Every once in a while, I come across a book that I would never otherwise pick up. One day when I was digging through a cardboard box of film negatives and 1970s postcards in a Chinese flea market, I made a deal with the seller: “60 kuai for this handful of useless Cultural-Revolution-era negatives. And toss in that English book over there as well.” It was a deal, and that’s the true story of how I came across Traders.
I enjoy spy novels, and 1980 was the year Robert Ludlum published The Bourne Identity, so I guess the book did appeal to me on some levels. But as I got into it, I found that it was more about the business of arms-dealing than about the action such arms dealing might produce.
Adam Kahn, the hero, was a Afghani prince whose kingdom was torn from him when a rival family murdered his father and ran him out of the country. He left his homeland penniless but well-trained by his “uncle” in mental warfare. After making his first million, he sided with an arms dealer, married the man’s teenage daughter, and inherited the empire. From that point on, he grew in wealth and power, but not in the corruption that takes many in his line of work.
Adam’s wife Elaine is a faithful bride who likes “intimacy” more than your average woman, which gives this book the sex-appeal that most authors of the era felt they needed to add. It’s not too overplayed and stops short of giving heavy details, but it definitely plays a role in the story. Woodhouse’s language is light compared to Ludlum’s (who uses Jesus’ name three times per page, it seems). But again, it’s present in the story.
The intrigue in this book isn’t as strong as it could have been, but Woodhouse’s writing is filled with interesting detail. I actually quite enjoyed his literary style in several chapters. In fact, Part 2 (of three) titled “THEN” could itself be a stand-alone short novel. It contained everything that made this story worth reading, and it was by far my favorite section of the book. Chapter 4 especially, which describes Adam’s duel with a young man who offended him, would be worth reading again all by itself. I truly enjoyed that whole third of the book.
I wouldn’t necessary recommend this novel. It’s one I’ll probably forget in a month. But if it’s the only English book lying around you at your next Chinese flea market, I guess it wouldn’t be a complete waste of your time.
©2018 E.T.