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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Excelente livro de espionagem durante a Guerra Fria. Muito longe do glamour das histórias de James Bond, o mundo de John Le Carré é um mundo de sombras, onde ninguém é o que parece e tudo é cinzento. Os espiões do Ocidente usam tácticas sujas e desonestas e os espiões do Leste mostram características humanas, muito longe do maniqueísmo preto-no-branco de Ian Flemming.
A história centra-se em Alex Leamas, um agente cínico e cansado do seu trabalho, de volta a Londres após um de muitos fracassos em Berlim. Aí, após ser despromovido para um lugar à secretária entra numa espiral de decadência, encontrando conforto no fundo da garrafa e nos braços de uma bibliotecária simples. Mas nada é o que parece, e Leamas é aliciado por agentes da Europa de Leste para desertar para lá da Cortina de Ferro e revelar os segredos do Ocidente. A partir daqui, inicia-se um jogo do gato e do rato, onde Leamas é o mais inocente das figuras no tabuleiro de xadrez.
O livro lê-se de uma assentada e é absorvente. A escrita de Le Carré acentua o cinzento. Tudo é descrito em tons taciturnos, os protagonistas não são atraentes e até as raparigas de striptease são mulheres escanzeladas. Leamas arrasta-se num mundo de sombras, nevoeiro, chuva, pelas ruínas de Berlim. Até o pacato vale onde tem o seu "debriefing" é descrito em tons soturnos. E, no entanto, tudo isto contribui para uma atmosfera de tensão, de paranóia e de conspiração.
Aconselho vivamente a todos os amantes de boa literatura de espionagem.
A história centra-se em Alex Leamas, um agente cínico e cansado do seu trabalho, de volta a Londres após um de muitos fracassos em Berlim. Aí, após ser despromovido para um lugar à secretária entra numa espiral de decadência, encontrando conforto no fundo da garrafa e nos braços de uma bibliotecária simples. Mas nada é o que parece, e Leamas é aliciado por agentes da Europa de Leste para desertar para lá da Cortina de Ferro e revelar os segredos do Ocidente. A partir daqui, inicia-se um jogo do gato e do rato, onde Leamas é o mais inocente das figuras no tabuleiro de xadrez.
O livro lê-se de uma assentada e é absorvente. A escrita de Le Carré acentua o cinzento. Tudo é descrito em tons taciturnos, os protagonistas não são atraentes e até as raparigas de striptease são mulheres escanzeladas. Leamas arrasta-se num mundo de sombras, nevoeiro, chuva, pelas ruínas de Berlim. Até o pacato vale onde tem o seu "debriefing" é descrito em tons soturnos. E, no entanto, tudo isto contribui para uma atmosfera de tensão, de paranóia e de conspiração.
Aconselho vivamente a todos os amantes de boa literatura de espionagem.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was not my favourite entry in the Smiley anthology. I know George isn’t in it much, and when he is he’s being a mysterious and morally dubious bastard, but still.
I think le Carré for me is at his most interesting when he uses his novels to make social and/or political commentaries, but The Spy Who Came In from the Cold doesn’t have the same depth as some of the other works.The most interesting part of this comes to the end, when Liz and Alec finally talk across each other to share their opposing views on human nature and the need for utilitarian thinking in spy craft, but it just didn’t land the way I wanted it to.
Here’s hoping that I enjoy the next one more but I will say I am disappointed. I was promised the greatest spy thriller of all time in this, and I definitely didn’t come to that conclusion myself.
I think le Carré for me is at his most interesting when he uses his novels to make social and/or political commentaries, but The Spy Who Came In from the Cold doesn’t have the same depth as some of the other works.
Here’s hoping that I enjoy the next one more but I will say I am disappointed. I was promised the greatest spy thriller of all time in this, and I definitely didn’t come to that conclusion myself.
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm listening to this book right now. Nothing unusual about that. I often listen to books I've already read because that way, if I miss a sentence or two, it doesn't matter. But as I'm listening, I find myself immediately engrossed again. I've already read it twice, maybe more. I've seen the movie twice. And here I am, loving this story again. Why? Why THIS book? It's about small, unhappy people living small, unhappy lives, getting ground up in the gears of the world espionage machine. The tragedy of Leamas and Liz will never make headlines or any Great Romances lists but it affects me. Their story feels like a myth of 20th century life, not on a grand epic scale but a small, sad, impoverished scale. Leamas isn't a particularly good man and he doesn't believe in anything. When Liz asks him if he loves her, he says he doesn't believe in fairytales. You know she's his only chance at happiness or even to simply achieve humanity, and you know it won't end well but still I find myself rooting for them. Maybe that's why. Because it feels like there is literally nobody on their side. They're completely expendable and if either of them were to disappear, the other one would be the only one to notice. Or care.
It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't know why I love this story so much.
It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't know why I love this story so much.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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