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Oxford Bookworms 6. Enemy
On a beautiful, warm summer evening in the quiet town of Marlow, a young woman is walking home from church. She passes a man who is looking at the engine of his car. He turns round, smiles at her... and throws acid into her face.
Then her father, the scientist George Ashton, disappears. And her sister, Penny, discovers that her husband-to-be, Malcom, is a government agent. Why has Ashton disappeared, and why is Malcom told to hunt for him? Who is George Ashton, anyway?
And who is the enemy?
Then her father, the scientist George Ashton, disappears. And her sister, Penny, discovers that her husband-to-be, Malcom, is a government agent. Why has Ashton disappeared, and why is Malcom told to hunt for him? Who is George Ashton, anyway?
And who is the enemy?
- GenresFiction
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
14 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Ralph Mowat
12 books1 followerRalph Mowat is a published adapter and an author of children's books
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 3, 2016
به قول شهرزاد همیشه اونجوری نمیشه که ما منتظرشیم :-)
September 3, 2014
A war that is safer to keep out of it where we meet the enemy,he is us! The war of politicians and scientists. Penny Ashton and Malcolm Jaggard
June 4, 2017
I had never heard about oxford reading so I did not expected much from it. A couple of friends told me that you could choose from a lot of categories so I started looking for the appropriate book. Months passed bay and then I found it . It was called ‘the enemy’
I started reading and at first it looked a bit boring because the amount of pages and the way it was written . So I had to process all this information but actually it read very easy . A real page turner . I also liked the themes : Thriller and Mystery.
The story was about a young women who is walking home from church. She passes a man who is looking at the engine of his car. He turns round, smiles at her... and throws acid into her face. Then her father, the scientist George Ashton, disappears. And her sister, Penny, discovers that her husband-to-be, Malcom, is a government agent. Why has Ashton disappeared, and why is Malcom told to hunt for him? Who is George Ashton, anyway?
My opinion is that the book is very well written and it sets out some accurate ideas about the hate-love relationship between science and politics. My score is a 8,5/10 .
The writer was very creative but he could clear out some things that happened in the story . And I aint gonna spoil it for you.
So if you like a story with a lot of plot twists and you understand some difficult words than you can certainly try this book.
I started reading and at first it looked a bit boring because the amount of pages and the way it was written . So I had to process all this information but actually it read very easy . A real page turner . I also liked the themes : Thriller and Mystery.
The story was about a young women who is walking home from church. She passes a man who is looking at the engine of his car. He turns round, smiles at her... and throws acid into her face. Then her father, the scientist George Ashton, disappears. And her sister, Penny, discovers that her husband-to-be, Malcom, is a government agent. Why has Ashton disappeared, and why is Malcom told to hunt for him? Who is George Ashton, anyway?
My opinion is that the book is very well written and it sets out some accurate ideas about the hate-love relationship between science and politics. My score is a 8,5/10 .
The writer was very creative but he could clear out some things that happened in the story . And I aint gonna spoil it for you.
So if you like a story with a lot of plot twists and you understand some difficult words than you can certainly try this book.
Read
November 16, 2017The book is about Malcolm Jaggard a man who is going to marry Penny Ashton. Penny is the daughter of George Ashton. One day when Penny's sister was walking home from church a man threw acid in her face. George Ashton leaves the family for a while because he thinks the acid was meant to be thrown at him. Malcolm goes to investigate this he finds out that Ashton has a lot of secrets that nobody knows of and is determined to get all the answers to his questions. Who threw the acid? What are Ashton's secrets? Do Penny and Malcolm live happily ever after?
I thought it was a good book if you are interested in this type of book. In the beginning it was really boring I didn't like reading it at all but when I got further and further in the story I started liking it more and more eventhough it's not a book I would normally read. I think it's not really difficult to read except sometimes the chapters are a bit long and confusing so you can lose your focus for a bit.
I didn't like the ending of the book.. I really wanted a happy ending with a big wedding but that didn't happen because he got cancer and only had a few more months to live. But all by all it was a good book.
I would recommend other people to read this book! It's not difficult to read, it gets really interesting once you're really in to the book and you feel like you're really into the book because of the images but there are not to much images in te book so you can still let your imagination go free!
I thought it was a good book if you are interested in this type of book. In the beginning it was really boring I didn't like reading it at all but when I got further and further in the story I started liking it more and more eventhough it's not a book I would normally read. I think it's not really difficult to read except sometimes the chapters are a bit long and confusing so you can lose your focus for a bit.
I didn't like the ending of the book.. I really wanted a happy ending with a big wedding but that didn't happen because he got cancer and only had a few more months to live. But all by all it was a good book.
