A NOBLE PROFESSION

by Plerre Boulle ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

A subtle, mocking examination of the self-deception which private dreams of glory make possible pursues a theme parallel to the earlier (1956) Face of A Hero and in probing the duality within one man, argues along broader lines that courage or cowardice, truth or dishonesty, are finite if not fuzzy terms. Cousin, a Frenchman, a writer, an intellectual, is eager to substantiate his personal vision of himself as a fearless man of action when the war, in France, leaves him stranded in Brittany but gives him a chance to enter that ""noble profession, an occupation for gentlemen"", the British secret service. Dr. Fog, a brilliant psychiatrist who screens him, entertains his own reservations about the overeager Cousin whose too perfect demeanour suggests some soft spots. On a first mission, Cousin's associate Morvan is tortured when taken by the Germans and talks, while Cousin returns to England, ready for a second assignment. He is now teamed up with Morvan's sister, Claire, a nerveless and contemptuous young woman, more interested in clearing her dead brother and proving that it was Cousin who talked, than in the job. Her suspicions are strengthened while Cousin's position is weakened with his German contacts who bait him into further betrayals, so that death is not only a release but the only means of immortalizing his illusions. The external intrigue here combines happily with the subterranean inquiry into conduct and character, pricks the pretenses of heroism, and provides a skillful and saturnine diversion.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Vanguard

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1960

Categories: FICTION