The triple echo door H.E. Bates

Title: The Triple Echo written by: H.E. Bates

Author

Bates was born in 1905 in Northhamptonshire. He went to school at the Kettering Grammar School. His first book is called: The Two Sisters, which he wrote when he was 20. Many other books followed. The Triple Echo is one of his last works. Bates also wrote some books on gardening, essays about country life and some plays. His books have been translated into 16 languages.
He married in 1931, had four kids, won the c.b.e. in 1973 and died in 1974.

Explanation of the Title
In the end the main character, Alice, shoots the sergeant and the shot has a triple echo.

Genre

It's an adventure story

Short description of the main character

Alice - She's a bit nervous and paranoid. She lives alone ever since her husband went to the war in Japan, where he was caught by the Japs. She lives very isolated, that's why she's so nervous.
Berton - He's a soldier who doesn't want to go back to the army, and doesn't, which is illegal. So he goes in disguise as Alices sister. But he seems to like his feminine disguise a bit too much.

Plot

Alice lives all alone at her farm, isolated from everyone. Until a soldier, Berton, comes along on a walk. From than on he comes every night. When he gets a week off, he spends it with Alice and by the end of the week he doesn't return to the army. No one must know where Berton is and so he's disguised as Alices sister. He lets his hair grow, manicures his nails etc. Then a sergeant comes along and keeps asking Alice and her 'sister' to one of the weekly army dances. After a few of the sergeants visits, Berton goes to a dance as a joke. But the next day, some how the sergeant has found out that the sister is Berton so he comes and gets him. How the sergeant suddenly knows is not told, but suggested is that he tried to do something with him/her at the dance. So they get Benton and then Alice shoots the sergeant.

Narrative structure

The story totally chronological.

Theme

Hiding a soldier.

Opinion
I think the story is very boring. It's about nothing. There is not one exciting moment in the whole book.