The Eye of Zeitoon

by George B. Scott

This is a reproduction of the original artefact. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. This allows us to preserve the book accurately and present it in the way the author intended. Since the original versions are generally quite old, there may occasionally be certain imperfections within these reproductions. We're happy to make these classics available again for future generations to enjoy!

Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Fiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1920

Reviews

[Paul Cornelius]

Uneven and perhaps even ragged during the first third, The Eye of Zeitoon recovers nicely towards its latter third. Zeitoon reintroduces the four characters Mundy created for The Ivory Trail, an anonymous narrator; the American, Will Yerkes; an Englishman, Fred Oakes; and the English aristocrat, Lord Montdidier. Montdidier, or Monty, is the titular head of this band, although, as in The Ivory Trail, he tends to disappear for long passages of time.

The story itself has moved from East Africa to the Ottoman Empire and an Armenian redoubt in the mountains. Mundy has chosen to publicize the Turkish massacres of the Armenians and glorify their great resistance in Zeitoon, hoping, like the Americans in the novel, to spread word of the Amenian cause to the United States.

All in all, it's another fine adventure tale. And, like all the early Mundy stories, crisp and clean in its storytelling. A few recurring motifs: once again, the novel moves to mountainous high ground, where it resolves itself; it also makes use of an Indian Rajput of military origins who proves his honor and worthiness; it also positions the face of empire in eclipse, especially in the person of Monty, whose fate symbolizes the fast approaching fate of colonial Britain.

[Bish Denham]

This almost reads like a factual historical novel as it takes place in the Ottoman Empire right before the start of Italo-Turkish war of 1911. It is about Armenians struggling to be free of ruthless Turks. And, it is about 3 Englishmen an American man and a strong, fearless American woman who accidentally on purpose join the fight on the side of the Armenians. It is dark, tragic, loaded with intrigue, and filled with majestic and beautiful descriptions of the country.

A few samples of the writing
Through the partly open door we could smell everything that ever happened since the beginning of the world.

"How did sunshine come into the garden? By whose leave came the wind?"

Oh, all the world is sick with hate,
And who shall heal it, friend o' mine?
And who is friend? And who shall stand
Since hireling tongue and alien hand
Kill nobleness in all this land?

Dawn broke sweet and calm. For it makes no matter if a nation writhes in agony, or man wreaks hate on man, the wind and the sky will whisper and smile; the scent of wild flowers is not canceled by the stench of tired humanity.