Alright, let me first say that I've avidly read my share of period adventure fiction, including loads of stuff from the 30s... and for what it's worth, I'd seen plenty of the 60s TV show. I thought I knew what to expect. In fact, I bought this book (under the title “The Last Hero”) along with 3 other Charteris “The Saint” books in one go when I was last at Powell's City of Books. Anyhow, I thought I knew what to expect here, or at least I knew what I hoped for, and that isn't what I got.This book is obnoxious. It is a collection of low-brow, low grade action sequences which are all heavily cushioned between many long laborious and dense scenes of endless comical slang dialogue which is all supposed to convince the reader what a cool customer Simon Templer is. There's a plot in there someplace about an arch-villain who plans to use a scientist's new fancy death ray to get a war going in Europe and about “The Saint” refusing a pardon for past crimes so he can remain independent, but none of that has much to do with the endless stream of “clever” chatter and tiresome nicknames that pass between Simon and his too-cool buddies. Essentially, the heroes here are always too smart and too able and too righteous, while the villains are too clumsy and not intimidating enough. Charteris sinks his best opportunities for tension and when he does try to bring about some suspense it's too little too late. Plus there's no travelogue aspect here, it's all set in nondescript British locations that might as well be cardboard backdrops for all the add to the atmosphere.I've never read The Saint or anything by Charteris before (may never again if this is exemplary of his work), but to me this felt like the writings of a young person who feels he's too good for tropes or cliches, so he sort of “outsmarts” himself, right out of writing anything decent. I'm not saying an author shouldn't try to be original, but if one strips away too much from a genre it doesn't leave much for the poor reader to enjoy.
Originally written in the 1920's, this early Simon Templar adventure is a good, pulpish adventure. I was expecting more of a series-mystery novel. I believe that I read a Saint story or two quite a few years ago (I remember seeing the little haloed stick figure on books at my grandmother's house, and seeing copies of the magazine lying about), but I've never really been a fan. As I recall, I thought the television series made him seem like a low-budget Bond imitation, and I don't remember ever reading the comics or encountering the radio dramas. The Saint isn't a detective or spy in this book, but more of a pulp adventure hero: the book cover says a modern-day Robin Hood. In this early story he is the leader of a group of evil-fighting associates, much like Doc Savage or Avenger, though I believe he was pretty much a solo act in his later years. It's a very enjoyable story, as one would expect since his adventures are still in print after close to a century, though a couple of points bothered me. First was the dialog, which may have been witty and dazzling when new, but eventually rang a little false and far too florid and effete to my ears. Surely the bad guys and good guys wouldn't just stand there and exchange witticisms for that many pages, with the Saint calling everyone silly sweetheart names. Secondly, the Saint's lady love, Patricia Holm, doesn't seem to accomplish much except to be captured and need to be rescued a bit too often. She had a lot of potential, but didn't do anything with it except be a damsel-in-distress. Finally, I didn't like the ending. The copy on the back of the cover says one of his friends makes the ultimate sacrifice, so it's no more of a spoiler to say that I thought the protagonist should have found a way to save him, not to duck out to safety with the rest of the crew. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and will probably someday make a point to pick up another couple of books in the series. I won my copy of this book from Goodreads, in a Firstreads giveaway.
Do You like book The Saint Closes The Case (2014)?
(view spoiler)[Bettie's BooksThe rating, any status updates, and those bookshelves, indicate my feelings for this book. (hide spoiler)]
—Bettie☯
The Saint Closes the Case, also known as The Last Hero is a novel by Leslie Charteris, first published in 1930, about the now legendary Simon Templar.This book takes Templar and his cohorts (yes, in the original books The Saint was not a crime fighting one man band, and he also has a regular girlfriend) from foiling an assignation attempt on a visiting prince to trying to stop a weapon of mass destruction from not only falling into the hands of a foreign power but also into the hands of his own government in order to prevent the mass industrial slaughter of World War One happening all over again. He has to deal with the kidnapping of aforementioned girlfriend, the wounding of friends, an old enemy and the occasional irritation of Inspector Claude Eustace Teal of Scotland Yard. There is much fisticuffs, car chases, villainy and witty comments. It is an adventure novel, a mystery novel and, in a way a science fiction novel (when you read about the WMD, you’ll see what I mean). If you think you know Simon Templar through the television and cinema versions, think again. The languid style of Templar’s speech can take a bit of getting use to, but all in all it’s a highly enjoyable read.
—Jim
From 1930, THE LAST HERO(later title was THE SAINT CLOSES THE CASE) would be in modern parlance a fix-up novel. It was initially two separate stories published in THRILLER magazine in 1929. Charteris took a chunk out of the first story and dropped the second in the middle, of course doing some re-writing to smooth things over.The tale concerns Simon Templar and his lady Patricia stumbling upon a demonstration of a new weapon of mass destruction. The Saint is appalled and determines to stop this weapon. The world is still getting over the Great War and the millions sacrificed to then new weapons of tanks and machine guns.Opposing him is Dr. Rayt Marius in this, the first of a loose trilogy with the villain. He grabs Patrivia in a bid to get the scientist and his device, necessitating a rescue.The Simon Templar of this early story is not the genteel fellow of later stories. He's perfectly willing to kill the scientist if he can't be persuaded to abandon development of his super weapon.Excellent.
—Randy
