Stamboul Train
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| Author | Graham Greene |
|---|---|
| Country | Britain |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Thriller, Novel |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Released | 1932 |
| Media Type | Hardcover(first edition) |
| Pages | 307 p. (first edition) |
| ISBN | NA |
Stamboul Train (1932) is a novel by author Graham Greene. A thriller set on an Orient Express train, it was renamed Orient Express when it was published in the United States.
[edit] Overview
Greene called the novel an "entertainement" so as to distinguish it from his other works. The novel focuses on the lives of individuals aboard the train as it makes a trip from Ostend to Constantinople.
The work, whilst regarded as an "entertainement" by Greene, does tackle broader issues, such as Racism and Socialism/Communism.
[edit] Characters
The central characters are a Socialist or Communist doctor, journalist and her companion, thief, currant trader, and dancer.
The doctor - described sometimes as a socialist and at another a communist - is returning to face trial for political crimes, as an agitator for class war.
The thief, fleeing a murder after a bungeled robbery, uses his charisma and intelligence in his attempt to flee his country.
The currant trader, a Jew, is travelling on buisness and faces racism as he travells through pre-World War II Germany.
The journalist is following the doctor, to report on his travels.
The dancer is travelling to a new job she has been offered.
