Uncommon danger

Discussion questions for Uncommon danger

Bring these to your book club — or discuss them with readers on Readfeed.

1. 1

   How does Eric Ambler subvert the traditional "hero" archetype through the character of Steve Kenyon, an ordinary man who stumbles into international espionage purely out of financial desperation?

2. 2

   In what ways does Ambler portray the geopolitical tensions of the late 1930s Europe as a cynical chess game, and how do the motivations of the major powers compare to the individual stakes of the people caught in the middle?

3. 3

   Kenyon takes a job from a man he immediately recognizes as untrustworthy because he desperately needs the money. Have you ever found yourself compromising your better judgment or taking a risky shortcut due to financial pressure?