This is an autobiography of a man who escaped Turkish custody during the first world war. Spoiler: It's also one of the strangest prisoner of war escape stories I've ever read.
Jones is the main character here, and he's the one that comes up with the plan. It all starts out as a way to pass the time and mess with his fellow prisoners. He gets a postcard telling him about Ouija boards, and he makes his own. What follows is one of the most convoluted experiences I'm sure these prisoners have ever been a part of. Most of them are just unaware of their participation.
Jones ends up dedicated to the idea of the Spook. He gets the commandant of the camp to believe the Spook will be able to help him find a treasure. This is what Jones believes will be his ticket out of the camp. He has a comrade, Hill, and the two of them work together to use the Spook to find freedom. By acting insane.
This story was crazy. I think if someone tried to pass it off as fiction, critics would rail at it for being too outrageous and nonsensical. As it was, I was surprised at the lengths these men went to trying to get back to England. In the end, I'm wondering if it was really worth it. They endured sickness, starvation and had to keep up the ruse for many months. On the flip side, they did help out their friends a few times.
The copy I had was pretty jacked up. The footnotes would just pop up wherever and interrupt the story. It was strange, and I'm not sure, but I think my epub came from Gutenberg. If you end up tracking this one down, just skim through and make sure you get a decent copy.
Overall, this was a bit of a weird one. It's unique for sure. The writing style was good. I just had a bad copy. I think if you're looking for the usual POW escape story, you'll be scratching your head. If you're wanting to read something you'd never dream of in a million years, this is right up your alley. And you'll probably still be scratching your head when you're done. Good Book!
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