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Mr. Moto #4
Mr. Moto is So Sorry
On a long train journey to Mongolia, where he hopes to join the Gilbreth archaeological expedition, Calvin Gates meets Mr. Moto, a Japanese spy on a secret mission
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
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93 people want to read
About the author
John P. Marquand
92 books60 followersPulitzer Prize for Novel in 1938 for The Late George Apley
John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 – July 16, 1960) was an American writer. Originally best known for his Mr. Moto spy stories, he achieved popular success and critical respect for his satirical novels, winning a Pulitzer Prize for The Late George Apley in 1938. One of his abiding themes was the confining nature of life in America's upper class and among those who aspired to join it. Marquand treated those whose lives were bound by these unwritten codes with a characteristic mix of respect and satire.
By the mid-1930s he was a prolific and successful writer of fiction for slick magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Some of these short stories were of an historical nature as had been Marquand's first two novels (The Unspeakable Gentleman and The Black Cargo). These would later be characterized by Marquand as “costume fiction”, of which he stated that an author “can only approximate (his characters) provided he has been steeped in the (relevant) tradition”. Marquand had abandoned “costume fiction” by the mid-1930s.
In the late-1930s, Marquand began producing a series of novels on the dilemmas of class, most centered on New England. The first of these, The Late George Apley (1937), a satire of Boston's upper class, won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1938. Other Marquand novels exploring New England and class themes include Wickford Point (1939), H.M. Pulham, Esquire (1941), and Point of No Return (1949). The last is especially notable for its satirical portrayal of Harvard anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner, whose Yankee City study attempted (and in Marquand's view, dismally failed) to describe and analyze the manners and mores of Marquand's Newburyport
John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 – July 16, 1960) was an American writer. Originally best known for his Mr. Moto spy stories, he achieved popular success and critical respect for his satirical novels, winning a Pulitzer Prize for The Late George Apley in 1938. One of his abiding themes was the confining nature of life in America's upper class and among those who aspired to join it. Marquand treated those whose lives were bound by these unwritten codes with a characteristic mix of respect and satire.
By the mid-1930s he was a prolific and successful writer of fiction for slick magazines like the Saturday Evening Post. Some of these short stories were of an historical nature as had been Marquand's first two novels (The Unspeakable Gentleman and The Black Cargo). These would later be characterized by Marquand as “costume fiction”, of which he stated that an author “can only approximate (his characters) provided he has been steeped in the (relevant) tradition”. Marquand had abandoned “costume fiction” by the mid-1930s.
In the late-1930s, Marquand began producing a series of novels on the dilemmas of class, most centered on New England. The first of these, The Late George Apley (1937), a satire of Boston's upper class, won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1938. Other Marquand novels exploring New England and class themes include Wickford Point (1939), H.M. Pulham, Esquire (1941), and Point of No Return (1949). The last is especially notable for its satirical portrayal of Harvard anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner, whose Yankee City study attempted (and in Marquand's view, dismally failed) to describe and analyze the manners and mores of Marquand's Newburyport
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 2, 2022
This fourth in the series of Mr. Moto books is decidedly more political than the earlier three. And, in fact, that is the real reason to read these books today. They provide historical insight into the views and fears of people across the world on the cusp of war. That war would come. But in Mr. Moto Is So Sorry, the aim is to avert it. All forces arrayed in China appear: the Russians, the two rival factions of the Japanese--the army war party and those not eager to fight-- the Mongols, war lords, the opportunists, the soldiers of fortune, and the unaware Americans caught between them all.
Another turn in the series takes place with the characterization of Mr. Moto. In the first book, Moto was deadly, although polite. During books two and three, he became decidedly more likable. Seemingly aware that he was in danger of turning Moto into another Asian version of the genial Charlie Chan, Marquand, therefore took Moto back to his roots. Mr. Moto Is So Sorry has the Japanese agent more duplicitous and conniving than ever. He is also much more deadly, atlhough he has graduated from the rough stuff. He no long has blood directly on his hands. He maneuvers his victims into place as if they are rats being run through a maze.
Finally, once again, Marquand expresses sympathy for Japan in China, referring to its "Manifest Destiny" to control the large Asian land mass lest it turn upon Japan. Once again, the plot devices are the same as anyone reading the first three Moto books would expect: a young naive American unexpectedly gets himself into trouble because he falls for a beautiful woman and feels he has to do the right thing.
