবং একজন মেয়ে– এই নিয়েই একটি দল। তারা সবাই এক দুর্ধর্ষ পরিকল্পনা করে বসে, যার মাধ্যমে প্রত্যেকেই হয়ে যাবে লাখপতি। পুরো দলটার সকলের মনস্তত্ত্ব, পরিকল্পনা, কাজের ভাগ সব‌ই ধীরে ধীরে বিশদভাবে লেখক ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন।‌ আর এই বর্ণনাগুলোই গল্পের গতি কিছুটা মন্থর করে দিয়েছে। কিন্তু ব‌ইয়ের মাঝ থেকে শুরু হয় থ্রিলার ... অ্যাকশন … ভয়, ভালোবাসা, লোভ, সংশয়– এইসবের সমন্বয়ে পুরো ব‌ইটাই আকর্ষণীয়।

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

The World in My Pocket is an armored car robbery caper that immediately reminds you of Lionel White's the Big Caper or of many of the capers depicted in Westlake's Parker series. This is all about getting a crew together, nailing down the plan, and pulling it off, as well as what doesn't go according to plan. It's all about the various characters brought together to pull off the heist, including the tough ringleader Morgan, the safecracker, the driver, and the sniper. And, of course, Ginny, the copper-headed seductress who came up with the plan and whose mere presence drives the four men wild and at each other's throats.

This book is filled with nonstop action and, even though the plot is not unique, Chase does a great job of it throughout and builds the tension throughout the story, cranking it up and up and up. Terrific pulp crime adventure with not a wrong note anywhere.

[Ionuț Anastasiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old school thriller în cel mai bun sens al termenului.
James Hadley Chase este un clasic al genului, din păcate astăzi mai degrabă uitat sau ignorat, cel puțin la noi. Prima carte a scriitorului britanic pe care am citit-o în urmă cu foarte mulți ani a fost Totul se plătește, apărută în colecția Enigma în 1969. Țin minte că mi-a plăcut, dar nu și de ce anume (în mod cert este necesară o nouă lectură).
Să "Am lumea în buzunar" este unica dorință a unei adunături de ratați, ce pun la cale să dea lovitura vieții lor. Frank Morgan, liderul grupului, Ed Bleck, pe care James Hadley Chase îl descrie în stilul său caracteristic ca având "o frumuseţe brutală care atrăgea femeile, dar îi făcea pe bărbaţi să fie precauţi cu el", blajinul și fricosul Giuseppe Mandini sau Gypo, așa cum îi spun ceilalți și tânărul Alex Kitson, cărora li se adaugă femeia fatală Ginny Gordon pun la cale o operațiune a cărei miză este de 1 milion de dolari (pe vremea când dolarul avea o valoare mult mai mare decât are astăzi) și anume să fure banii de salarii de la Centrul de Cercetări Spațiale cu tot cu camioneta blindată în care sunt transportați. Este o operațiune mai mult decât dificilă, dar planul conceput de misterioasa Ginny este foarte ingenios.
Visul acestor oameni este să își depășească condiția, dar nu prin muncă și efort susținut, ci pe scurtătură, din jaf și, de ce nu, chiar crimă. "Cui îi pasă dacă vreunul din noi moare? Cui îi pasă dacă vreunul trăieşte? Cui îi pasă de noi, în primul rând? Dar dacă fiecare din noi are două sute de mii de dolari în buzunar, e altă poveste. Devenim oameni ca lumea, şi asta doresc să devin".
Din păcate pentru cei cinci, James Hadley Chase are o abilitate extraordinară în a descrie planuri mărețe care se duc pe apa sâmbetei. Lectură plăcută!

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of The World in My Pocket is a bit slow and meandering. Chase spends the time introducing us to a gang planning an armored car robbery. Funny thing, but we don't really know all that much about them until the second half, when action reveals character. After the robbery, things take off. Key protagonists die, plans come apart at the seams, and the one skilled operator comes unglued. This is a formula seen quite often in Chase's fiction. But it doesn't get tiring. Just the limited scope of the tale is the drawback, making this an ordinary story, although one still enjoyable enough to spend the time reading.

Too many Britishisms in this novel to count. Perhaps this is the reason Chase never caught on in the United States. He refused to alter his language to fit his American settings. Caravan, instead of trailer. Caravan tackle, instead of trailer hitch. Keep your eyes skinned, instead of keep your eyes peeled. Many more.

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being written in 1958 this is still a pretty good thriller even by modern standards. Whilst some of the technology is dated (namely radios for communication and a distinct lack of mobile phones and computers) it's still a great tale.

The plot itself isn't unique - group of people get together for a crime, then everything falls apart... slowly... until a catastrophic & climactic ending. However, the implementation of the plot structure is well done and various gaps in the initial character backgrounds have you flipping pages to find out more.

An enjoyable vintage pulp thriller.

[Gu Kun · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 High-calibre film noir.

[Charles Adebiaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts off with four guys playing poker: Frank Morgan, Ed Bleck, Alex Kitson, and Giuseppe Mandini or gypo for short. Morgan the leader of the group started to talk about making two-hundred grand the three were interested and said what’s the plan Morgan told them that they were going to steal the Rocket Research Station's Pay Roll which consisted of a million dollars, Kitson was saying it's impossible that he used to work for the truck company who are delivering the pay roll that the truck is the safest truck in the world and did not want to do it so did gypo then Morgan opened the door and let Ginny Gordon in the person who came up with the plan, looking at the three she looked at Kitson and said it’s a million dollars of course someone’s going to get hurt Kitson looked into her eyes and saw something like someone who did not fear anything and just kept quiet after a while of telling them why she came to them Kitson and gypo agreed with the plan. Morgan came up with a small plan to see if everybody’s got the nerves to go through with the big one, robbing the bar at midnight where there would be more people. After robbing the bar Morgan knew that some of them had some nerve to go through with the plan. They made 10 thousand-5 hundred and 75 dollars from the bar after that they started preparing for the big one, they got the caravan ready and modified it so that it could hold the weight and the pigs blood to pour all over Ginny so that the driver and guard would think it was an accident. The day finally came to execute the plan everybody was nervous but they got over it and started they waited for the driver and guard to come while Ginny was covered in pigs blood faced down on top of the gun surrounded by fire the driver and guard saw it they radioed headquarters and then the guard got out to examine Ginny then he got closer and Ginny took out her gun as soon as she did that he hit the gun away then Bleck shot his rifle, but missed then the guard looked back and shot Morgan then Morgan hot back at the guard the bullet hit him right in the head and he died instantly Morgan felt a sharp pain in his ribs; he was shot then his quickly shot the driver before the driver fell he pressed the button to seal the truck. They quickly put the armored truck in the caravan and left to Fawn Lake were they would open the truck. At fawn lake they opened the window and the driver was still alive he pointed the gun at Morgan; Morgan saw it and they both shot each other at the same time the driver died instantly Morgan said you’re on your own now good luck and died. The pressure was too much for them so they moved to the mountains so that they could bust the truck open. When they woke up Gypo was gone so Kitson and Bleck went searching for Gypo it did not take them long to find him Gypo saw them to so he hid in the bush and started crawling he stopped suddenly and saw a snake as soon as he moved it bit him and he started running he ran into Kitson and said take me to a hospital I don’t want to die like my brother Bleck said no that they would be found out so Kitson and Bleck started fighting by the time they finished fighting Gypo was dead. Back at Fawn lake little junior told the cops and army where the truck was and it didn’t take them long to find them in the mountain when they saw the aircraft they started running they caught up to Bleck first and threw a grenade killing Bleck instantly then they saw Kitson and Ginny; Kitson said Morgan always said the world in my pocket maybe not this world, but the next he kissed Ginny and they both jumped off the mountain ledge.

[Maktouf Ali]

the World in my Pocket by James Hadley Chase








View all my reviews

[Κώστας · Rating 5 out of 5]

- εντάξει, είπε στον... Είναι πεθαμένος.
Ο... σκέφτηκε:"όχι όσο νομίζεις φίλε και θα το καταλάβεις πολύ γρήγορα. Σχεδόν πεθαμένος είμαι..."
...
Ο...πίεσε την σκανδάλη του όπλου του τη στιγμή που ο... πυροβολούσε. Τα δυό όπλα εκπυρσοκρότησαν ταυτόχρονα. Η σφαίρα τού... σφηνώθηκε στο λαιμό τού... κι ο θάνατός του ήταν ακαριαίος.
Η σφαίρα τού... βρήκε τον... στο στομάχι...

Ο πατριάρχης του θρίλερ μαγειρεύει αγωνία.
Η ένταση κοχλάζει.
Σε σταθερό βρασμό βρίσκονται από ώρα οι 7 πρωταγωνιστές (5+2).
Ποιοί θα καούν, ποιοί θα βγουν πιό νόστιμοι;
Μετά την κατσαρόλα, στο πιάτο ή...στο φούρνο;
Πέραν της πλοκής που πάει τραίνο, υπάρχει και ο παράγοντας συγκίνηση. Ο αναγνώστης έχει ήδη "δεθεί" με το καστ και αισθάνεται την κάθε απώλεια, την νιώθει. Τόσο τέλεια είναι η ικανότητα της διάπλασης χαρακτήρων του συγγραφέα που έχει αυτή τη δύναμη.

Άλλο ένα τραγανό "σφολιατοειδές" ανάγνωσμα. Ναι, το μυαλό έτσι το εκλαμβάνει.
Άλλη μιά φορά συνεπαρμένος.


Το Βίπερ με τον αριθμό 442, εκδόσεων πάπυρο�� του 1974, είναι κάπως δύσκολο να βρεθεί μα θα ανταμείψει όποιον το ξετρυπώσει.
Η μετάφραση της αείμνηστης Τασσώς Καββαδία όπως πάντα εξαιρετική.

[Madikeri Abu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A re-read after almost 30 years and still captivating. It was nail gripping 30 years ago and as tense and gripping today. A JHC novel was, is and forever will be entertaining. Very few writers can entertain and keep the reader engrossed like JHC. This novel is about hijacking an armored car robbery by a disparate crew of four, ringleader Morgan, Safe cracker Gypo, Dare devil driver Kitson, the sniper Bleck and most important of all, the beautiful copper-headed seductress and mastermind Ginny. Will they be able to pull it off? JHC novel is all about the crime never pays but do read to find out. Written in the year 1958, it is still a really good read even after all these years. 3.5 stars.

[Mark Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another Cracker by JHC, Four characters with different talents, a pretty girl with beautiful body as always attempt to hijack an armoured guard truck carrying three guards and one million dollars is the payoff, after many twists and turns can they pull it off.....

[Suby · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this in the early '70s I thought this was the best of Chase's novels. This is what a real thriller is all about!

[Sagar · Rating 5 out of 5]

first novel I have read....

[Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrills on every page

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The World in My Pocket, Chase constructs a brilliant, airtight heist plot that should’ve gone smooth as silk—but of course, it doesn’t. Because in Chase’s universe, the real crime is trusting anyone.

The plan is simple: a convoy robbery—targeting an armoured truck loaded with cash. The gang? Five criminals: two tough guys, one tech expert, a nervous driver, and a woman—the classic Chase blonde who can kiss you senseless and knife you in the same breath.

The leader, Frank Morgan, is smart, smooth, and thinks he’s got all the angles covered. The plan? Flawless. The timing? Impeccable. The escape? Already mapped. But the problem, as always, is people.

Tensions rise, egos flare, lust festers, and then the whole scheme starts to fall apart like a sandcastle under a wave of greed and suspicion. The heist is just the start—what happens after is the real story. And it’s brutal.

Chase’s prose is razor-clean and cinematic—you can almost hear the boots crunching gravel, the wind howling through a desolate escape route, the lies slipping from lips like honeyed poison. The moral? Even when you think you’ve got the world in your pocket… it’s probably a holey pocket.

I picked this one up in the old Sealdah platform bookstall during a long delay—rain falling in sheets outside, chai stalls steaming, that restless smell of monsoon and metal. I sat down on a dusty bench and opened the first page. Didn’t stop till I hit the ending—and Baban, I swear—I missed my train. Missed. My. Train. Worth it? Absolutely. This was pulp adrenaline, pure and uncut. That scene where the gang’s hiding out and paranoia starts crackling like a live wire? Gave me goosebumps through the muggy air.

It reminded me of those moments in life where everything seems under control—and then one whisper, one mistake, one stupid emotion cracks the glass. Classic Chase.

In essence, The World in My Pocket is a brutal morality tale dressed as a heist story, where ambition, lust, and mistrust explode like dynamite in slow motion. It’s not just about robbing a truck—it’s about the collapse of men who thought they were too smart to lose. Spoiler alert: they weren't.

[Petrus Forsgren · Rating 4 out of 5]

De Desperata (Engelska titeln The world in my pocket - 1958) av James Hadley Chase (Utgivningsserie Manhattan pocket nr 21) handlar om en grupp på fem som gör upp planer för att råna en värdetransport. Gruppen består av ledaren Morgan, kassaskåpsöppnaren Italienaren Gypo, charmören/svindlaren Bleck, den unga boxaren Kitson samt den vackre Ginny. Gruppen ställer sig tveksamma till stöten men övertygas av Ginny som ej varit del av tjuvgruppen tidigare. Hon är ett mysterium samt attraktion för resterande män. Det är hennes plan som hon fick av sin pappa som jobbat med transporterna men lämnades åt sitt öde av företaget. En slags hämnd för henne samt att fullfölja pappans drömmar. Planen för att genomföra värdetransportrånet är att köpa en husvagn som transporten kan köras in i efter att ha tagits över. De behöver pengar och gruppen genomför därför ett tidigare rån på en jazzklubb. Handlingen har hög takt, karaktärerna känns levande (så som Gypo är tveksam/rädd hela tiden men känslig och samtidigt karismatisk). Utvecklingen blir närmast oundviklig.. Mycket lättläst bok. Bra blandning mellan action, lågintensiva dialoger samt vändningar. Att läsa denna var som att se på en spännande film jag aldrig sett förut.

[Oreon · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://whatsread.pp.ua/work/3353
Давно не читав детективи, давно не читав Чейза. Оце спробував українською Агату, а тепер Чейза. Не погано, сподобалась краще ніж «Смерть на Нілі» Крісті. Хоча це й не зовсім детектив, скоріше трилер. Четверо бандюків і дівиця, що долучилася до них, планують бомбанути інкасаторський броньовик. При цьому їх не спиняє навіть потреба вбивства охоронців. Тож такі персонажі співпереживання у мене не викликають, але слідкувати за розробкою і реалізацію їхнього плану було цікаво. Як і очікувалось, навіть самий геніальний план не може передбачити всього, особливо людський фактор в особі спільників. Але ж ось вони грошики, що покладуть увесь світ тобі до кишені...

Привернув увагу персонаж пронирливого малого, що пхав свого носа в надії отримати винагороду. Цей персонаж був мені знайомий, можливо я вже читав цей твір чи бачив екранізацію. Кінцівкою вдоволений, хоча шкода людей, що загинули через покидьків.

[Linh King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Câu chuyện có nội dung khá kì lạ, đặt người đọc vào phe của kẻ cướp và dẫn dắt người đọc tới cái kết để nhận ra là chẳng có cái gì gọi là phe tốt và phe xấu, tất cả đều vì lợi ích cá nhân, vì đồng tiền.

Tình huống khá thú vị, đủ để khai thác tính cách nhân vật và thực tế cuộc sống. Nổi bật trước hoàn cảnh éo le là cách người ta suy nghĩ và hành động, cách người ta ứng phó và lựa chọn ưu tiên cái gì. Đó là sự khác nhau giữa các nhân vật và làm nên xung đột chính của truyện.

[Sameer Mehra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars

लेखक ने अनुवाद अच्छा किया है लेकिन एजेंसी की बुलेटप्रूफ गाड़ी को लूटने की ये कहानी मुझे साधारण सी लगी. मॉर्गन औऱ जिनी की जोड़ी बढ़िया बनाई लेकिन बोरिंग किताब लगी, 60% तक तो लूटने का खांचा बनाने में लग गये 👎👎


👎👎👎

[Amarylisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ถ้าเทียบกับนิยายในยุคเก่าแล้วเรื่องนี้ก็ถือว่าสนุก แต่พออ่านเทียบในยุคปัจจุบันแล้วอาจจะรู้สึกเฉยๆ แล้วก็จบแบบนิยายแนวปล้นทั่วไป ภาพรวมคืออ่านได้เรื่อยๆ อ่านรวดเดียวจบได้

[Omkar Mankame · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heist story. Starts incredibly well and peters out at the end.

[Ertinos]

My books

[Varun · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book to read, I would like to read it once again

[Δήμος Καραχάλιος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Κλασικό! Η όμορφη ξανθιά, οι σκληροί άντρες, το μεγάλο κόλπο.

[Hải Ruan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hấp dẫn. Bậc thầy viết truyện thriller ở những năm tháng trước. Giờ đã cũ nhưng vẫn cuốn hút.

[Nitish · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is cringe as fuck.

[Shivendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sad end

[John Avlakiotis · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 το περιμενα λιγο καλυτερο .

[Beekay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is one of the Best plot and thriller novels of James Hadley Chase.