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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Thoroughly enjoyed it but I think I'll read it again. It took me a long time to get through with a lot of interruptions which was far from ideal.
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this a very poor novel, which was a shame as I enjoyed Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Firstly, it's WAY too long for the material covered. There appears to have been little rigour in editing it and - in consequence - it drags on interminably. Despite its length the characters introduced don't really gain any depth. The amount of stories about them provide breadth but little that really explores them in any kind of deep way.
The plot itself is ridiculous and fantastical. That isn't in itself a problem as spy novels are a break from reality. But this manages to be fantastical yet dull. Many of the encounters are just ridiculous. There's no pace until the penultimate chapter.
And even the ending is a complete damp squib
I know it isn't narrated by a main character but there are frequent inclusions of uncommon words which seem out of place in the book and maybe are designed to show off the author's vocabulary.
It was a real struggle to finish it and I only did because I found the previous book better and I wanted to find out the next stage in the Karla trilogy.
Really very poor
Firstly, it's WAY too long for the material covered. There appears to have been little rigour in editing it and - in consequence - it drags on interminably. Despite its length the characters introduced don't really gain any depth. The amount of stories about them provide breadth but little that really explores them in any kind of deep way.
The plot itself is ridiculous and fantastical. That isn't in itself a problem as spy novels are a break from reality. But this manages to be fantastical yet dull. Many of the encounters are just ridiculous. There's no pace until the penultimate chapter.
And even the ending is a complete damp squib
I know it isn't narrated by a main character but there are frequent inclusions of uncommon words which seem out of place in the book and maybe are designed to show off the author's vocabulary.
It was a real struggle to finish it and I only did because I found the previous book better and I wanted to find out the next stage in the Karla trilogy.
Really very poor
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes