The Four Feathers [Paperback]

Harry Feversham is a young officer in the British army whose greatest fear is to be seen a coward, and disgrace those whom he loves. On the night he finds out that he is to be sent to war in Egypt, he resigns his commission in order to avoid any possibility that his fears may be realized. In response to Feversham's act, three of his friends send him three white feathers as a symbol that in their eyes, the decision makes him a coward. When Feversham's fiancee, Ethne Eustace, finds out about Feversham's act and the three feathers, she gives Harry a fourth feather, and casts him out of her life. A broken man, Feversham quitely resolves to redeem himself by proving his bravery to each of the four, forcing each to recant their accusation of cowardice and take back the feather that each person gave.

What evolves is a grand tale of adventure, as the lives of Feversham and his closest friends move along through the next few years. Ethne moves on with her life, while not entirely forgetting Feversham, nor forgiving herself for her harsh treatment of him. Harry's best friend, Jack Durrance, is blinded in the Sudan and returns to England to marry Ethne, but never forgets about Feversham, and wonders what happened to his friend. As details of Feversham's deeds begin to emerge, both Ethne and Durrance begin to understand Feversham's character; they realize their true feelings about him, and about each other.

The characters in Mason's story have a Victorian simplicity, which, while limiting their outward emotions, adds to the conflict with which they have to deal. The desire to do the right thing, for love or friendship, is a strong theme in this book, which works well with the contrast between the harsh Sudan and the comforts of England; for in each location, the characters are found to suffer and survive in different ways, but in equal measure. For having been written 100 years ago, the characters and story hold up very well against modern standards.

I very much enjoyed this book, and now understand why it has been made into a movie several times. The combination of intense emotion and epic adventure in far-off lands makes for some compelling reading, and a wonderful story.

The ideals of the novel reflect those of Victorian England: men fight for their Queen and country without hesitation. While Harry's motives are partially justified by the author, he is still presented as a coward. The entire idea of British Imperial glory is actively espoused by the novel. While this is engaging in a historical context, a classic should have universal themes which retain relevancy. Unfortunately, one of the major themes of this book does not.

Finally, the character development is very clichéd. Ethane is the stubborn, independent woman, while Durrance's increased awareness after his blindness is another expected episode. An interesting point about the character development is that important information is conveyed through the actions of each individual. This makes the revelations much more believable, despite the third person narrator.

While the book was an interesting read due to historical value, overall I feel that it falls more into the period piece section than literary classic.