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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
such an odd book. beautiful le Carré writing, but the story is so completely unlike the other two books in the series it made me wonder what was going on and why. the Carla connection is tangential at best.
There's a good story in here but unfortunately the book is about 200 pages too long and has far too many detours and chapters that seem to add little more than window dressing to the plot. where Tinker, Tailor is tight and focused this is loose and distracted (between the Hong Kong opening and the Italy chapter it's nearly 100 pages in before we have any idea where the book is going).
This is a complex, not necessarily easy read, but it also has so much depth if you can keep going. Set at the end of the Vietnam War as the US prepare to withdraw and takes place in Hong Kong, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. The beginning of the book was a long, slow and methodical setup for the story that followed, following the exhaustive footwork of the agents looking for clues as to why certain people are very important to the Soviets. Each page leaves more questions not less.
Characters even minor ones are humans, with hardly a cardboard cut out amongst them, even the minor ones jump off the page as being somewhat more than human. We live with them, grieve with them as the dead bodies are found and want to kill a few as being distinctly annoying, or is it all just a front? Well that's Le Carre for you and as the story moves on the better it gets and the ending - well the ending builds the pages turn quicker and its never quite what you expect. Its the most loved thing about Le Carre books, the thing that gets you through those slow starts where your wondering why you've begun it. Keep going he's worth it and no I'm not saying - read it!
Characters even minor ones are humans, with hardly a cardboard cut out amongst them, even the minor ones jump off the page as being somewhat more than human. We live with them, grieve with them as the dead bodies are found and want to kill a few as being distinctly annoying, or is it all just a front? Well that's Le Carre for you and as the story moves on the better it gets and the ending - well the ending builds the pages turn quicker and its never quite what you expect. Its the most loved thing about Le Carre books, the thing that gets you through those slow starts where your wondering why you've begun it. Keep going he's worth it and no I'm not saying - read it!
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The racism and misogyny in this book are so bad I started skimming and skipping through just to find out what happened. Do not recommend.
challenging
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Le Carre's subtle submission for literary criticism! There's a two page sprint where he dashes Hemingway, flaunts Hesse and hints at Woolf. All performed under the guise of highbrow intellectual speak between English gentlemen. I count that the true spywork.
I believe I read this before but that could have been anytime in the past 50 years. I don't remember reading it at all.
5 stars of course, for the writing and the plot. One has to pay attention or the details will slip by.
Warning: since it was written in the 1970s there are racial and social comments that would not pass now.
5 stars of course, for the writing and the plot. One has to pay attention or the details will slip by.
Warning: since it was written in the 1970s there are racial and social comments that would not pass now.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes