You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lgpiper 's review for:
The Four Feathers
by Gary Hoppenstand, A.E.W. Mason
This story is rather convoluted, and therefore, difficult to summarize. It is, however, a good one, although it took me a while to get into it.
So, we have Harry Feversham, who is a young army officer and the son of a crusty old General. Feversham is affianced to Ethne Eustace, who is everything one could ever want in a woman, and also an amazing violinist. While having dinner with some military friends, Feversham gets a phone call. We learn later that the call tells him that his regiment is about to be sent off to Egypt/Sudan. He doesn't tell his friends about the content of the call. He then sends in his resignation because he doesn't want to put off his wedding...or something.
Well, later on, Feversham's military friends learn about the call, and decide his resignation was an act of cowardice. So the three of them send him a letter containing three white feathers. The feathers are a sign that they know of his cowardice. Unfortunately for Feversham, he is with Ethne when he opens the letter. Once she understands the import of the message, she breaks a feather off her fan, hands it to Feversham and then also breaks off their engagement.
Feversham goes through a few months of deep depression, but eventually decides he must atone for his mistake. So, off he goes to Egypt/Sudan to search out ways to contribute to the effort and also to help out his friends who are there. He hangs around the market places pretending to be a Greek merchant until he figures out what best to do.
So the rest of the book is about Feversham's attempts, the redemption of the feathers, how the redeemed feathers get sent back to Ethne so she'll know Feversham is noble after all, and such like.
Well, along the way, Feversham's best friend, Col. Jack Durrance, decides to try to win Ethne for himself. But he's not sure that she's not still carrying a torch for Feversham. He also goes blind in the Egyptian/Sudanese desert. But in his blindness he can tell many things by sounds and hesitations and the like. As I mentioned above, Ethne is an amazing violinist. One of the most beloved pieces she plays is called the Musoline Overture. Durrance decides his fate, so to speak, by the way Ethne plays this piece for him. You'll have to read the book to figure out his fate.
As nearly as I can tell, there is no such piece as the Musoline Overture. Some folks suggest that it might be a misspelling of the Melusine Overture. Frankly, I can't figure out how this orchestral piece can be rendered in any reasonable fashion for solo violin. There are piano arrangements available, which call for two pianos and eight hands. But no solo piano, let alone solo violin.
So, we have Harry Feversham, who is a young army officer and the son of a crusty old General. Feversham is affianced to Ethne Eustace, who is everything one could ever want in a woman, and also an amazing violinist. While having dinner with some military friends, Feversham gets a phone call. We learn later that the call tells him that his regiment is about to be sent off to Egypt/Sudan. He doesn't tell his friends about the content of the call. He then sends in his resignation because he doesn't want to put off his wedding...or something.
Well, later on, Feversham's military friends learn about the call, and decide his resignation was an act of cowardice. So the three of them send him a letter containing three white feathers. The feathers are a sign that they know of his cowardice. Unfortunately for Feversham, he is with Ethne when he opens the letter. Once she understands the import of the message, she breaks a feather off her fan, hands it to Feversham and then also breaks off their engagement.
Feversham goes through a few months of deep depression, but eventually decides he must atone for his mistake. So, off he goes to Egypt/Sudan to search out ways to contribute to the effort and also to help out his friends who are there. He hangs around the market places pretending to be a Greek merchant until he figures out what best to do.
So the rest of the book is about Feversham's attempts, the redemption of the feathers, how the redeemed feathers get sent back to Ethne so she'll know Feversham is noble after all, and such like.
Well, along the way, Feversham's best friend, Col. Jack Durrance, decides to try to win Ethne for himself. But he's not sure that she's not still carrying a torch for Feversham. He also goes blind in the Egyptian/Sudanese desert. But in his blindness he can tell many things by sounds and hesitations and the like. As I mentioned above, Ethne is an amazing violinist. One of the most beloved pieces she plays is called the Musoline Overture. Durrance decides his fate, so to speak, by the way Ethne plays this piece for him. You'll have to read the book to figure out his fate.
As nearly as I can tell, there is no such piece as the Musoline Overture. Some folks suggest that it might be a misspelling of the Melusine Overture. Frankly, I can't figure out how this orchestral piece can be rendered in any reasonable fashion for solo violin. There are piano arrangements available, which call for two pianos and eight hands. But no solo piano, let alone solo violin.