In the first of a series of posts exploring pivotal and influential thrillers, today Thrilleredge is taking a look at Rogue Male, by Geoffrey Household. Rogue Male was published in 1939, by now defunct English publisher Chatto and Windus. It’s often regarded as the first true “political thriller,” and holds up surprisingly well today. Geoffrey Household was born in Bristol, in 1900. He had a range of jobs, mainly in finance and sales. His work took him to several continents. Interestingly, his military experience, in British Intelligence, took place after Rogue Male was published, during World War Two. Rogue Male is interesting because the British protagonist is not named in the novel. It starts out with him preparing to shoot a European dictator who once killed the love of his life. He is captured in the act, then tortured until he manages to escape. The rest of the novel is a nail-biting manhunt, informed with specific detail of the British countryside. Our hero’s situation goes from bad to worse, and like most latter-day thrillers, he is never allowed to relax for more than a few minutes. The reader feels amazingly involved in these adventures, and the tension never lets up. The verdict: Highly readable and entertaining. The political commentary echoes down through the decades – how little has changed.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 22:15:52 +0000
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