A. E. W. Mason (1865–1948)

The pacing of the novel is compelling at the start, but eventually suffers under the tiresome minutiae of who knows what and when about the titular feathers. There's a completely wasted opportunity in the character of Mrs. Adair, whom Mason ultimately treats rather unfairly. Ethne is frustratingly myopic and doesn't behave quite as nobly as the narrator would have us believe. Finally, I'm generally not a fan of the trope in which the hero's triumph comes at the expense of a perfectly decent secondary character. We're supposed to gather that the provincial Ethne and the intrepid Durrance would have made an incompatible pair, but the closing image of the blind, solitary figure on the ship brings no sense of satisfaction. The adventure episodes alone make this a worthy reading experience.… (meer)

I picked up this Kindle book back in 2012 when I first discovered the wonders of public domain ebooks & Project Gutenberg based on positive memories of the 1939 film adaptation (which can be seen here: https://archive.org/details/TheFourFeathers1939).

Thus I read this already knowing the basic plot but found that the book, slightly different in mood & details from the film, was a little less exciting adventure but much realistic. In particular, Ethne & Durrance were different and the relationships between Harry, Ethne & Durrance were more tragic. I am glad I finally got around to reading this classic!… (meer)

Harry Faversham, uno de los soldados británicos de más impecable reputación, no puede menos que sentirse consternado al recibir, a finales de 1882, cuatro plumas blancas (ofensivo e inequívoco símbolo de cobardía), por haber decidido no acompañar a su regimiento en una arriesgada campaña en Sudán, para permanecer en Londres junto a su prometida. Sin embargo, no le faltará ocasión para demostrar su valentía y su profundo sentido de la amistad, cuando sus compañeros son víctimas de un devastador ataque de los rebeldes sudaneses.… (meer)

Harry Feversham, a British military officer, is facing traveling to Egypt to fight an uprising of the dervishes. He is also looking forward to marrying his fiance Ehne. He has feared that when faced with danger in war, he would run from the fight and be declared a coward. Rather than go to Egypt and risk this, he resigns his commission and plans to marry and stay in England. Three of his fellow officers send him white feathers, a symbol of cowardice and when he shows them to Ehne, she gives him one too. Hence the title.

His father disowns him and the marriage is over forcing Harry to reconsider his future. He promises himself that he will force the four who gave him the feathers to take the feathers back when he shows he is not a coward.

The films based on this novel have predominately been set in Egypt while the novel takes place mostly in England with the action in Egypt being described by the soldiers when they are back to England. The 1939 production of this novel is one of my favourite adventure films.… (meer)