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The Governors
The Governors
Phineas Duge, leader of a group of American millionaires who work financial deals together, suspects his colleagues of crooked dealings, and tricks them into signing a document that gives him power over the group. During a struggle the document is stolen from Duge, and everyone is pulled into a frantic search to reclaim the incriminating paper.
Book Excerpt
e who could talk like that about his own child."
He smiled softly.
"You have the quality," he said, "which I admire most in your sex, and find most seldom. You are candid. You come from a little world where sentiment almost governs life. It is not so here. I am a kind man, I believe, but I am also just. My daughter deceived me, and for deceit I have no forgiveness. Do you still think me cruel, Virginia?"
"I am wondering," she answered frankly. "You see, I have read about you in the papers, and I was terribly frightened when mother told me that I was to come. Directly I saw you, you seemed quite a different person, and now again I am afraid."
"Ah!" he sighed, "that terrible Press of ours! They told you, I suppose, that I was hard, unscrupulous, unforgiving, a money-making machine, and all the rest of it. Do you think that I look like that, Virginia?"
"I am very sure that you do not," she answered.
"You will know me better, I hope, in a year or so's time," he said. "If you wish to please me, t
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Out of the sixteen or so Oppenheim books I've so far read, The Governors stands high, primarily because of the female characters.
It shares many of Oppenheims usual faults: blatant coincidences, characters who fail to respond to provocation as normal humans should, excessive gourmandizing (food, drink, continual smoking by everyone), too great a fascination with the English upper class, and a happy ending in which almost everyone participates, deserving or not. In fact, it might be argued that Oppenheim's greatest weakness is weak villains who are too weakly punished.
Still, the heroine makes up for a great deal.
Next, on to The Great Impersonation, EPO's most successful story.
It shares many of Oppenheims usual faults: blatant coincidences, characters who fail to respond to provocation as normal humans should, excessive gourmandizing (food, drink, continual smoking by everyone), too great a fascination with the English upper class, and a happy ending in which almost everyone participates, deserving or not. In fact, it might be argued that Oppenheim's greatest weakness is weak villains who are too weakly punished.
Still, the heroine makes up for a great deal.
Next, on to The Great Impersonation, EPO's most successful story.
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I have read this book twice now. It's great! An engrossing tale of financial intrigue, full of shadowy characters and shady dealings, its best feature is Virginia Longworth, who proves a truly memorable heroine. Though out of her element, she shows remarkable courage, audacity, and resourcefulness. It goes to show that women were not always portrayed as damsels in distress at this time. It keeps you going until the end.
06/09/2011
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