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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
As always, the characters make it but the detail-oriented observational technique is incredible too.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This is considered by many to be the best of the George Smiley books but while there is no doubt this is a good book it is the only book of le Carré's that i have found dragged, and it is a good couple of hundred pages more than some of the other books in the series.
I also found that the main protagonist i did not really understand his reasoning at the end of the book. The ending while very well done was also kind of unfulfilling and i know that it is more realistic because of that but i wanted a little bit of closure more my wish that anything wrong with the story.
This is not a book everyone will enjoy the book is slow and there are some issues with terminology but if you have read other works in this series you will have them under your belt.
I also found that the main protagonist i did not really understand his reasoning at the end of the book. The ending while very well done was also kind of unfulfilling and i know that it is more realistic because of that but i wanted a little bit of closure more my wish that anything wrong with the story.
This is not a book everyone will enjoy the book is slow and there are some issues with terminology but if you have read other works in this series you will have them under your belt.
A knotty look into the wars and shifting alliances of East Asia in the 1970's and the games spies play across them--intricately plotted, carefully written, and deeply atmospheric.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had many interesting and compelling elements that did not quite mesh. There's the story of Jerry Westerby, following the trail of Soviet intelligence money through British Hong Kong and the collapsing regimes of 1970s Southeast Asia. Then there is George Smiley and his team, maneuvering the Circus through bureaucratic minefields in London, while also looking for clues to Jerry's mystery. While the Smiley-Circus story had some interesting parts, but felt rushed and generally relied on too much explication; it should have either been fleshed out much more, or should have been cut out. The Jerry Westerby story felt much more natural and compelling, and could have stood on its own as a novel or novella. While I enjoyed the Honourable Schoolboy, I can see why the BBC skipped over it and went directly to Smiley's People when they did the Sequel to the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy miniseries.
Somehow manages to be more action-oriented than Tinker Tailor, yet less engaging. Not enough Smiley, too much Hemingway-inspired Jerry Westerby for me (I am so not a fan of Hemingway, so this might be more appealing to someone who is). Also, given the author's skill with language and with creating dialog specific to each character, I assume his repeated use of the word "girl" to describe any female aged 3-40 must have been an intentional type of chauvinism rather than laziness; whatever the reason, given the situations the womanizing Westerby found himself in, it was occasionally very confusing/disturbing.
Very good, Le Carré really is the master of spy stories. Not as strong as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and maybe a touch too long, but still gripping, well written and entertaining!
This book starts slow, the first half is kind of hit or miss for me. It is slow and sometimes feels unconnected with a lot of fat, but I still enjoyed reading this every night. When you get to part 2, about half way in, it gets going and I'd say there isnt really any fat. Can't wait to read Smiley's People as this seems to be considered the weakest of the Karla trilogy books