The Disinformer: Two Novellas - Hardcover

Two ironic novellas make up this slim volume by the versatile actor and author ( The Loser ). The tautly written title story concerns Hilary Glasp, a disgruntled former espionage agent. After a car bomb explodes in London, Glasp makes anonymous calls taking credit for the attack in the name of a nonexistent terrorist organization. Real terrorists are drawn in and Glasp finds himself back in the thick of action. Though Ustinov skewers "the English administrative mind, with its affectation of ignorance and cultivation of distance in the face of emotional or violent behavior," dogged Inspector Mudgeon is wilier than Glasp. The dark farce ends with Glasp caught in his own trap, stoically contemplating a future on the run. Not as effective as the first story, "A Nose by Any Other Name" concerns the daughter of a Kurdish couple living in New Jersey, where the father teaches at a small college. Irritated by her parents' intellectual pretensions and proprietary attitude about her life, Thamar Atoulia decides to get rid of her ethnic nose (the genetic gift of both parents) via plastic surgery. Here Ustinov's tone is too arch and his farcical depiction of the unctuous Atoulias and their rebellious daughter too broad. The O. Henry-like ending of his cautionary tale is predictable early on.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ustinov has shown many times that his storytelling abilities are as effective on paper as they are on screen. Although these two novellas might not be the finest examples of his gift, they will certainly prove enjoyable pastimes for a lazy Sunday afternoon. In both stories, Ustinov incorporates surprise twists that catch the main characters in traps they themselves unknowingly have created. The Disinformer , the better crafted of the two, moves smoothly, offering subtle humor and a serpentine plot. The main character, a retired British spy, finally pulls off an operation unencumbered by governmental bureaucracy. Though also humorous and containing psychological insights, A Nose by Any Other Name is more obvious and its plot tedious. Yet Ustinov is still able to hold a little surprise for the story's end.
- Martin J. Hudacs, Towanda H . S . , Pa.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.