“Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story. (You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any movies featuring James Bond?)
Secret agents in this fiction are represented as ideal men, tall dark and handsome. They are typically well built and have beautiful women in accompany them. They usually smoke pipe or cigar and do dangerous breath taking difficult stunts. James bond is a very famous and special character by lan fleming. The movies that based on james bond show hi-tech gizmos which help the detective in encountering the villains. There is an character named fleuda which was created by satyajit ray, the famous bangla filmmaker. He was typical bhadralok by appearance.
How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?
Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max? Do you think he had worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a plan taking advantage of events as they happened?
How does Ausable say he got in?
Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?
How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
How has Max got in?
Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
What does Horace Danby like to collect?
How did the invisible man first become visible?
How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?
What kind of a person is Mme Loisel — why is she always unhappy?
Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?
Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Book’?
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
What guesses are made by Think–Tank about the books found on earth?
If you were caught in a situation like this, how would you have dealt with it?
When the lawyer reached New Mullion, did ‘Bill’ know that he was looking for Lutkins? When do you think Bill came up with his plan for fooling the lawyer?
Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it?
Lutkins openly takes the lawyer all over the village. How is it that no one lets out the secret? (Hint: Notice that the hack driver asks the lawyer to keep out of sight behind him when they go into Fritz’s.) Can you find other such subtle ways in which Lutkins manipulates the tour?
Who is speaking to Horace Danby?
Why does he steal every year?
What does he say about Lutkins?
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?