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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Though the story involves spies, it is hard to say this is exactly a spy novel. It felt more like a memoir or a confession. Beautifully written. Nothing I've read of LeCarre (including this novel) is simple, so even though the prose flows, the plots take some discipline to follow. "A Perfect Spy" has the added feature of taking place in random sequences through various characters' points of view. The result is a satisfying exercise of the mind although the lives depicted are almost uniformly unhappy (and that is a little hard on the heart).
my favourite le carré???? even better than SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD??!?
A master at the top of his powers. Uses elements of autobiography perfectly. Gets deeper into minds than plenty of more literary writers ever manage.
A master at the top of his powers. Uses elements of autobiography perfectly. Gets deeper into minds than plenty of more literary writers ever manage.
I read this for the Mass Center for the Book 2025 Reading Challenge. The prompt was to read something set or published in the year of your birth. I chose to read le Carre's A PERFECT SPY because my reading trends heavily toward books published in the past decade. I was surprised at how the style seemed for reminiscent of what we would consider "classic" literature vs contemporary, but I guess 1986 is further away from the present than I'd care to admit. I found the style confusing with the constant POV and voice changes and often had little to no clue what was happening. Like many dual timeline novels, I cared much more for one of the storylines, in this case the present day. I liked learning about Pym's journey to spycraft, but while I understand that Rick's story had a massive influence on Pym's ability to be "a perfect spy", I didn't care much about it. I would have preferred more of Pym's interiority. The writing seemed distant. Lastly, I had issues the way the female characters were presented as simply sexual object, but I guess that's to be expected in a novel from the 80s written by a man.
mysterious
slow-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I LOVE the writing style. This book isn’t a typical spy thriller - don’t expect it to be. It’s more of a psychoanalysis of a spy with details of the fallout as it affects others thrown in. I do feel like it could have been 50 pages shorter.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes