A review by ellenorange
The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

4.0

Childers' novel is the first of its kind, pioneering the espionage genre, full of mystery, tension, suspense and highly detailed the novel captures the political background from before the second world war. We see the exploration of doubt and duality through the journey of these accidental spies. Childers removes us from the mundane and inane reality of London society accompanied with all its boredom to a perhaps distasteful yacht in the turbulence of winter weather setting in. However this trade bring with it a real-life fantasy as Carruthers and Davies are plunged in over their heads into a plot of international significance and are forced to become spies to unravel the mystery. The novel is highly contextual illustrating the difficulty of communication and transportation as well as a number of issues prevalent at the time This fantasy is highly enjoyable and all the more exciting because it seems real not to mention possible. The naive and inexperienced characters represent the 'every-man' the reader himself, perpetuating our dreams of adventure.