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Beyond This Place
Paul Burgess was twenty-one, mature, level-headed, a successful student and a good son to his "widowed" mother. But an application for a summer teaching job--an application which required a birth certificate--put to an end the ordered calm of Paul's progress and turned his life into a nightmare.
For he learned that he, Paul Burgess, was in reality Paul Mathry, the son of Rees Mathry, a convicted murderer who was not only alive, but even then serving the fifteenth year of a life sentence.
Profoundly shaken, Paul left home and wandered--drawn slowly, surely, to Stoneheath. And from the moment he saw those great forbidding walls, and realized fully that within them his father was buried alive, Paul Mathry became a man possessed.
If his father was guilty, why had he not been hanged? Was it possible that for fifteen years an innocent man had endured unspeakable degradation and mental torture?
Paul plunged into the past, immersed himself in the facts of the trial and the lives of the witnesses. The closer he came to the truth, the more he was threatened and pressured from high places. The name Mathry had made him a marked man--and he suffered.
At their own risk a few people befriended him, offered him help. One, above all, believed in him--Lena Andersen--grave, lovely Lena, whose own ordeal reassured him, whose unspoken love sustained him in his long, hectic, agonizing drive for justice and his father's freedom.
The impact of Beyond This Place is tremendous and readers will remember it vividly--and with pleasure--for a long time.
(from inside jacket flap)
For he learned that he, Paul Burgess, was in reality Paul Mathry, the son of Rees Mathry, a convicted murderer who was not only alive, but even then serving the fifteenth year of a life sentence.
Profoundly shaken, Paul left home and wandered--drawn slowly, surely, to Stoneheath. And from the moment he saw those great forbidding walls, and realized fully that within them his father was buried alive, Paul Mathry became a man possessed.
If his father was guilty, why had he not been hanged? Was it possible that for fifteen years an innocent man had endured unspeakable degradation and mental torture?
Paul plunged into the past, immersed himself in the facts of the trial and the lives of the witnesses. The closer he came to the truth, the more he was threatened and pressured from high places. The name Mathry had made him a marked man--and he suffered.
At their own risk a few people befriended him, offered him help. One, above all, believed in him--Lena Andersen--grave, lovely Lena, whose own ordeal reassured him, whose unspoken love sustained him in his long, hectic, agonizing drive for justice and his father's freedom.
The impact of Beyond This Place is tremendous and readers will remember it vividly--and with pleasure--for a long time.
(from inside jacket flap)
322 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
30 people are currently reading
519 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Cronin
237 books491 followersArchibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish novelist, dramatist, and non-fiction writer who was one of the most renowned storytellers of the twentieth century. His best-known works are The Citadel and The Keys of the Kingdom, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films. He also created the Dr. Finlay character, the hero of a series of stories that served as the basis for the long-running BBC television and radio series entitled Dr. Finlay's Casebook.
-Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.J._Cronin
-Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.J._Cronin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
June 12, 2020
****
A good story of injustice and corruption in the judicial in Great Britian.
A good story of injustice and corruption in the judicial in Great Britian.
July 25, 2022
Of late, I have been picking up books read years ago to see if they still hold the same magic they once held for me. I picked up Beyond This Place, out of a portable community library box during my peregrinations around town, fifty years after I first read it as a teenager, and which, at the time, led me to devour all of A.J. Cronin’s major novels afterwards. Alas, the magic had evaporated this time around, although I could understand the social significance the novel may have once had.
Set in the 1930’s, and published in 1950 after being serialized in Colliers, the novel artfully portrays the archaic and entrenched British customs and social hierarchies of the early twentieth century, uses outdated words and phrases (such as “queer” and “gaily”) out of present-day context, and is chock-full of page-turner chapter endings reminiscent of dime novels and magazine serializations. And yet, its message of the damning effect of the miscarriage of law and the human cost of punishment vs. rehabilitation in the British penal system is as current today as it was then.
Paul Burgess, 21, stumbles on his murky past when he tries to obtain a copy of his birth certificate to apply for a summer job (birth certificates for jobs? – that archaic British custom thing!). He discovers he had a different surname at birth, and that his father, Reese Mathry, who was supposed to have died on a trip to South America, is actually serving a life-sentence in Britain for murder. Determined to find the truth, Paul delves deeper, only to discover that his father may have been framed by an ambitious prosecutor intent on making a sensational trial debut that would lead him up the legal career ladder.
Paul’s search becomes an obsession and pushes him into penury, destitution, and illness on the streets of London. It is only with the help of the long-suffering Lena, the fallen woman who puritanical Paul spurns due to her “having a child out of wedlock” (more archaic British customs!), and a couple of regional press reporters who believe this scoop will take them national, that the Mathry case is re-opened to startling revelations and a new conclusion.
And yet the outcome for Paul of being re-united with his father is bitter-sweet. “Let sleeping dogs lie,” has some merit here, for a lifetime of harsh punishment inflicted on a man who had a low moral compass to begin with does not reveal a Nelson Mandela-type savant – quite the opposite, in fact. There is no possible reconciliation, only a new altered reality that has to be accepted, both by the Mathry family and by the British judiciary and its 700-year old trial-by-jury system that was deemed “best in class” until its wheels fell off in this case.
Despite the serious moral message, the style of writing put me off. Dickensian plot contrivances abound, information dumps are provided in photographic detail by witnesses about events that took place fifteen years earlier, help arrives at the eleventh hour (always), dying old men speak like sprightly young ones, and the omniscient narrator jumps in and out of everyone’s head rending them into caricature. I realized why Cronin’s books were made into films, for many of his scenes are cinematic. His portrayal of London, especially the murky corners of the city, are well drawn.
“Let sleeping dogs lie” – I should have heeded that advice and let this book repose in its little community bookcase without picking it up, a book that, fifty ears ago, had inspired me to pursue reading more serious fiction. Like Paul discovered with his father Reese – you can’t go back to better times, you can only return to different experiences.
Set in the 1930’s, and published in 1950 after being serialized in Colliers, the novel artfully portrays the archaic and entrenched British customs and social hierarchies of the early twentieth century, uses outdated words and phrases (such as “queer” and “gaily”) out of present-day context, and is chock-full of page-turner chapter endings reminiscent of dime novels and magazine serializations. And yet, its message of the damning effect of the miscarriage of law and the human cost of punishment vs. rehabilitation in the British penal system is as current today as it was then.
Paul Burgess, 21, stumbles on his murky past when he tries to obtain a copy of his birth certificate to apply for a summer job (birth certificates for jobs? – that archaic British custom thing!). He discovers he had a different surname at birth, and that his father, Reese Mathry, who was supposed to have died on a trip to South America, is actually serving a life-sentence in Britain for murder. Determined to find the truth, Paul delves deeper, only to discover that his father may have been framed by an ambitious prosecutor intent on making a sensational trial debut that would lead him up the legal career ladder.
Paul’s search becomes an obsession and pushes him into penury, destitution, and illness on the streets of London. It is only with the help of the long-suffering Lena, the fallen woman who puritanical Paul spurns due to her “having a child out of wedlock” (more archaic British customs!), and a couple of regional press reporters who believe this scoop will take them national, that the Mathry case is re-opened to startling revelations and a new conclusion.
And yet the outcome for Paul of being re-united with his father is bitter-sweet. “Let sleeping dogs lie,” has some merit here, for a lifetime of harsh punishment inflicted on a man who had a low moral compass to begin with does not reveal a Nelson Mandela-type savant – quite the opposite, in fact. There is no possible reconciliation, only a new altered reality that has to be accepted, both by the Mathry family and by the British judiciary and its 700-year old trial-by-jury system that was deemed “best in class” until its wheels fell off in this case.
Despite the serious moral message, the style of writing put me off. Dickensian plot contrivances abound, information dumps are provided in photographic detail by witnesses about events that took place fifteen years earlier, help arrives at the eleventh hour (always), dying old men speak like sprightly young ones, and the omniscient narrator jumps in and out of everyone’s head rending them into caricature. I realized why Cronin’s books were made into films, for many of his scenes are cinematic. His portrayal of London, especially the murky corners of the city, are well drawn.
“Let sleeping dogs lie” – I should have heeded that advice and let this book repose in its little community bookcase without picking it up, a book that, fifty ears ago, had inspired me to pursue reading more serious fiction. Like Paul discovered with his father Reese – you can’t go back to better times, you can only return to different experiences.
December 10, 2023
A CRIME OCCURS. WHO IS THE TRUE VILLAIN? I AM NOT A FAN OF MYSTERIES, BUT THIS BOOK IS EXCELLENT BRCAUSE THE EMOTIONAÖ ON THE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED.
Standalones:
*The Keys of the Kingdom 5 stars
*The Stars Look Down 5 stars
*A Thing of Beauty 4 stars
*The Citadel 4 stars
*Adventures in Two Worlds 4 srats
(autobiography)
*The Judas Tree 4 stars
*The Spanish Gardener 4 stars
*Hatter's Castle 4 stars
*Beyond This Place TBR
*Three Loves  TBR
*The Northern Light TBR
*Vigil in the NightTBR
*Grand Canary TBR
Duologies:
1,The Green Years 5 stars
2.Shannon's Way 3 stars
--------------------
1.A Song of Sixpence 5 stars
2.A Pocketful of Rye 3 stars
Standalones:
*The Keys of the Kingdom 5 stars
*The Stars Look Down 5 stars
*A Thing of Beauty 4 stars
*The Citadel 4 stars
*Adventures in Two Worlds 4 srats
(autobiography)
*The Judas Tree 4 stars
*The Spanish Gardener 4 stars
*Hatter's Castle 4 stars
*Beyond This Place TBR
*Three Loves  TBR
*The Northern Light TBR
*Vigil in the NightTBR
*Grand Canary TBR
Duologies:
1,The Green Years 5 stars
2.Shannon's Way 3 stars
--------------------
1.A Song of Sixpence 5 stars
2.A Pocketful of Rye 3 stars
December 19, 2015
My sister lent me this unassuming book. When I began to read it, I immediately noticed that the writing style was from another era, and so assumed that "Beyond This Place" would be quaint. Prim, even. I judged this book by its cover.
Boy, was I wrong. This book is an example of how great storytelling transcends time and place. The author brings "Beyond This Place" to life with a cast of vivid, well-developed characters and a briskly-paced plot full of twists and turns. It is suspenseful and satisfying and I was SO GLAD I read it.
Boy, was I wrong. This book is an example of how great storytelling transcends time and place. The author brings "Beyond This Place" to life with a cast of vivid, well-developed characters and a briskly-paced plot full of twists and turns. It is suspenseful and satisfying and I was SO GLAD I read it.
May 23, 2012
Every so often, this Scottish author invades my awareness. I first read an A. J. Cronin book about an ethically constrained medical doctor (The Citadel) and about a troubled priest (Keys of the Kingdom) back when I was in junior high school. Those were the only two titles my little branch library had by that author, but I was rewarded later in life when I discovered a copy of Shannon’s Way , a novel about a physician researcher and a forbidden love who becomes deathly ill. I thought I was reading a rehash of Sinclair Lewis’ Arrowsmith for a few pages, but I assure you that it isn’t the same.
When I started reading Beyond This Place, originally published as a serial in Collier’s magazine entitled To Live Again, I thought I was being set up for a rather ordinary, perhaps predictable mystery. When the protagonist, Paul Mathry, discovers that his father is not deceased but incarcerated, he makes an impulsive move to visit his father in the penitentiary. Upon arriving, he discovers that this institution did not allow visitors. So, he goes to his old hometown to try to discover all that he can about the circumstances of his father’s downfall. There (surprise, surprise), he becomes convinced of his father’s innocence.
In seeking to find a connection with his father, he begins to uncover what seems to be a conspiracy. Indeed, it appears to be such a conspiracy that even though he has put his career on hold in order to follow up certain leads, he becomes a victim to the conspiracy itself. Obviously, the protagonist eventually gets to the truth. But as I continued to read through the book, I realized that this was not a discount Sinclair Lewis, Upton Sinclair, or Theodore Dreiser. A. J. Cronin wasn’t merely writing about social reform though portions of the book profoundly call out for checks and balances within the legal system and warn against political ambitions. These characters felt real.
Beyond This Place features many instances of selfless, sacrificial acts which are received with ingratitude alongside actions which are purely from self-interest and actions where the characters believe they are doing exactly what is right to protect someone and, ironically, are actually hurting the person. There are characters which seem lovely and beautiful who, in turn, prove to be selfish and manipulative. There are characters which seem to be self-giving which are, in turn, discovered to be self-serving. There are characters which seem cowardly who prove to be courageous. This is one of the finest novels I can remember reading with regard to presenting a heterogeneous mix of attitudes, motivations, and desires within each of the main characters. There is hubris, betrayal, disappointment, suspicion, and ambition at every turn. Yet, it is one of the most truthful books I have ever read. As I read this novel, I realized very quickly why so many A. J. Cronin works have made it to the silver screen. His plot may be fiction, but his characters speak with truth. Ingratitude, disappointment, triumph, failure, defeat, and death all figure into this marvelous exploration of human nature. While not as well-known as The Citadel, Beyond This Place has quickly become my favorite novel by this Scottish writer. If you like character studies juxtaposed with social commentary, I highly recommend Beyond This Place. If you’re looking for a mystery with lots of “red herrings,” you’re probably going to be disappointed.
When I started reading Beyond This Place, originally published as a serial in Collier’s magazine entitled To Live Again, I thought I was being set up for a rather ordinary, perhaps predictable mystery. When the protagonist, Paul Mathry, discovers that his father is not deceased but incarcerated, he makes an impulsive move to visit his father in the penitentiary. Upon arriving, he discovers that this institution did not allow visitors. So, he goes to his old hometown to try to discover all that he can about the circumstances of his father’s downfall. There (surprise, surprise), he becomes convinced of his father’s innocence.
In seeking to find a connection with his father, he begins to uncover what seems to be a conspiracy. Indeed, it appears to be such a conspiracy that even though he has put his career on hold in order to follow up certain leads, he becomes a victim to the conspiracy itself. Obviously, the protagonist eventually gets to the truth. But as I continued to read through the book, I realized that this was not a discount Sinclair Lewis, Upton Sinclair, or Theodore Dreiser. A. J. Cronin wasn’t merely writing about social reform though portions of the book profoundly call out for checks and balances within the legal system and warn against political ambitions. These characters felt real.
Beyond This Place features many instances of selfless, sacrificial acts which are received with ingratitude alongside actions which are purely from self-interest and actions where the characters believe they are doing exactly what is right to protect someone and, ironically, are actually hurting the person. There are characters which seem lovely and beautiful who, in turn, prove to be selfish and manipulative. There are characters which seem to be self-giving which are, in turn, discovered to be self-serving. There are characters which seem cowardly who prove to be courageous. This is one of the finest novels I can remember reading with regard to presenting a heterogeneous mix of attitudes, motivations, and desires within each of the main characters. There is hubris, betrayal, disappointment, suspicion, and ambition at every turn. Yet, it is one of the most truthful books I have ever read. As I read this novel, I realized very quickly why so many A. J. Cronin works have made it to the silver screen. His plot may be fiction, but his characters speak with truth. Ingratitude, disappointment, triumph, failure, defeat, and death all figure into this marvelous exploration of human nature. While not as well-known as The Citadel, Beyond This Place has quickly become my favorite novel by this Scottish writer. If you like character studies juxtaposed with social commentary, I highly recommend Beyond This Place. If you’re looking for a mystery with lots of “red herrings,” you’re probably going to be disappointed.
January 15, 2018
Having read ‘Keys to the Kingdom’, i knew it would be a winner. Happily I was not disappointed. Intriguing story about a nineteen year old man in Belfast, Northern Ireland 1930’s. He then finds out that his father who he thought was killed S. Africa 15 years ago is actually imprisoned for murder in England. He makes it his mission to find out what really happen to the father he remembered and if possible vindicate him from the charges.
February 8, 2019
There was a time when I used to love A. J. Cronin (later on, I had to concede that most of his novels are rather high-class pulp). However, this is one of the better ones. A young man finds out that his supposedly dead father is serving a life term and goes all out to clear him. Interesting premise - though it loses steam towards the end.
April 18, 2022
Poctivě vystavěný poutavý příběh, propracované nečernobílé postavy, zakončení zdaleka ne sladké a šťastné, a přece nikoliv deprimující - co chtít víc! Poctivé čtyři hvězdičky plus pátá ze sympatií k pozapomenutým autorům a jejich dílům upozaďovaným nadprodukcí nových knih ;)
October 11, 2022
Поредната история на Кронин, в която нещата се скапват почти д�� безвъзвратност, за да се оправят накрая. Но като един англичанин, той се въздържа от захаросване на сюжета, което пък заслужава моето читателско уважение. Едно от многото интересни неща в книги, написани преди 80-100 години (освен майсторството на писателите) е, че виждам един морал, една ценностна система, които отдавна ги няма. Та кое общество в наши дни би се възмутило до такъв предел от съдебна несправедливост, че да принуди хората от властта да си признаят провалите? А и коя власт би се огънала пред общественото недоволство, коя власт би загубила съня си заради умишлено причинена несправедливост? Какво се е случило със света ни за някакви си 80 години, че циници като мен се чудят наум на това, че някога е имало хора, които искрено са вярвали в силата на правосъдието? Знам, че това е само роман, но все още вярвам, че има романи, които поне в някаква степен се облягат на определена (вече минала) действителност.
December 2, 2022
Un libro meno conosciuto di quest'autore che, comunque rimane noto solo a noi di una certa età perchè ancora ci ricordiamo gli sceneggiati in bianco e nero dei suoi La cittadella e E le stelle stanno a guardare. E' un po' discosto dai suoi soliti schemi: in effetti potremmo definirlo un "giallo"; un cold case, diciamo adesso.
Un giovane ragazzo, povero ma onesto e volenteroso, scopre che il padre, che credeva morto, in effetti sta scontando l'ergastolo per un omicidio che non ha commesso (e il fatto che la pena capitale sia stata trasformata in sentenza a vita denota che anche gli accusatori una coscienza tanto pulita non l'abbiano!). Così Paul abbandona la sua vita, se non agiata comunque tranquilla e su binari standard, per capire chi abbia incastrato il padre. Affrontando le difficoltà che ci immaginiamo con una buona dose di paternalismo e buonismo che oggi nessuno metterebbe su carta. Ma a me lo stile di Cronin piace e lo consiglierei, se riuscite a trovarlo: oggi fuori commercio, si trova solo il vecchie librerie casalinghe come la mia – da mio padre, medico e cultore di Cronin - o in qualche biblioteca ben fornita!
«Perché dovrei… quando posso ammirare quadri per lo meno altrettanto belli nella Galleria Municipale, al parco?».
«Ma per tutti i diavoli…», era scattato Sprott, «i quadri della Galleria non vi appartengono».
«Davvero?». Il sorriso di Grahame s’era accentua-to, destando nel pubblico accusatore uno strano disa-gio. «I più grandi capolavori dell’arte non appartengono forse a tutti?».
Un giovane ragazzo, povero ma onesto e volenteroso, scopre che il padre, che credeva morto, in effetti sta scontando l'ergastolo per un omicidio che non ha commesso (e il fatto che la pena capitale sia stata trasformata in sentenza a vita denota che anche gli accusatori una coscienza tanto pulita non l'abbiano!). Così Paul abbandona la sua vita, se non agiata comunque tranquilla e su binari standard, per capire chi abbia incastrato il padre. Affrontando le difficoltà che ci immaginiamo con una buona dose di paternalismo e buonismo che oggi nessuno metterebbe su carta. Ma a me lo stile di Cronin piace e lo consiglierei, se riuscite a trovarlo: oggi fuori commercio, si trova solo il vecchie librerie casalinghe come la mia – da mio padre, medico e cultore di Cronin - o in qualche biblioteca ben fornita!
«Perché dovrei… quando posso ammirare quadri per lo meno altrettanto belli nella Galleria Municipale, al parco?».
«Ma per tutti i diavoli…», era scattato Sprott, «i quadri della Galleria non vi appartengono».
«Davvero?». Il sorriso di Grahame s’era accentua-to, destando nel pubblico accusatore uno strano disa-gio. «I più grandi capolavori dell’arte non appartengono forse a tutti?».
December 6, 2025
Romanzo scritto nel 1953. È il racconto di una terribile ingiustizia ai danni di un uomo che sconterà 15 anni in un duro penitenziario inglese. I toni sono molto delicati, dolci, educati e rispettosi come il protagonista Paul, figlio del condannato, che combatterà per il riscatto fisico e morale del padre. 452 pagine avvincenti in cui si trovano termini ormai obsoleti che danno un tono molto composto e misurato, tipico anglosassone.
February 3, 2020
Một tiểu thuyết hay và nhân văn vềchàng thanh niên đi minh oan cho cha bị kết tội giết người. Truyện phê phán mạnh mẽ những sai lầm và kẽ hở trong bộ máy tư pháp Anh thời đó. Giọng văn của Cronin đẹp và trữ tình khiến có cảm giác rất dễ chịu khi đọc.
December 12, 2021
The last 2/3 of this book was a whirlwind of intensity!
November 16, 2013
This was my first A J Cronin. I read it some 25 years ago! I remember it because the narrative had a haunting quality about it especially in the descriptions of Rees Marthy's experiences in prison and his interactions with his son. You could feel the pain, the sense of loss, of could-have-been futures, the helplessness, the frustration.... I cannot recall the exact incidents or the conversations, but the emotions they evoked are still very strong. Compared with his famous `Citadel', this novel has a fairly simple story line and fewer characters, but it is still my personal favourite.
October 3, 2018
Every book I read by Cronin makes me like him more. His stories are compelling page-turners, and yet they have a great deal of depth. The moral struggles his protagonists go through batter and break them, but ultimately leave them more human and more virtuous. Based on this book and the two or three others I’ve read, I highly recommend this author.
February 28, 2016
This has everything: murder mystery, family melodrama, crusading journalism, courtroom drama... which would be an unfocused mess if it were not so well written. Bear in mind the year when you consider the style and language - it's still worth reading.
August 28, 2010
This novel reveals that the court system can sometimes work terrible injustice to innocent people. Powerfuly written.
January 17, 2016
Great book! Intriguing from beginning to end.
May 12, 2022
It is a shock for 21-year-old Paul Mathry when he discovers that his father is in prison for life, having been convicted of murdering a young woman. Determined to find out what happened, Paul leaves Northern Ireland for the Midland city where the murder took place. But he soon becomes convinced his father is innocent, and comes up against some powerful and dangerous men.
I'd barely heard of A J Cronin before reading this book, although he was very well known in his day. This novel was published in 1940 but set in 1936, and it is gritty in places, with events and attitudes that you wouldn't find in Agatha Christie. The truth of the murder isn't difficult to guess, but the focus is on psychology and motives rather than "who dunnit."
I'd barely heard of A J Cronin before reading this book, although he was very well known in his day. This novel was published in 1940 but set in 1936, and it is gritty in places, with events and attitudes that you wouldn't find in Agatha Christie. The truth of the murder isn't difficult to guess, but the focus is on psychology and motives rather than "who dunnit."
February 9, 2021
Like in other Cronin novels, the main character is a young man starting his adult life. Paul is about to get his teaching degree and has a summer position waiting for him. But I was surprised when it quickly turned into a detective novel. Paul learns that his father, whom he believed dead 15 years ago in a railway accident, is imprisoned for life for murder. He travels to the town where the murder happened to learn the details, quickly finds that the evidence was circumstantial and some witnesses uncertain, and sets into a quest to find out what really happened. Quick and satisfying read, though the last third was predictable.
January 10, 2025
2.5 stars. a lackluster effort with a dull protagonist.
June 18, 2022
A surprise: I didn't know that this writer - beloved by my father for his social issued, even if blended and never strong, and his medical background - wrote also mystery! And here the son, looking for the proves of the innocence of his father, imprisoned 15 years before for a murder he didn't commit, has to fight against power and deviated magistrates...
Not bad at all!!!
Not bad at all!!!
October 23, 2020
It all starts with an innocent request for a birth certificate so Paul can go to college. His mother hedges and when it is finally produced it bears a different surname.
In an effort to keep the smear off her son, Paul's mother chooses a new beginning. For Paul's father, who he believed dead, is in prison for murder.
But is he truly guilty? And if he is innocent, where is the real killer fifteen years later...
There were some clues that were covered up at the time of the trial, an unusual green painted bicycle, a note written by a left handed person, and a coin purse made of human skin. But reopening the case fifteen years after a verdict has been reached is no easy task. Especially when there are many who, for reasons of their own, want to keep it closed.
I put this Cronin off for some time thinking it might be dry. It is nothing of the sort. Very different from his others but the same high quality of writing and characterization.
In an effort to keep the smear off her son, Paul's mother chooses a new beginning. For Paul's father, who he believed dead, is in prison for murder.
But is he truly guilty? And if he is innocent, where is the real killer fifteen years later...
There were some clues that were covered up at the time of the trial, an unusual green painted bicycle, a note written by a left handed person, and a coin purse made of human skin. But reopening the case fifteen years after a verdict has been reached is no easy task. Especially when there are many who, for reasons of their own, want to keep it closed.
I put this Cronin off for some time thinking it might be dry. It is nothing of the sort. Very different from his others but the same high quality of writing and characterization.
October 11, 2013
A.J.Cronin a quien conocí hace muchos años (realmente bastantes), por una colección de sus obras completas (4 tomos de editorial Juventud) que había en casa. Fue en mi adolescencia que lo “descubrí” por curiosidad, pues era una de las lecturas favoritas de mi madre y hermanos mayores.
Cronin fue un novelista escosés autor de varios best sellers, algunos de los cuales fueron llevadas al cine como “La Ciudadela” o “Las llaves del Reino”. Hace pocos años al volver a leer esta última, me despertó una ansiedad por volver a “ver” a todos esos personajes entrañables de sus novelas: religiosos, mineros, médicos, maestros, meseras, estudiantes, obreros, presidiarios, etc. todos ellos descritos tan humanamente y con una gran aproximación de su aspecto exterior, pero fundamentalmente con una descripción muy fina y detallada del interior de cada uno de ellos.
Cronin, durante mucho tiempo fue un católico practicante en medio de la sociedad británica dividida entre católicos y protestantes, prevaleciendo éstos. Fue un gran observador del hombre y de su alma, pues a traves del ejercicio profesional de la medicina en pueblos de Escocia y Gales, hurgó mucho en la vida de sus pacientes, amigos y personas de la comunidad. Descubriendo los pesares, alegrías, angustias, motivaciones y esperanzas de sus vidas. Esto se corrobora en su novela autobiográfica “Aventuras en dos mundos”, en donde encontramos personas y sucesos que aparecen en muchas de sus novelas. Los altos valores de la gente como la bondad, la solidaridad, el amor y la templanza entre otros se convierten en los elementos centrales de la obra de este autor.
A veces recurrí a aquellos viejos libros que aún conserva mi madre y con pena los encontraba cada vez mas deteriorados e incompletos y que no los conseguía en las librerías. En una ocasión escribí a la editorial en España y encontré la misma colección (hoy con un tomo adicional), pero a precios inalcanzables. Pero hubo un hecho curioso (y creo que en ello hay algo de la providencia): hace 7 años, cuando me daba unas vueltas por el mercado de libros usados y viejos de Amazonas en el centro de Lima, me encontré con la misma vieja colección de 4 tomos de las obras completas de A.J.Cronin que no eran de segunda mano (por su estado impecable), sino el saldo de alguna vieja librería que por muchos años debió haber pasado de mano en mano de estos libreros informales, hasta parar a mis manos por la módica suma de 90 soles.
Leyendo nuevamente ahora algunas de estas novelas, descubro (o confirmo) la influencia que tuvo en mi juvenil existencia. La búsqueda de las respuestas y el valor de la verdad. Cronin marcó en mi formación, pues lo “encontré” en la etapa de fragilidad ante diversas influencias del entorno y ver en sus páginas sucesos y personas con un alto grado de la moral cristiana y que nada tenía que ver el tiempo ni el lugar en donde se encuentren lo relacioné con facilidad con el estilo de vida que podía elegir. Un elemento recurrente en sus novelas era la presencia de la Esperanza en algunos personajes y que el autor finamente me conducía a identificarme con ellos y sentir también aquella misma sensación al “viajar” entre sus páginas. Encontré también personajes sumamente golpeados y que suavemente se iba develando en ellos un proceso de redención llevándome a la emoción de creer en la bondad. Era una forma de entender que la capacidad de amar es un regalo de Dios y también mostraba con claridad la complementariedad.
Cronin, es un autor casi olvidado hoy día, que merece ser “descubierto” nuevamente por mucha gente, especialmente los jóvenes que prácticamente no conocen las bondades de la lectura. En lo personal, solo debo agregar que no me sobrepaso en reconocer en estas novelas a un instrumento del Señor para un joven con mucha hambre y sed en aquellos años.
León Carrasco
Lima, 2005
Cronin fue un novelista escosés autor de varios best sellers, algunos de los cuales fueron llevadas al cine como “La Ciudadela” o “Las llaves del Reino”. Hace pocos años al volver a leer esta última, me despertó una ansiedad por volver a “ver” a todos esos personajes entrañables de sus novelas: religiosos, mineros, médicos, maestros, meseras, estudiantes, obreros, presidiarios, etc. todos ellos descritos tan humanamente y con una gran aproximación de su aspecto exterior, pero fundamentalmente con una descripción muy fina y detallada del interior de cada uno de ellos.
Cronin, durante mucho tiempo fue un católico practicante en medio de la sociedad británica dividida entre católicos y protestantes, prevaleciendo éstos. Fue un gran observador del hombre y de su alma, pues a traves del ejercicio profesional de la medicina en pueblos de Escocia y Gales, hurgó mucho en la vida de sus pacientes, amigos y personas de la comunidad. Descubriendo los pesares, alegrías, angustias, motivaciones y esperanzas de sus vidas. Esto se corrobora en su novela autobiográfica “Aventuras en dos mundos”, en donde encontramos personas y sucesos que aparecen en muchas de sus novelas. Los altos valores de la gente como la bondad, la solidaridad, el amor y la templanza entre otros se convierten en los elementos centrales de la obra de este autor.
A veces recurrí a aquellos viejos libros que aún conserva mi madre y con pena los encontraba cada vez mas deteriorados e incompletos y que no los conseguía en las librerías. En una ocasión escribí a la editorial en España y encontré la misma colección (hoy con un tomo adicional), pero a precios inalcanzables. Pero hubo un hecho curioso (y creo que en ello hay algo de la providencia): hace 7 años, cuando me daba unas vueltas por el mercado de libros usados y viejos de Amazonas en el centro de Lima, me encontré con la misma vieja colección de 4 tomos de las obras completas de A.J.Cronin que no eran de segunda mano (por su estado impecable), sino el saldo de alguna vieja librería que por muchos años debió haber pasado de mano en mano de estos libreros informales, hasta parar a mis manos por la módica suma de 90 soles.
Leyendo nuevamente ahora algunas de estas novelas, descubro (o confirmo) la influencia que tuvo en mi juvenil existencia. La búsqueda de las respuestas y el valor de la verdad. Cronin marcó en mi formación, pues lo “encontré” en la etapa de fragilidad ante diversas influencias del entorno y ver en sus páginas sucesos y personas con un alto grado de la moral cristiana y que nada tenía que ver el tiempo ni el lugar en donde se encuentren lo relacioné con facilidad con el estilo de vida que podía elegir. Un elemento recurrente en sus novelas era la presencia de la Esperanza en algunos personajes y que el autor finamente me conducía a identificarme con ellos y sentir también aquella misma sensación al “viajar” entre sus páginas. Encontré también personajes sumamente golpeados y que suavemente se iba develando en ellos un proceso de redención llevándome a la emoción de creer en la bondad. Era una forma de entender que la capacidad de amar es un regalo de Dios y también mostraba con claridad la complementariedad.
Cronin, es un autor casi olvidado hoy día, que merece ser “descubierto” nuevamente por mucha gente, especialmente los jóvenes que prácticamente no conocen las bondades de la lectura. En lo personal, solo debo agregar que no me sobrepaso en reconocer en estas novelas a un instrumento del Señor para un joven con mucha hambre y sed en aquellos años.
León Carrasco
Lima, 2005
February 14, 2017
This book had me right up to the end when something occurred that brought to mind Jean Valjean and Les Miserables and a character does something totally opposite of Valjean and tries to explain that the end justifies the means, I go cold. The interesting thing that I thought as I read was that there would never have been a false accusation and imprisonment with today's technology and then it hit me. IT HIT ME. Even with today's technology, people are still involved and people can still jack with the evidence and cause someone to be incorrectly convicted and save someone with money or power from justice. That was eye-opening and scary. Obviously this story made me think and that is never a bad thing. Interesting and suspenseful mystery.
May 2, 2020
Why is A.J. Cronin not better known? This book reads like a thriller, should be very popular because the problems of justice and selfishness have not gone anywhere, are still with us. For a start, it tells a great story and then, to crown it all, does not leave it there but touches on the difficulties that arise from the altered situation.
I actually bought the book because of the 1959 film I saw under the US title "Web of Evidence". It was incredibly poor, but I noticed the name of A.J. Cronin among the credits, remembered a book of his ("The Citadel") I read years ago and wondered why I hadn't read anything else by him. The plot was good, so I was sure that it would be better told by Cronin himself. The main problem with the film is that Van Johnson at 43 is hopelessly miscast. In the novel Paul is 20 and what he achieves and how he goes about it is largely to do with his youth and energy.
Having read the novel, I understand the title but I think it should be re-issued with a catchier title. Altogether my copy is a publishing disgrace: so physically heavy and awkward to hold, without a front cover illustration and the blurb on the back near impossible to read. Yet the novel is great.
I actually bought the book because of the 1959 film I saw under the US title "Web of Evidence". It was incredibly poor, but I noticed the name of A.J. Cronin among the credits, remembered a book of his ("The Citadel") I read years ago and wondered why I hadn't read anything else by him. The plot was good, so I was sure that it would be better told by Cronin himself. The main problem with the film is that Van Johnson at 43 is hopelessly miscast. In the novel Paul is 20 and what he achieves and how he goes about it is largely to do with his youth and energy.
Having read the novel, I understand the title but I think it should be re-issued with a catchier title. Altogether my copy is a publishing disgrace: so physically heavy and awkward to hold, without a front cover illustration and the blurb on the back near impossible to read. Yet the novel is great.
April 6, 2018
Nje liber te cilin e lexova me nje fryme. Nje novele fantastike e perkthyer ne shqip ne menyre brilante. Ngjarje te rrethuara ne mister, nje njeri i pafajshem i denuar me burg dhe fajtori qe endej i lire neper qytet. Nje djale qe lufton i vetem kunder gjithe asaj maskarade dhe nje e vertete qe ne fund triumfon. Ja u rekomandoj te gjitheve, qe nga mosha e adoleshences e me lart.
October 3, 2016
Very well-written and what a great story!!! I loved it!!! I love all of A.J. Cronin's novels!
June 1, 2018
The best of all his books.
I'd read it years ago and wanted to read it again. I wish everyone had a son like Paul in life
I'd read it years ago and wanted to read it again. I wish everyone had a son like Paul in life
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