Customer Reviews

One of Us

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One Of Us is both a fascinating read and a disappointing story. The British Colonial world that is long gone has been evocatively and lovingly recreated. The author was able to bring the reader back to pre-WWII Egypt with all its sights, sounds and smells. The story is an intriguing love quadrangle, played out against the decline of England's hold on its colonies. And while there are some very funning and rich passages, the story feels slight and the characters thinly drawn. A deeper delving into the characters motivations (other than patriotism, ego and lust) would have been enough to make this a great novel. Instead it's only a good one.

The author cleverly leads us through a world of decadence and intrigue from the dual viewpoints of a cautious intelligent young man and an irresistibly manipulative beauty. Neither the characters nor the reader know how much their perceptions will change until all is at stake. A primer on the dangers of passion in politics.

Set in Alexandria and Cairo just prior to and during World War II, One of Us depicts the efforts Britain made to control Egypt, Suez, and the destiny of the region. As its protectorate was ending, plenipot Malcolm Cheyne believed that the best way to control Egypt was through young prince Farouk--to make him "one of us" by sending him to school in England, providing tutoring by a young Briton, James Peel, and even trying to provide for him a British bride. As representatives of Britain enjoyed the sensuous pleasures of Alexandria, manipulated events in Cairo and at the palace, and even attempted, eventually, to influence the by-now King Farouk by forcing his abdication, feeling quite justified all the while, Farouk showed how "one-of-us" he really was. Playing the Nazis against the British, ignoring the terms under which Egypt became "independent," attempting to seduce Ambassador Cheyne's wife, and leading a sensuous life the British ironically considered debauched, Farouk showed himself to be student who learned his lessons well. A fascinating look at a Egypt in the forties and at Farouk before he became a caricature of himself.

David Freeman's One of Us is a terrific read, a story that feels like an epic but moves like a thriller. The pre-WWII Cairo setting in Cairo is throughly convincing, as is the Last-Days-of-the- British-Empire atmosphere. The characters are believable, even the somewhat unbelievable King Farouk. Highly recommended.

Having a background that touches on Alexandria - during those years - and Cairo for that matter, I could not help thinking that what is described and used as scenic material in this quite well written but essentially vapid, prosaic and ill informed book is an affront to Alexandria, Cairo and possibly even Farouk. Considering everything I could only deduce that Mr Freeman got his information about both cities by following a guide book, reading a couple of best-selling pulp novels (his sex scenes are in themselves unbelievable) Did this man ever visit Egypt???I wonder? As for the characters - at least with Durrell and Forester and Cavafy one wanted (and did in fact know) some of them and they had dimension, moved and fornicated and carried on in a world that has vanished - I agree, but it was not the shoddy little papier mache escapade that Mr Freeman exposes us to -