Рецензия на книгу «Дорога скорби» — Fake it till you become it

«Дорога скорби» Дик Фрэнсис

The world of horse racing is like a parallel reality. I read the book in the original and was a little disappointed.

Sid Halley, private investigator, is a tough guy, according to the narrator, but K. Stanislavsky would say, “I don’t believe you, Mr. Francis,” and I agree with him. I think the author wrote himself into the protagonist. Sometimes that was too much. Sid’s mortal and perfectly human, not an ancient hero, and yet the author delivers a long narrative about his excessive resilience and loses himself in that portrayal.

I don’t like this type of detective story when one knows the name of the murderer from the very start. I am accustomed to the stories of the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie, so I always search for her reasoning, hidden evidence, traps in other detective novels and when I don’t find them I get upset.

Dick Francis was a former professional jockey and so was Sid Halley. Mr. Francis wrote crime novels, Mr. Halley became an investigator. Crime and suspense are their shared passion. The main chain in their character and behaviour is love for horses.

I didn’t like the language of the book. It’s too simple and unsophisticated. Too many clichés and sometimes I was bored to tears.

But what did I like? I liked the scale of tragedy in the Quint family. Their actions were well-planned and well-realized. I liked Ellis Quint. But I got no psychological reason why he did it. The vague explanation as if he’s a psychopath and gets bored is not okay with me. I liked Charles and Archie. The older I grow, the more I appreciate the devoted service of such men. They make our sleep calm and carefree. I liked Rachel. She’s a real hero. I was amazed by the prosthetic hand mechanics. And I realized that it was necessary to improve my computer science knowledge and skills. I’ve still been living in the 20th century.

What are the main themes raised in the book? Friendship, loyalty, betrayal, resilience, and disgrace to name a few. What would you do if your best friend is involved in a disgraceful or even criminal activity? What are your moral principles? Would you be willing to sacrifice your life for the truth or just live with the lies and crime? Challenging, isn’t it? Sid’s behavior made me think about it.

The romantic story is pathetic. There are some vulgar and cynical passages. But I liked the ending and especially the last sentence. It reveals the meaning of the book title. It’s a decent ending.

I was envious of Sid’s ex-father-in-law’s help and support. I’d like to have such a friend. I liked the author’s meditations about life and human nature. And the whole plot is okay. Sometimes boring with trivial answers, but it’s certainly a well-made book not without weaknesses and flaws. Although I didn’t rate it highly and wouldn’t recommend it to my circle, I’m glad I’ve read it. Now I understand the racing world better. The love for horses and Francis’ deep understanding of the inner workings of racing business make the book valuable and interesting in this respect. This book is okay for the summertime.