I really think that if these central characters would just listen to Mr. Moto in the first place when he tells them to stay out of things and the situation will resolve itself, then they would all get back home safe and sound all that much earlier. But the reader would miss out on the exotic locales Marquand brings to the page, as he does in this book, with the action moving through Korea to Manchuria and into the wilds of Outer Mongolia. It all makes this a wonderful part of the Moto series. A quick read that takes you right back to the late 1930s and the international intrigue rampant in Asia during the era.
Another turn in the series takes place with the characterization of Mr. Moto. In the first book, Moto was deadly, although polite. During books two and three, he became decidedly more likable. Seemingly aware that he was in danger of turning Moto into another Asian version of the genial Charlie Chan, Marquand, therefore took Moto back to his roots. Mr. Moto Is So Sorry has the Japanese agent more duplicitous and conniving than ever. He is also much more deadly, atlhough he has graduated from the rough stuff. He no long has blood directly on his hands. He maneuvers his victims into place as if they are rats being run through a maze.
Finally, once again, Marquand expresses sympathy for Japan in China, referring to its "Manifest Destiny" to control the large Asian land mass lest it turn upon Japan. Once again, the plot devices are the same as anyone reading the first three Moto books would expect: a young naive American unexpectedly gets himself into trouble because he falls for a beautiful woman and feels he has to do the right thing.
I really think that if these central characters would just listen to Mr. Moto in the first place when he tells them to stay out of things and the situation will resolve itself, then they would all get back home safe and sound all that much earlier. But the reader would miss out on the exotic locales Marquand brings to the page, as he does in this book, with the action moving through Korea to Manchuria and into the wilds of Outer Mongolia. It all makes this a wonderful part of the Moto series. A quick read that takes you right back to the late 1930s and the international intrigue rampant in Asia during the era.
November 3, 2016
Mr Moto is so sorry--and well he should be. I was seriously underwhelmed. By the third Mr Moto, Marquand is already writing formula fiction--and a washy, insipid version it is. Yet another rich, ignorant young American man hares off on an unpremeditated, unplanned adventure and finds himself impossibly embroiled in the military machinations of Moto--this time between Mongolia, Russia and Japan. It could have been a cracking good read, but somehow it just wasn't. Moto behaves like a parody of himself, whic is so very, very nice, and I am so very, very sorry. Trains, planes and automobiles notwithstanding, the story just made me feel impatient to finish and find out what was going on. Perhaps I was overtired when I read it (or just sick of the book and not paying attention) but I seemed to have missed the importance of Hamby's end. What was he all about, anyway?
I cross-referenced this book from a published version of WW2 correspondence between a British soldier and his girl-back-home My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters; he pressed her to find and read it, so I was curious. Why he thought she would get anything out of it is beyond me. I certainly didn't. Perhaps if you read it around the time it was published it resonated more.
I cross-referenced this book from a published version of WW2 correspondence between a British soldier and his girl-back-home My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters; he pressed her to find and read it, so I was curious. Why he thought she would get anything out of it is beyond me. I certainly didn't. Perhaps if you read it around the time it was published it resonated more.
July 6, 2024
Better than the movie, all of the novels are. Americans Tom Nelson and Eleanor Joyce find themselves in intrigue in a Chinese city, with dangerous, polite characters: a bandit warlord, Manchu Prince, itinerant salesman, and two Japanese men, at least one furthering an ultranationalist expansion goal,, and at least one serving his exalted Emperor.
October 14, 2022
I tried really hard to like this book, but I just couldn’t get into it for some reason. I enjoyed the old time radio program based on this series of books, but the book feels like a very different thing. It has an exotic setting, several strange characters, and a sort of meandering plot that did eventually get somewhere but took a lot of time to do it.
July 18, 2023
Enjoyable tour of northern China / Mongolia circa 1937- meaning lots of mysterious Japanese, Chinese and Mongolians mixed up and all around. Enjoyed Mr. Moto's long game use of random tourists in his goals (against the over the top, nearly hysterical Japanese military). Written before the China- Japan war starting in 1937, this given an interesting - almost newspapersman overview of the political currents of the time in that special crossroads. At the end of the day though, the core driver for the story (the mysterious lighter) is pretty weak. Still.. good love story in there.
