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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Well Crafted. That's a phrase that's overused. We should save those phrases for the best of the craft. We should only use the phrase, well-crafted, for a novel with pieces assembled like a 90,000 piece puzzle, without a single piece missing and none leftover when the board is complete. We should only use that phrase for this novel, this crafted masterpiece of suspense.
I wondered why people like Le Carre. Now I know.
I was Magnus Pym and I didn't know him. Magnus's father weaved in and out of the book like threads in a tapestry, yet he was the most important piece - a con man who was pure of motive who couldn't teach Magnus right and wrong because there isn't any such thing.
I learned more about love and sex and lust from this book than I learned from my first three girlfriends. I learned more about what it means to be human from a flawed double agent than from a thousand hours of Sunday School.
The language was hypnotic. The dialect encompassed me and the careful word choice fooled me.
The twists frightened me more than a roller coaster. The turns took my breath away.
I am now in awe. I know what he's capable of, and I hope someway, somehow, he repeats it.
I wondered why people like Le Carre. Now I know.
I was Magnus Pym and I didn't know him. Magnus's father weaved in and out of the book like threads in a tapestry, yet he was the most important piece - a con man who was pure of motive who couldn't teach Magnus right and wrong because there isn't any such thing.
I learned more about love and sex and lust from this book than I learned from my first three girlfriends. I learned more about what it means to be human from a flawed double agent than from a thousand hours of Sunday School.
The language was hypnotic. The dialect encompassed me and the careful word choice fooled me.
The twists frightened me more than a roller coaster. The turns took my breath away.
I am now in awe. I know what he's capable of, and I hope someway, somehow, he repeats it.
"A perfect spy" by John Le Carré is has its spy elements, but it really a story about the relationship between a father and son, across the lifetime of both. Suspense isn't the thing here, but characters and story are great.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A dense, winding book full of delightful revelations. The structure helps build a picture that slowly unfolds before your eyes as the story jumps around through time and seemingly innocuous details become hugely significant. An amazing exploration of flawed character and the people who fall into his orbit.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It took a while to get used to the shifting timeline and some of the slang, but all in all an excellent read. This one is much different from other le Carre novels I've read in the past.
A PERFECT SPY by John Le Carre was originally published in 1986, but through a recent acquisition, Dreamscape Media obtained exclusive audiobook rights to 13 of Le Carre's titles. This audiobook is expertly narrated by Shaun Evans.
Magnus Pym is a double agent, and this story, told across storylines, reveals how and why Pym reached this point. Pym's father is a con-artist and everything seems to coalesce when he dies. What led Pym to disappear? Why would he abandon his wife and friends and hide away? Will he be caught?
A PERFECT SPY, considered Le Carre's most autobiographical novel, is a gripping listen and demonstrates why Le Carre is considered the preeminent novelist of spy fiction.
(I received a digital ALC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
A Perfect Spy by John Le Carré and narrated by Shaun Evans is simply outstanding.
Spy novels are not usually my jam, not to say they are not action packed and well written etc, just a bit implausible (ie 007) However, to see the true grit, intrigue and ramifications of espionage on the family and the state in two timelines is enthralling
Shaun Evans is the perfect narrator for this audiobook. Dynamic yet with subtle nuances that enhance an already strong narrative, a real joy to listen to
Magnus Pym has disappeared and his story, the truth, emerges throughout the narrative, in relation to his family, those who knew him and the risk to the state. A captivating tale that had me hooked from the first chapter due to Le Carre's skilled storytelling
Brilliant
Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, John Le Carre and the narrator Shaun Evans for this awesome ALC. My review is left vountarily and all opinions are my own
Spy novels are not usually my jam, not to say they are not action packed and well written etc, just a bit implausible (ie 007) However, to see the true grit, intrigue and ramifications of espionage on the family and the state in two timelines is enthralling
Shaun Evans is the perfect narrator for this audiobook. Dynamic yet with subtle nuances that enhance an already strong narrative, a real joy to listen to
Magnus Pym has disappeared and his story, the truth, emerges throughout the narrative, in relation to his family, those who knew him and the risk to the state. A captivating tale that had me hooked from the first chapter due to Le Carre's skilled storytelling
Brilliant
Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, John Le Carre and the narrator Shaun Evans for this awesome ALC. My review is left vountarily and all opinions are my own