Tremor [Hardcover]

Winston Graham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995

Agadir, Morocco, 29th February, 1960 - the earthquake lasted just 20 seconds. Long enough to destroy the Hotel Saada and change forever the lives of its guests. This is a novel of love and greed, wickedness and courage, and of one man's search for himself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though the publisher touts this latest from Graham, author of the Poldark series, as a disaster thriller "in the tradition of Grand Hotel, The Poseidon Adventure, and Towering Inferno," it offers more subtle pleasures than those potboilers. In re-creating the real-life destruction, in February 1960, of the Moroccan seaside resort of Agadir by an earthquake that took 12,000 lives, Graham has produced a compelling drama of sacrifice, loss and redemption. Agadir's majestic Hotel Saada is ground zero for this story and its collection of intriguingly oddball characters. These include a trio of boisterous French prostitutes celebrating a windfall; a young English writer fleeing his embittered wife; a pompous French banker fumbling to hide an indelicate secret; a beautiful French actress disillusioned by her career; an American lawyer recovering from his greatest personal trial; and an English bank robber hiding from the police and his own gang. The mingling of their lives and secrets begins casually enough as relationships develop, some with fresh promise, others with brittle coolness. Then the earthquake strikes. Out of the rubble emerge several new lives full of change, hope and love. Emotionally resonant narration, snappy dialogue and clever plotting make this a captivating tale not only of natural havoc and human tragedy, but of the uncertainty and misdirection of life.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

What awaits six disparate people on holiday in Agadir, Morocco? Graham (author of the Poldark series) skillfully unfolds the story of each: the bank robber on the lam, having double-crossed his cohorts; the ne'er-do-well English writer, escaping a failed marriage; three French prostitutes celebrating recent good fortune; and an aging American lawyer getting a new start on his life after his wife's desertion. Their paths barely cross in Agadir when an earthquake levels the resort city and changes their lives in ways they never imagined. Graham builds each character in deftly painted scenes and conversations. Minor players?the Moroccan doctor, the bickering French banker and his wife, and the two thugs sent to ferret out the traitorous thief?are also brought to life. Recommended for public libraries.?M. J. Simmons, Duluth P.L., Minn.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan; 1St Edition edition (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0333648358
• ISBN-13: 978-0333648353
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,394,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I finished it -- barely, July 9, 2004

By 

Bookseller "pbtad" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tremor (Hardcover)

The first thing that struck me about the book was the writing style. I kept looking at the copyright date, because the language was so arcane. It made it seem like a bad nineteenth century gothic novel. The flowery, Victorian references to sexual situations were especially laughable for a book written in the mid-1990's. (One character, wondering if a woman was a lesbian, referred to it as "non-platonic love for another woman".)

Assuming you get past the way it is written you will find the characters one dimensional and stereotypical. There isn't any depth to any of them and because of that you won't care if they survive the earthquake or not.

That's also my final complaint about the book. The earthquake is really not the central event in the book. If you are looking for a disaster/adventure book, you will be very disappointed. The earthquake happens near the end and then it is over. In the case of one character, there is an earthquake, they are trapped for 24-hours and then rescued. All in the space of a single page. How did they react to being trapped? What went through their mind while being trapped? I don't know. Apparently the author didn't think that was important.

My recommendation is to skip the book and just go rent Earthquake the movie.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Awful, January 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Tremor (Hardcover)

Extremely confusing, the story flies all over the place with no obvious connection, and there are way to many characters to completely understand the book, even though I have an incredible, almost photographic memory, I could not keep all the characters straight!