I would recommend other people to read this book! It's not difficult to read, it gets really interesting once you're really in to the book and you feel like you're really into the book because of the images but there are not to much images in te book so you can still let your imagination go free!
May 27, 2017
I read the book ‘The enemy’ and it’s written by Desmond Bagley. The book is about secret agent Malcolm Jaggerd and he infiltrades in the Ashton family to spy on George Ashton (the housefather). Malcolm himself has a relationship with Penny she’s a scientist and also the daughter of George Ashton. One day someone throws acid in the face of Penny’s sister (Gillian). The next morning George Ashton has dissapeared and left a note for Malcolm and Penny, from that moment on Malcolm want’s to find out why all that happened. How the story is going to end is still a secret.
In my opinion it’s a very good book and I find it better then most dutch books i’ve ever read but I find it a little bit dissapointing that the book is so short. Also i think the author could had put some more work in the ending of the book because it’s only like 2 pages long. Mostly the book is very tensive because you always get to know a little part of the puzzle. Overall it’s a really good book that realy drags you with it and makes you want to read further in it. I really suggest reading it.
In my opinion it’s a very good book and I find it better then most dutch books i’ve ever read but I find it a little bit dissapointing that the book is so short. Also i think the author could had put some more work in the ending of the book because it’s only like 2 pages long. Mostly the book is very tensive because you always get to know a little part of the puzzle. Overall it’s a really good book that realy drags you with it and makes you want to read further in it. I really suggest reading it.
Read
October 10, 2019I have recently read the book ‘The Enemy’ of the Oxford bookworm. The book talks about a man who is a special agent with a girlfriend named Penelope. Her sister was thrown some acid into the face on a Sunday morning, when she came back from church. The special agent gets suspicious so he alerts the police who begin an investigation after they‘ve seen his business card. The secret organisation who call him back are not very pleased about his eagerness. But after a long discussion, they include him into the investigation about the family of his girlfriend, who don’t know anything about his secret career. So he gets assigned to keep an eye on his girlfriend’s family when all of a sudden Penelope’s dad and his personal assistant disappear.
I think that what’s good about the book is that it talks about a very intriguing subject. It is well written, and difficult words are well explained in the context, when you read on. A lesser point is that the storyline gets a bit to predictable now and then.
I think that the book is well worth reading because it is a strong story with an end which takes you by surprise.
I think that what’s good about the book is that it talks about a very intriguing subject. It is well written, and difficult words are well explained in the context, when you read on. A lesser point is that the storyline gets a bit to predictable now and then.
I think that the book is well worth reading because it is a strong story with an end which takes you by surprise.
November 14, 2016
This detective novel keeps you reading 'till past bedtime, only to dissapoint you afterwards
What I liked about the book was how easy it was to read this. If you're learning to read English, this book and the Oxford Bookworms-series are quite the way to do it properly without feeling uneasy.
It's written in a first-person perspective which makes the story feel personal. The thoughts of the main character and his emotions are often conflicted with each other, leading him to take drastic decissions, often with unseen consequences.
Now to discuss the downsides.
While the story itself surely is interesting and quite creative. There is a lack of character developement, nor is there much presence of mystery, bad foreshadowing and plot twists that don't make sense..
Untill halfway past chapter 1 the reader hasn't got a single clue of who the main character actually is, and gets stuffed with way too much information at once afterwards, leaving you no time to gain any emotional attachement to the characters.
Things go very smoothly in an unrealistical way because 'plot convinience'.
And, without spoiling, the ending left me staring at my page. The ending to the whole story is way too short and too fast to feel any kind of emotion to the story at all.
All by all I give this book merely a 2/5 because it was an easy to read book with good potential, however not well-written.
What I liked about the book was how easy it was to read this. If you're learning to read English, this book and the Oxford Bookworms-series are quite the way to do it properly without feeling uneasy.
It's written in a first-person perspective which makes the story feel personal. The thoughts of the main character and his emotions are often conflicted with each other, leading him to take drastic decissions, often with unseen consequences.
Now to discuss the downsides.
While the story itself surely is interesting and quite creative. There is a lack of character developement, nor is there much presence of mystery, bad foreshadowing and plot twists that don't make sense..
Untill halfway past chapter 1 the reader hasn't got a single clue of who the main character actually is, and gets stuffed with way too much information at once afterwards, leaving you no time to gain any emotional attachement to the characters.
Things go very smoothly in an unrealistical way because 'plot convinience'.
And, without spoiling, the ending left me staring at my page. The ending to the whole story is way too short and too fast to feel any kind of emotion to the story at all.
All by all I give this book merely a 2/5 because it was an easy to read book with good potential, however not well-written.
February 1, 2018
Text + audio = very quick reading.
November 28, 2010
No happy ending.
June 9, 2021
This book is basically an abridged version of Enemy by Desmond Bagley. It starts with a man dating this woman Penny. He is really in love with her and gets close to the family. One day the sister gets attacked and it opens up this whole wormhole of lies and secrets.
For such a short book, this really packed a lot of themes in. It is obviously inspired by James Bond with a bit of George Orwell thrown in for good measure. The main character seems a bit one dimensional, you'd think he'd be a bit more emotional considering what he had got himself tangled up in, but other than that it is a pretty solid and easy read.
For such a short book, this really packed a lot of themes in. It is obviously inspired by James Bond with a bit of George Orwell thrown in for good measure. The main character seems a bit one dimensional, you'd think he'd be a bit more emotional considering what he had got himself tangled up in, but other than that it is a pretty solid and easy read.
August 2, 2017
I wrote a whole review but I lost it... and I'm not going to rewrite it.
To sum it up very shortly, I liked reading this book. I could predict a few things yet there were still things that surprised me and that's what I prefer to read the most. So a good detective novel.
To sum it up very shortly, I liked reading this book. I could predict a few things yet there were still things that surprised me and that's what I prefer to read the most. So a good detective novel.
July 16, 2017
Fantastic quick read.
August 12, 2017
dope quick read.
November 15, 2019
Nice
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2021
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
October 16, 2023
Love this book
March 2, 2024
The enemy is us!!
liked it, it's a good story for begineer
liked it, it's a good story for begineer
May 10, 2015
1. Oxford level6
2. 05/08=120min, 05/09=60min, 05/010=60min
3. mystery, railway, politics, power, biological, weapon, selfish
4.(a) He looked at me in surprise. 'A man must do something important in his life - something that people will remember.'
(b) I hate this passage. This is about the reason why a politician tried to put himself power by means of studying biological weapon.Certainly, doing something important in one's life is good. However, I don't think the passage is right. Because that people remember what he/she has done isn't always necessary. I think what a man must do in his/her life is doing something with consideration for people around the world even if your doing is not remembered by them.
5. I think this is the easiest book of all the oxford's graded readers in level6. Therefore, you can surely read it with no irritation. This story is revolved around a scientist who was originally Russian and is British now. And he is so familiar with weapon like a nuclear bomb. Then, Russia and British terribly seek him to make a weapon. Then, what I think is that why people are anxious to have a power like weapon. Nowadays, North-Korea seems to have a nuclear weapon to display the military power. It doesn't make sense for human's happiness. Having power sometimes causes problems.
2. 05/08=120min, 05/09=60min, 05/010=60min
3. mystery, railway, politics, power, biological, weapon, selfish
4.(a) He looked at me in surprise. 'A man must do something important in his life - something that people will remember.'
(b) I hate this passage. This is about the reason why a politician tried to put himself power by means of studying biological weapon.Certainly, doing something important in one's life is good. However, I don't think the passage is right. Because that people remember what he/she has done isn't always necessary. I think what a man must do in his/her life is doing something with consideration for people around the world even if your doing is not remembered by them.
5. I think this is the easiest book of all the oxford's graded readers in level6. Therefore, you can surely read it with no irritation. This story is revolved around a scientist who was originally Russian and is British now. And he is so familiar with weapon like a nuclear bomb. Then, Russia and British terribly seek him to make a weapon. Then, what I think is that why people are anxious to have a power like weapon. Nowadays, North-Korea seems to have a nuclear weapon to display the military power. It doesn't make sense for human's happiness. Having power sometimes causes problems.
September 4, 2015
I read this for my English course and I enjoyed it. At first I have to admit I found it a bit dull or even boring but throughout the whole book I found myself dragged in by the unexpected things that kept on happening. Really liked the final sentence, the message and the way it treats politics and powerful people without generalizing that much.
Nice book with strong characters, liked it.
Nice book with strong characters, liked it.
August 29, 2016
It hasn't really hit home, yet it's been an interesting read. It sets out some accurate ideas about the hate-love relationship between science and politics. In my opinion, it is a well developed page-turning thriller, although I have figured out a few things in the end.
Read
June 20, 2011I've embarked on the level six at last! The most books on level 5 or 6 are "classics" so it was good to read this suspense story for a change.
May 7, 2025
The ending ruined my day. Thanks, Desmond Bagley
August 7, 2019
Muy entretenida historia. Esta versión simplificada de Ralph Mowat es bastante fácil de leer para personas no anglo parlantes.
November 23, 2021
An interesting story. I did not expect the ending.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews