"Pascali's Island" By Barry Unsworth
1Pascali's Island is a novel by Barry Unsworth set in a small island called Anatolia during the late Ottoman Empire. The main character of the novel is Pascal Emmanuel Seraphim Pascali, a spy for the Ottoman Empire who has been stationed on the island for many years. Pascali is a deeply unhappy and paranoid man who is obsessed with proving his worth to his superiors and getting recognition for his work.
The story begins with the arrival of a British archaeologist named Charles Horton to the island. Horton is there to excavate an ancient temple and Pascali is tasked with spying on him and reporting back to the Ottoman authorities. Pascali is immediately suspicious of Horton and becomes convinced that he is up to something nefarious.
As the novel progresses, Pascali becomes more and more paranoid and begins to suspect that everyone on the island is plotting against him. He becomes increasingly isolated and begins to lose touch with reality. At the same time, Horton becomes more and more involved with the local community and begins to see the island in a different light.
As their paths intersect, Pascali and Horton become locked in a dangerous struggle that threatens to tear the island apart. Pascali's obsession with proving himself leads him to make a series of disastrous decisions that ultimately lead to his downfall.
Throughout the novel, Unsworth explores themes of identity, loyalty, and betrayal. Pascali is a complex and deeply flawed character who is struggling to find his place in the world. He is torn between his loyalty to the Ottoman Empire and his own desires and ambitions. Horton, on the other hand, is a more straightforward character who is driven by his love of archaeology and his desire to understand the past.
Pascali's Island is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that delves into the complexities of human nature and the dangers of obsession. It is a powerful exploration of the lengths that people will go to in order to achieve their goals and the consequences of those actions.