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Doctor Syn #5
The amazing quest of Doctor Syn
Doctor Syn travels to Wales to compete with another smuggler...
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
About the author
Russell Thorndike
69 books21 followersArthur Russell Thorndike was a British actor and novelist, best known for the Doctor Syn of Romney Marsh novels. Lesser known than his sister Dame Sybil Thorndike but just as versatile, Russell Thorndike's first love was for the pen and, following service in World War I, he devoted himself to writing.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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May 17, 2021Probably the best Doctor Syn book in terms of basic authorial competence. The atmosphere is terrific, there's barely any racism (except against the Welsh), the psychotic violence is mostly enacted off page, the plot exists.
Let it be noted that in this eight-chapter book titled "The Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn", Doctor Syn does not go anywhere at all until chapter, er, eight, and when he does it isn't actually a quest. Or very amazing. However, this is but a trifling issue compared to the usual flaws of this series so well done to the author there.
Let it be noted that in this eight-chapter book titled "The Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn", Doctor Syn does not go anywhere at all until chapter, er, eight, and when he does it isn't actually a quest. Or very amazing. However, this is but a trifling issue compared to the usual flaws of this series so well done to the author there.
January 10, 2022
I started reading this series of Scarecrow books because I watched the show back in the mid-60s when I was about 11 or 12 and loved it. I have been a big fan ever since and these were fun. The previous ones were more of short story collections to some extent, at least a couple, and I enjoyed that. It is fun to see Thordike, an Englishman, capture the speech of those days so well and there was always plenty of action. This was similar but it was a single story wrapped a bit in chapters that made it a little like short stories. It was fun and brought in more characters as well as an interesting primary plot. The one thing though that knocked it down a little was that most of the book dragged a bit but then the final chapter ran like crazy to the finale. It almost seemed Thorndike wanted to end it after writing the previous chapters. The last chapter also seemed a bit contrived and too easy for what happened. All the employees just simply giving in, Pedro giving in, a quickie marriage, the lawyer being allowed to be killed on the cliffs, etc., just too fast, too convenient, and too contrived. I have only one more to read now but that will be a little bit in the future.
February 8, 2016
Although filled with many entertaining moments, I found this to be the first misstep in the series. The central plot around the inheritance was very weak for a Scarecrow adventure. The villain was more of a caricature than a fully fleshed-out creation. And the rescue mission to Wales was much more the result of ego rather than of need.
It amazed me that one potentially fascinating plotline, how the Scarecrow’s Night Riders were infiltrated, was dealt with entirely in the first chapter. To my mind, that was the intriguing plot point, but it is discarded for the inheritance story.
Although there had been a good amount of dialogue in the earlier books, this one was fairly brimming with it. There were moments when I wondered why the characters didn’t be quiet and DO something. Almost every plot turn was described on and on in dialogue as if the reader was going to have difficulty following it.
Now, there were very good portions that cause the book to be worth the read. The rescue mission to try and free one of the Scarecrow’s captured men is exciting, as is the capture of Dr. Syn and the Welsh lawyer. Also, whenever the Scarecrow rides forth, the story picks up immediately.
Despite the deaths, this is a tamer entry in the series. There is a decided effort to make the former Captain Clegg more of a hero … for film friends, more the Disney version than the Hammer version. Indeed, since the first book in the series ends the story, it was difficult for me to imagine the Dr. Syn of this book ever becoming the one portrayed in the first one.
It was still a rollicking-enough adventure that I’ll be continuing the series at a later date. After all, the child in me is still entranced by The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. I only hope that the stakes are higher in the next adventure.
It amazed me that one potentially fascinating plotline, how the Scarecrow’s Night Riders were infiltrated, was dealt with entirely in the first chapter. To my mind, that was the intriguing plot point, but it is discarded for the inheritance story.
Although there had been a good amount of dialogue in the earlier books, this one was fairly brimming with it. There were moments when I wondered why the characters didn’t be quiet and DO something. Almost every plot turn was described on and on in dialogue as if the reader was going to have difficulty following it.
Now, there were very good portions that cause the book to be worth the read. The rescue mission to try and free one of the Scarecrow’s captured men is exciting, as is the capture of Dr. Syn and the Welsh lawyer. Also, whenever the Scarecrow rides forth, the story picks up immediately.
Despite the deaths, this is a tamer entry in the series. There is a decided effort to make the former Captain Clegg more of a hero … for film friends, more the Disney version than the Hammer version. Indeed, since the first book in the series ends the story, it was difficult for me to imagine the Dr. Syn of this book ever becoming the one portrayed in the first one.
It was still a rollicking-enough adventure that I’ll be continuing the series at a later date. After all, the child in me is still entranced by The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. I only hope that the stakes are higher in the next adventure.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews