BOOK REPORT OF 'THE LIGHT OF DAY'

1. Title : The Light of Day.
2. Author : Eric Ambler.
3. Publisher : Oxford University Press, News Building, North Point, Hong Kong, 1978.
4. Number of Pages : 93
5. Settings : Greek and Turkey
6. Characters :
a. Arthur (main character):
- A driver who is also a tourist guide.
- Uses glasses, quite fat, with thick beard and moustache.
- Bravely in taking risk.
- British-Egyptian.
- Smart, but sometimes he can be awkward.
b. Harper:
- Tourist (and also one of the robbers).
- Has straight fair hair.
- Unpleasant and offensive mannered.
- Kind, but can suddenly be emotional.
- American.
- Usually use formal suit.
c. Major Tufan:
- Senior Turkish secret police officer.
- Emphatic, and friendly.
d. Miss Lipp:
- Harper’s employer, and one of the robbers.
- Has short wavy brownish hair, and tall.
- Woman on his mid 30’s.
- Cold hearted, and unpleasant mannered.
e. Mr. Miller:
- In his 60’s.
- Have similar personality as Harper has.
- One of the robbers.
f. Fischer:
- On of the robbers.
- Rude, and temperamental.
g. Geven:
- Servant.
- Dark, short, moon-faced, and middle-aged.
- His mouth was wide, with a three-day beard.
- Friendly old drunken man, but can suddenly be temperamental, and attack someone.
h. Mr. Giulio:
- Wealthy Italian gentleman at Pendik.
- One of the robbers.
i. Tufan’s men.
j. The Hamuls.
7. Summarized story:
One day, Arthur was being a driver of a tourist named Harper. But, he tried to steal traveller’s cheques of the tourist which were left in his unlocked room. Unfortunately, Harper knew it. Then, Harper made Arthur wrote a letter to threaten him. Arthur must also deliver a car to Istanbul, to a woman called Lipp, if he didn’t want to be put in jail.
On the way to Istanbul, Arthur was arrested by Turkish police, because in the door of the car,, they found grenades, pistols, bullets, and respirators. To Major Tufan he told his story. Then, Tufan sent him to continue his driving with those grenades inside, to get more information for the police. At the Villa Sardunya, he met Miss Lipp, and he became her driver while she was in Turkey. After reporting it to Tufan, Arthur was ordered to investigate more. It is because he would stay at The Villa Sardunya, together with Miss Lipp and her friends, as their driver. At the villa, he met two other men, Fischer and Miller. As their driver, Arthur drove the men to Pendik to meet a man called Giulio, and once to Seraglio Palace with Miss Lipp, while keeping his investigation and reporting tu Tufan.
One evening, Arthur heard the discussion of the men and woman about a map. Then Tufan wanted him to search for it. But he failed. On the same evening, Geven, the servant was drunk and attack Fischer who insulted him.
Next evening, Arthur was unbelievably asked to join the team, whom he knew later as the robbers! And they wanted to rob the old Sultan’s treasure, at Seraglio Palace. He then accepted the invitation, as what Tufan ordered to him. Arthur and the robbers went to the palace, and they did! They tried to runaway by yacht and a car which has been prepared by Giulio. They planned to escape to Rome by plane. On the way to airport, unfortunately, they were followed by Tufan’s men. But Miss Lipp as the driver can escape them twice. Right at that moment, Arthur remembered that his passport was out of date. It made the men angry of him.
Arthur then tried to delay the time for the police to come over them. Because they put the treasure stones in the door of the car, they had to open it with screwdriver. So, Arthur pretended to lose it. Harper was very angry, and he threatened Arthur by his pistols. When Harper was binding down to unscrew the door, and the other had entered the airport, Arthur slit into the driving seat gently and runaway with the car, to Tufan’s office.
Although Tufan had gotten the jewels back, and they knew the robbers, he was not pleased with Arthur’s work, because he didn’t carry out the orders. Italian police wouldn’t arrest the robbers, because they wouldn’t believe Arthur’s story too. There wasn’t any proof to be showed.
Finally, Arthur was paid only 500 American dollars, less than what he had expected. When he came out of the office, he still had to walk a mile to find a taxi. That made him angrier still.

8. Comments : Eric Ambler’s ‘The Light of Day’ is very interesting story to be read. This is because the conflicts are very well arranged by the writer, since the beginning part. Much action and good illustrations also attract the reader to read more and follow the story. So, this story is not a boring one, especially because of the language grade which is simplified according to reader’s English level.