A Million Dollar Spin

A brilliantly crafted rapidly moving and highly entertaining novel : as the following sampling of some of my notes and remarks- giving a taste of what and how of the narrative- will bear out I think:First 5 pages and already a handful of characters and their relationships and situations shaping up towards the promise of something interesting. first 14 pages: the narrative moves along briskly (sacrificing detail? sharpness?) taking in a Jungle Operation a bandit ambush and killing of Captain Ian Macdonald . Ian Macdonald dies long live Ismail Macdonald. General Sir Gerald Templer mentioned & Tan Siew Sin & Tengku Abdul Rahman; time and place pointers..Datuk Lee's way to wealth: wheeling & dealing real estate shares; work play & risk taking & making play work for him...Lee's daughter Mei Ling all at sea literally- cried God save me & was by a dolphin.Ismail buying a car - this gone into some detail . good telling detail re Ismail's careful placing of clothes.(P40). The best writing and focus so far (P47) Melodramatic. New characters introduced literally with .. a splash; Lucille Oppenheimer - just in time for Ismail .. Narrative rolling .. rollicking?! - along now (pp 50 ff); rolling Ismail to London and to Emma Thompson. Studying Law for the exam . makes for something different . Gambling its additive power . Nicholas Dennis Denning.. Lady V Russel.. And yet another character: Dr. Eric Nkomo . In Paris .. Prof. J.Jaques.. Ski resort. St Moritz . Mountaineering.. There's even a Princess Diana appearance - not at all badly brought off .. Interesting stuff: the painting.. which the genuine article?. Dialogue.. exchange re traveling.. drawing- roomish? Jane Austenish? . A long speech here - how incorporated in the narrative flow? . Rough house stuff in toilet - dirty politics literally . Even Pudu jail makes an appearance . Touche! (184) .. In Hong Kong- Mei Ling's sudden headache - the way of the world just so: Mei Ling with Dr. Enright & Ismail with Lily Hua. Like a musical - Lily Hua singing Sound of Music on the wall of China.. Operative element/motif: Ismail & Lily Hua on the Yang Tse the latter singing.. A good page: Ismail gambling big time- subdued excitement tension rising.. An Irish missionary's sermon.. Mei Ling knifed to death... Michael Curry's funeral oration..: about life on earth in the light of eternity . Ismail being messed up by a shark. his cry God save me his rescue.. Adventure element: Antonia up the Amazon attacked by anaconda.. Kuok's letter to Datuk Lee. of life here and now the Godly life in Thoreau-Tarzan environment.. Spiritual & Christian themes surfacing: time aging and circumstances move & direct human lives towards the spirit. in confinement Ismail reflecting on life... Time & life running out for Ismail- terror.. Antonia to the Amazon to find contentment.. Full circle: beginning at Terendak Camp (Malacca) & Ian Macdonald thought of.The thrust of the above notes and observations clearly points to a quality of entertaining readability. Most readers that is should find this a good read what with changing scenes narrative twists & turns action character galore politics adventure sex money matters legal matters religion and all thrown in worked into a fast paced narrative carrying an almost kaleidoscopic variety in terms of character locale situation and event. All in all a hold-all this of many things - a heady mix and match of interests and preoccupations that can conceivably have the reader hooked and held for page after page before - towards the end - making him see the emptiness of it all without life's supreme interest reality and truth: God.