Classic Brit adventure

Good, not great. Enjoyable story and did like the ending.

I read this because it is a classic, but I never really got into it. However, I'm glad I read it because there are references to this work in many places.

I really love this story, but I was disappointed in the way the writer went about telling it. Harry Faversham receives three feathers from men in his military unit, signifying cowardice, and when his fiancee gives him a fourth, he sets out to prove his courage to the three by saving their lives, thus, also convincing her to take him back. The plot is exciting - how will he prove himself, etc. Yet, instead of following Harry on his adventures, the story is mostly told second-hand. The bulk of the book instead follows his ex-fiancee and his old friend, away from the action in England and Ireland. There are parts that do follow Harry on his quest, but I would rather those parts be the bulk of the book than the long, drawn-out dialogues between the others. Overall, I appreciate the book and its characters, yet I feel I would have appreciated it more if it actually had been an adventure book, which is how it's marketed.

The story line promises such interest, but the writing is not engaging at all. It's a shame with a great plot line.

I was impressed with the book when it first began. However, it did grow a little tedious as it went on. It should be noted that much of the book is told through the third person. Someone else is describing the action that the main character went through. It isn't until the last third or so of the book that you get to see the action through his eyes. It wasn't a bad book, just not one of my favorites.

An excellent story about love, courage, and honor. After reading the novel you’ll realize how pitifully simple all the movies are, the only way you could do proper justice to the magnitude of the novel would be a first rate TV show. There are so many characters, so much background history, so many exploits and motivations, that the book is never boring. The characters will each evoke powerful emotions, and Mason really captures the full scope of the human mind. Harry Feversham is probably one of my favorite characters, because he is so real, and his person is not something that would have occurred to just any author. His motivations are so pure, yet never simple, that you won’t be able to stop yourself from admiring him. The ending of this book is just so powerful, that I feel I cannot do it justice in a review without giving away spoilers. Suffice it to say, it’s an often underrated masterpiece.

Nota Bene: I can only review the book as someone who had seen the movie first.

That said, the book and the 2002 adaptation are quite different. In setting, in theme, in the portrayal of the characters, and in many other areas they differ quite a bit.

Not that that makes either of them not good. (minor spoilers follow) The movie is a romance, primarily is an adventure story, and takes place primarily in Africa. Harry Feversham (Heath Ledger) is the main character and the focus is on his journey to reclaim what has been taken from him via the titular four feathers. The book is much more interested in the psychology of its characters, is primarily an exploration of its characters motives and thoughts, and takes place mainly in Great Britain. Harry is still A main character, but is by no means THE main character. Others, namely Colonel Durrance, get much more time to shine.

The verdict? I think I preferred to experience them in this order: movie first and then book. I feel like I would have been disappointed by the movie's choices in adapting the story, whereas this way it's easier for me to appreciate them separately and for what they are. I like them both and would recommend them to those that I think would enjoy them.