Doyle's Riveting Psychological Thriller The Tragedy of The Korosko is the smallest of Conan Doyle's historical novels; but it is perhaps his most intense. Ten tourists from England, Ireland, America and France-six men and four women-are on a vacation trip down the Nile in 1895. Without warning they are captured by Islamic terrorists, and the possibility of rescue becomes more remote with each passing day. Their choice is a stark one: either convert to Islam and become slaves for the rest of their lives-or die. With those as the only two possibilities-with heat, thirst and brutality as their only companions-Doyle explores the kind of heroism that can be found even in an average person when pushed to his or her limit. "The fire that smoldered in his arrogant eyes shone back at him from a hundred others. Here were to be read the strength and danger of the Mahdi movement; here in these convulsed faces, in that fringe of waving arms, in these frantic, red-hot souls, who asked nothing better than a bloody death, if their own hands might be bloody when they met it." A masterful tale, told by a master story teller Arthur Conan Doyle
The Tragedy of the Korosko
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'...an engrossing novella that will strike a chord with every contemporary reader. Its parallels with the modern day are remarkable.' --The Literary Review
'I am indebted to the Hesperus Press for drawing my attention to its rediscovery of Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Tragedy Of Korosko'. First published in 1898, it is a topical novella for these times, telling the story of a group of British and American tourists kidnapped by Middle Eastern bandits. One American tells his fellow travellers: 'Well, certainly, to us Americans, who live all in our own land, it does seem strange how you Europeans are forever slopping over into some other country which was not meant for you.'' --The Sunday Herald
'...an exciting story, admirably told, celebrating qualities which are out of fashion rather than out of date. Chivalry and a stiff upper lip, after all, are not bad things.' --The Tablet --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
'I am indebted to the Hesperus Press for drawing my attention to its rediscovery of Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Tragedy Of Korosko'. First published in 1898, it is a topical novella for these times, telling the story of a group of British and American tourists kidnapped by Middle Eastern bandits. One American tells his fellow travellers: 'Well, certainly, to us Americans, who live all in our own land, it does seem strange how you Europeans are forever slopping over into some other country which was not meant for you.'' --The Sunday Herald
'...an exciting story, admirably told, celebrating qualities which are out of fashion rather than out of date. Chivalry and a stiff upper lip, after all, are not bad things.' --The Tablet --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
From the Back Cover
A little-remembered novel from one of the pioneers of genre fiction, this 1898 concoction from the creator of Sherlock Holmes gives us a group of Westerners on holiday in the Middle East who are taken hostage while on a cruise down the Nile. What do their captors want? The terrorists will either kill them. or forcibly convert them to Islam. This "desert drama" is high adventure at its pulpy best, and still surprisingly relevant today. Scottish surgeon and political activist SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (1859-1930) turned his passions into stories and novels, producing fiction and nonfiction works sometimes controversial (The Great Boer War, 1900), sometimes fanciful (The Coming of the Fairies, 1922), and sometimes legendary (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1892).
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Simon Savidge Reads
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
This book took me right back to my early teens, not because I lived in the desert, and to the thrill of opening a book and going on a real adventure somewhere you have never been before. This is just one of those books and Conan Doyle doesn't hold back from killing people as the adventure goes on. There are thrills galore as things get bleaker and bleaker for the characters. The characters are in part what make the book so wonderful. They start out a certain way Colonel Cochrane Cochrane is austere and stand offish, Miss Sadie Adams an innocent thing prone to giggles or tears and her Aunt one of those do-gooder types who come with a bit of prejudice.
There are many more characters involved and as the story goes on they change and Conan Doyle looks at them, their true characters and beliefs and asks the reader not to judge people as you would first think to. He also manages to throw in some humour occasionally where you would not necessarily think that any could be found. All of this in just 117 pages, you do wonder just how his mind worked. However it was he came up with tales like this I am grateful to him as I had a wonderful adventure for an afternoon
I would second other peoples comments on the introduction, which fortunately I read after, why do publishers allow people to give the endings away before the book has even started?
There are many more characters involved and as the story goes on they change and Conan Doyle looks at them, their true characters and beliefs and asks the reader not to judge people as you would first think to. He also manages to throw in some humour occasionally where you would not necessarily think that any could be found. All of this in just 117 pages, you do wonder just how his mind worked. However it was he came up with tales like this I am grateful to him as I had a wonderful adventure for an afternoon
I would second other peoples comments on the introduction, which fortunately I read after, why do publishers allow people to give the endings away before the book has even started?
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A wonderful little gem by Conan Doyle. This is a gripping short novel about a party of European tourists kidnapped by bandits in Egypt. It has some modern things to say about relationships between the West and the Muslim world, albeit told with 19th century presumptions about the innate superiority of the former over the latter and especially of Christianity over Islam. The plot is genuinely gripping in a modern thriller sense and I found I cared for the fate of the main characters and was shocked when any of them were killed. My Hesperus edition has a beautiful cover and lovely clear typeface, which added to the reading pleasure . This should be better known - I picked this up by chance in a charity shop and had never heard of it before.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By "benybont"
Format:Paperback
This book is very interesting. It was written for the reader of the late 19c, but is very telling in view of current world events. Set in the Libyan desert, it tells the story of a group of English, American and French travellers who are captured by a group of religious extremists. It's comfortably written as you would expect from Conan Doyle, and is absorbing on its own terms until it unfortunately descends into melodrama in the last part of the story. Most compelling, though, are the obvious parallels with today. The cruelty, religious self-righteousness of both sides, and casual racism of the time and place give a haunting echo down the years. The Brits (more accurately 'English') take the place occupied by Americans today, now that the Bush Doctrine (which can be summarised as 'BANG!') has replaced the Monroe Doctrine. Read it - you can always give it to a politician for Christmas.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Matti
Format:Paperback
Excellent polished writing, I gave it a four star although a 3.5 vote would be more appropriate. If you read it you will see how surprisingly history repeats itself. DO NOT READ THE INTRODUCTION. Very annoing when the person writing the Intro feels so self important to ruin the book to every reader by telling how it ends. Especially so when it didn't add anything to the point Mr. Robinson was trying to make . TONY ROBINSON SHAME ON YOU.
By Mole
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a short story by Conan Doyle, the author of the "Sherlock Holmes" stories. It's set in the Middle East at the end of the 19th century and the characters are typical of the upper class of that era. The text of the book betrays the attitudes of the people of that time, particularly the various prejudices towards other nationalities. Be prepared for some slightly jingoistic language.
However it is a really great story and the action flows very well; Conan Doyle can really produce some superb material. Having visited that part of the world myself, I found it fascinating to see how it was viewed previously, and there are indications that it has not changed as much as I might suppose in the intervening period. I read the descriptions of the landscape and remembered just how I felt the first time that I went out into the desert; it is a remarkable place.
This is well worth reading and downloading onto your kindle; best of all, it's free!
However it is a really great story and the action flows very well; Conan Doyle can really produce some superb material. Having visited that part of the world myself, I found it fascinating to see how it was viewed previously, and there are indications that it has not changed as much as I might suppose in the intervening period. I read the descriptions of the landscape and remembered just how I felt the first time that I went out into the desert; it is a remarkable place.
This is well worth reading and downloading onto your kindle; best of all, it's free!
By Sagan
Format:Paperback
Fantastic book as we would expect from Conan Doyle-WARNING-the story was spoilt for me by Tony Robinson's introduction which mentions the fate of the passengers. I suggest you read this after the book
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By "benybont"
Format:Paperback
This book is very interesting. It was written for the reader of the late 19c, but is very telling in view of current world events. Set in the Libyan desert, it tells the story of a group of English, American and French travellers who are captured by a group of religious extremists. It's comfortably written as you would expect from Conan Doyle, and is absorbing on its own terms until it unfortunately descends into melodrama in the last part of the story. Most compelling, though, are the obvious parallels with today. The cruelty, religious self-righteousness of both sides, and casual racism of the time and place give a haunting echo down the years. The Brits (more accurately 'English') take the place occupied by Americans today, now that the Bush Doctrine (which can be summarised as 'BANG!') has replaced the Monroe Doctrine. Read it - you can always give it to a politician for Christmas.
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