WILBUR SMITH
THE TRIUMPH OF THE SUN, 2005, Pan
MacMillan
It is
saddening and difficult to report the rapid decline of anyone or
thing, especially when the standards implicit prior to the decline
have been so high! So it is with Wilbur Smith and his latest work,
"The Triumph of the Sun". Whereas the novels and output
of this prolific and successful novelist have, in the main, lived
well up to expectations; this latest offering singularly fails to
either impress or entertain! As with most of Mr. Smith's work, the
span or breadth of his novel is impressive, based as it is on the
various sieges laid at the doorstep of the city of Khartoum by the
forces loyal to the Mahdi; together with the varying successes or
failures of the relieving forces led by the British. However, where
in his previous work Mr. Smith wrote with a verve which carried
the reader from a solid start, on through the pages to a successful
conclusion; this time the starter (the narrative flow) doesn't mesh,
the fuel (the various plotlines and figures) feeding and powering
his engine doesn't even get the cylinders turning; and unfortunately
the whole engine (the body of "The Triumph of the Sun")
isn't powerful enough to turn the pages, never mind the wheels of
the readers' imagination!
Wilbur Smith's male heroes
are cardboard cut-outs, the female leading figures react in a manner
which may help his idea of an early outcrop of multi-culturalism,
but do not impress or grip this reader. The one area which is surprising
for the writer is in the area of graphic sexual content and description.
This reviewer is aware of the problems inherent in the possibility
of advertising something which is possibly unknown, whilst discussing
the very need for it's inclusion within the pages of this flawed
novel, but do we really need to know all of the calisthenics required
to allow the consenting parties to achieve "completion"?
The attempt by this writer to enliven his narrative by the inclusion
of these graphic scenes doesn't work, and leaves this reader to
believe that Mr. Smith's writing in this area was illuminated by
a belief that his imagination was fuelled by memory; whereas in
possible truth it was driven by a large helping of wishful thinking!
A regretful "thumbs down" from this reviewer, as a sad
salute to a once superb author and builder of fine novels!
MC June05
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