July 18, 2024
A lovely writer, so sad, he is no longer widely read. This is he fourth in the action packed, asian set, clever, Mr. Moto series. Some might feel these books are dated, the character development, plots, and settings are still interesting to me. This book was written in 1938, at a time of aggressive Japanese expansion, and Russian concerns, just before WWII. So it rings very true, and Marquand must have had an excellent understanding of political movements in this part of the world.
February 17, 2020
A couple of difficult young Americans, Mr Moto the Japanese spy, Japanese and Russian military, shady expat traders, and a local prince come to a critical juncture in Manchuria. I relish these vintage noir Mr Moto mysteries that keep me wondering who, if anyone, will end up wearing the white hat.
March 22, 2020
It was a good story, well written, and good characters. It was too political for my taste, and very diluted. I don't understand about the message that was soooo important to the outcome at the end, nor why Mr. Moto wanted it to be given to the Russians. Very confusing, but the action and suspense made it worthwhile for me.
December 6, 2021
I rather like this one. It was written in 1938 and deals with the difficulties of the Japanese expansion in China and the conflict with Russia. As we know now, there was a non-aggression pact between Russia and Japan. At the time of this writing, I'm not certain if that was known. It is very interesting and very engaging I thought. It is very less James Bond, but more Cold War- like.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2018
The story is a spy thriller set in the 1930s during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria and before the Second World War. Mr. Moto is a Japanese spy.
July 23, 2020
Suprisingly not as good as the movies. Moto is only in this story minimally. Luckly they are short reads.
January 2, 2025
#4 in the Mr. Moto espionage series.
April 3, 2025
Started out rather slowly, but turned out better than expected. Exciting political game between Russia and Japan and civilians that got caught up in between.
March 15, 2016
This book follows the Mr. Moto formula for the most part, a brash callow young man and a strong-minded independent young woman, whom the young man thinks needs his protection, never mind that he's much more of an idiot than she is, find themselves inadvertently enmeshed in the middle of international intrigue in an Asian country, this time Mongolia. Mr. Moto, the Japanese secret agent, is pulling the strings in the background so that all will end up very, very nicely. The time is a few years before WWII, and the Japanese and Russians are vying to control northern China. The gateway between Russia and northern China is through Mongolia, and so both the Japanese and Russians are scheming to subvert a Mongolian prince into joining their side. Essentially, the issue is which of the two countries gets to have their armed forces "cooperate" with the prince in the defense of his own little bit of Mongolia.
This is a pretty good tale, and differs a bit from some of the previous Mr. Moto books in that Moto himself is a bit more prominent in the overall plot. In the first Mr. Moto book, he was barely present at all. As things have progressed through subsequent volumes, it seems that Mr. Moto becomes more central to the basic action and we get to know him a bit better each time. So there are two more Mr. Moto books, and there's zero chance I won't have read them by the time the New Year rolls around.
This is a pretty good tale, and differs a bit from some of the previous Mr. Moto books in that Moto himself is a bit more prominent in the overall plot. In the first Mr. Moto book, he was barely present at all. As things have progressed through subsequent volumes, it seems that Mr. Moto becomes more central to the basic action and we get to know him a bit better each time. So there are two more Mr. Moto books, and there's zero chance I won't have read them by the time the New Year rolls around.
November 29, 2015
Another enjoyable entry in the MR. MOTO series. This one was a bit different from the earlier ones in that a strong theme was the competition of Japan and Russia to forcibly take China. Anyone familiar with the Nanking atrocities would have to wonder how a Mr. Moto story would fare. Frankly, I was worried that it would be a white-washing of historical facts.
To the contrary, although John P. Marquand was inaccurate about invasion plans, he did embed in his tale the uneasy relationship between the government of Japan and its military during this period. Mr. Moto is a government agent and, as such, is trying to balance the interests of his country against the conquest desires of the military on a world stage that has a number of other "players."
A friend who understood more of Japanese modern war history than I confirmed that Marquand's assessment of the relationship was accurate, which deeply heightened my interest. That's good because the story surrounding the central characters (Mr. Moto has been a side character in this and earlier stories) is less intriguing than other entries in the series. It's not bad...it's just that the emotional stakes aren't as high.
I am very much looking forward to continuing the series. I remember reading and enjoying it many years ago, but having acquired more of a "history" myself has opened story dimensions that were less obvious to me before. I definitely recommend this one.
To the contrary, although John P. Marquand was inaccurate about invasion plans, he did embed in his tale the uneasy relationship between the government of Japan and its military during this period. Mr. Moto is a government agent and, as such, is trying to balance the interests of his country against the conquest desires of the military on a world stage that has a number of other "players."
A friend who understood more of Japanese modern war history than I confirmed that Marquand's assessment of the relationship was accurate, which deeply heightened my interest. That's good because the story surrounding the central characters (Mr. Moto has been a side character in this and earlier stories) is less intriguing than other entries in the series. It's not bad...it's just that the emotional stakes aren't as high.
I am very much looking forward to continuing the series. I remember reading and enjoying it many years ago, but having acquired more of a "history" myself has opened story dimensions that were less obvious to me before. I definitely recommend this one.
March 21, 2012
Two Americans going to an anthropological dig by a scientist in Manchuria get passed a secret message --- in the form of a decorated cigarette case --- by a Russian agent. Mr. Moto manipulates them so that the message is still delivered to a warlord’s outpost (where a dangerous Australian mercenary helps run things), and tries to avoid a confrontation with Russia.
This book follows the formula well established by now: an unassertive hero finds himself, when he is tested, transformed into a powerhouse of cool strength of will, and falling for a beautiful woman who is thorny at first but quickly warms to him. Marquand mixes drama, romance and some very contemporary political savvy into a complex plot, full of liquidations and questions of honor. This was written in 1938; the war clouds were looming, but as before, Marquand makes Moto sympathetic and his actions understandable, even though he is a master manipulator.
This book follows the formula well established by now: an unassertive hero finds himself, when he is tested, transformed into a powerhouse of cool strength of will, and falling for a beautiful woman who is thorny at first but quickly warms to him. Marquand mixes drama, romance and some very contemporary political savvy into a complex plot, full of liquidations and questions of honor. This was written in 1938; the war clouds were looming, but as before, Marquand makes Moto sympathetic and his actions understandable, even though he is a master manipulator.
noway-josé
March 6, 2014Read by Jonathan Marosz
Times were turbulent in the Orient. Japan, China and Russia were willing to go to any lengths to obtain their goals. The Japanese had their top Secret Agent, the super-polite, but super-deadly Mr. I.A. Moto, working night and day. Moto's prime objective was the safe delivery to Mongolia of a silver inlaid cigarette case...a very special case. To the uninformed it would appear to be a simple enough task, but you can be sure that whenever Mr. Moto is involved, nothing is what it seems.
Just cannot bring myself to listen to another Mr Moto - three was enough for anyone!
Times were turbulent in the Orient. Japan, China and Russia were willing to go to any lengths to obtain their goals. The Japanese had their top Secret Agent, the super-polite, but super-deadly Mr. I.A. Moto, working night and day. Moto's prime objective was the safe delivery to Mongolia of a silver inlaid cigarette case...a very special case. To the uninformed it would appear to be a simple enough task, but you can be sure that whenever Mr. Moto is involved, nothing is what it seems.
Just cannot bring myself to listen to another Mr Moto - three was enough for anyone!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2010
Mogolia is the center of intrigue between the Russians and the Japanese, and Mr. Moto is trying to deliver a decorated silver cigarette case there. Calvin Gates is trying to get to Mongolia to see an archeologist and meets a young woman, Miss Dillaway, who has been given the case by her Russian guide. Miss Dillaway and Calvin are helped out by Captain Hamby, who appears to have an agenda of his own, but Calvin recognizes the importance of the cigarette case, and manages to keep control. Again, Mr. Moto saves the day in the end.
May 25, 2016
This is the third Mr. Moto book I've read and I've enjoyed them all. Mr. Moto is spy for the Japanese but often finds himself in conflict with more conservative elements of the Japanese military. He also manipulates those main characters on whom the story is based. In this he works with Calvin Gates to ensure a cigarette case is delivered to Mongolia. What is the clue for the case? Time will tell. Also along for the ride are an American woman, an artist and an Australian soldier of fortune. Entertaining and mysterious.
September 15, 2015
This is fun if you like the series, though not really a special story. The plot is a little convoluted, and it was hard for me to warm up to the characters. Perhaps the best aspect is the atmospheric sense of the North China/Mongolia border in the 1930's. Marquand is no Eric Ambler, but this series remains diverting.
September 3, 2008
I think this was my favorite of the three Moto mysteries in my book. Once again, a great deal about politics - this time impending war between Russia and Japan over possession of China - but I liked the protagonist and his gal a lot more in this one.
October 17, 2009
My favorite of the series.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews