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bibliomaniac2021's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
nicjohnston's review against another edition
4.0
Agent Running In The Field is John le Carre at his modern best. Nat is an MI5 veteran of the field facing redundancy, when he is offered the opportunity of a short term post. Turn around the Haven, an outpost of the Russia desk populated by Service’s unloved and misfits (very reminiscent of Mick Herron’s superb Slough House series).
However, it’s not action directly at the Haven that leads to Nat’s final flurry in the game but an odd encounter at his badminton club. Thereafter is a rip roaring tightly plotted and twisty spy thriller with le Carre flair. The Brexit and Trump references are a little tedious (although wholeheartedly true) but overall I hugely enjoyed it.
I listened to the audiobook and was thrilled that it was narrated by le Carre.
However, it’s not action directly at the Haven that leads to Nat’s final flurry in the game but an odd encounter at his badminton club. Thereafter is a rip roaring tightly plotted and twisty spy thriller with le Carre flair. The Brexit and Trump references are a little tedious (although wholeheartedly true) but overall I hugely enjoyed it.
I listened to the audiobook and was thrilled that it was narrated by le Carre.
grunzy's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.0
It was a good story. Very slow though and not as interesting as I had hoped given it espionage.
quirkytambourine's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
zare_i's review
5.0
Nate, veteran of post Cold War operations, finally enters that season of life when operation agent needs to enter more and more support functions and slowly delegate the actual operations to junior agents. So he returns back to his central in London and gets re-assigned to second league Russian intelligence ring, one more concentrated in the local UK defense than international shenanigans. His role is simple, observe, train and handle the existing mish-mash of Russian ex-patriots and political turn overs who are now working for UK. Not much of interesting mission but it is at least something to do so Nate accepts it. It is new world for him, world where people feel more than they think, people thinking they know all there is to know and very soon one of such emotional idiots will cause a crisis, and not just that but pull unwilling (and completely unaware) Nate and his family down the sink - all in the name of ideals.
Le Carre manages to tell the story set in modern times - it is time of Brexit, it is time of Trump's presidency and entire world is in sort of an ecstasy, having identified Brexit and Trump (and Russians of course) as a single threat to what is (in their opinion) perfect world (hah!). So they let their emotions rule and make not just idiots out of them but put them and their families into deadly danger.
For Nate, and when it comes to that, for the entire group he works with, it is idiotic to allow ones emotions to rule over - world and politics have seen dumber people and dumber actions so to make drama and draw parallels between people from today with evils from the past is just a way to devalue the dangers from those evils and in some cases rehabilitate them (by that constant eternal cry of high emotions). I like Nate's thoughts on the emotional storm from one of the younger agents; it makes him smile because colleagues that get hyped by what they hear and get attached to this "righteous" nonsense, are not able to see how childish it is [and Nate recognizes it because it is standard juvenile behavior, one he is constantly in conflict with through relation with his "rebellious" daughter, one he loves very much but one that devoted her life to shock and awe her parents, as children often do].
So when pretty dirty piece of information comes to light Nate decides to help because he knows emotions are something agents like him use to manipulate people around and he cannot stand people he holds dear to suffer from the same manipulation. And what happens when he tries to help? He gets looked down upon because highly emotional people cannot control themselves, they need to be the moral purity and supreme.
Excellent book and very contemporary. It is wonderfully written and book will keep you up all night until you finish it.
Highly recommended to all fans of good spy story.
P.S.
What prevenred me from reading this book couple of years back, where some comments and reviews that were about the democracy and how "eveel" forces are tearing it apart that portrayed the book as rather preachy. Having bad experiences with "The Fox" by one of the great spy/thriller authors (Forsythe) I decided to postpone reading this book. One reviewer even said that book shows only societies that can progress are authoritarian (made my day, I was laughing for two days and decided to skip it for the time being - again confirming that opinion should be based on my own experiences.... Oh well
Le Carre manages to tell the story set in modern times - it is time of Brexit, it is time of Trump's presidency and entire world is in sort of an ecstasy, having identified Brexit and Trump (and Russians of course) as a single threat to what is (in their opinion) perfect world (hah!). So they let their emotions rule and make not just idiots out of them but put them and their families into deadly danger.
For Nate, and when it comes to that, for the entire group he works with, it is idiotic to allow ones emotions to rule over - world and politics have seen dumber people and dumber actions so to make drama and draw parallels between people from today with evils from the past is just a way to devalue the dangers from those evils and in some cases rehabilitate them (by that constant eternal cry of high emotions). I like Nate's thoughts on the emotional storm from one of the younger agents; it makes him smile because colleagues that get hyped by what they hear and get attached to this "righteous" nonsense, are not able to see how childish it is [and Nate recognizes it because it is standard juvenile behavior, one he is constantly in conflict with through relation with his "rebellious" daughter, one he loves very much but one that devoted her life to shock and awe her parents, as children often do].
So when pretty dirty piece of information comes to light Nate decides to help because he knows emotions are something agents like him use to manipulate people around and he cannot stand people he holds dear to suffer from the same manipulation. And what happens when he tries to help? He gets looked down upon because highly emotional people cannot control themselves, they need to be the moral purity and supreme.
Excellent book and very contemporary. It is wonderfully written and book will keep you up all night until you finish it.
Highly recommended to all fans of good spy story.
P.S.
What prevenred me from reading this book couple of years back, where some comments and reviews that were about the democracy and how "eveel" forces are tearing it apart that portrayed the book as rather preachy. Having bad experiences with "The Fox" by one of the great spy/thriller authors (Forsythe) I decided to postpone reading this book. One reviewer even said that book shows only societies that can progress are authoritarian (made my day, I was laughing for two days and decided to skip it for the time being - again confirming that opinion should be based on my own experiences.... Oh well
webjoram's review against another edition
4.0
John le Carre tiene un estilo tan definido que si te gusta es muy difícil que no disfrutes con alguno de sus libros. Con los años ha convertido en arte narrar desde la cotidianidad el mundo de los espías y los servicios secretos y encima con los años ha ido adaptando los temas que trata a la más rabiosa actualidad del mundo en el que vivimos.
Por todo lo dicho ya antes de empezar este libro sabía que difícilmente me iba a defraudar y no lo ha hecho aunque si tengo que decir que el final no me ha gustado nada.
Al autor le gusta recrearse en construir a sus personajes para que entendamos mejor sus motivaciones pero en esta ocasión creo que le ha faltado algo más de desarrollo y los secundarios (Florence y Ed) los veo poco conseguidos.
Por todo esto aunque he disfrutado con la novela no me merece más de 4 estrellas.
Por todo lo dicho ya antes de empezar este libro sabía que difícilmente me iba a defraudar y no lo ha hecho aunque si tengo que decir que el final no me ha gustado nada.
Al autor le gusta recrearse en construir a sus personajes para que entendamos mejor sus motivaciones pero en esta ocasión creo que le ha faltado algo más de desarrollo y los secundarios (Florence y Ed) los veo poco conseguidos.
Por todo esto aunque he disfrutado con la novela no me merece más de 4 estrellas.
ratmoond's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
hc21's review
2.0
In his haste to write a book about how terrible Brexit and Trump are, the author appears to have forgotten the things that are important in a novel: plot, character development, and some form of payoff or investment in the work.
flutegirl24's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this via Audible, largely because I was rather intrigued by the idea of the author as the narrator. Which overall was an interesting way to listen to a book, although I will admit, it did take a while to get used to the very dead-pan presentation style.
The book revolves around the world of Britain's SIS, and the Russia Department, concerned it seems mainly these days with the rise and rise of Russian oligarch's, this is less "spy thriller" than Le Carré's earlier works, with a strong emphasis on current day politics, but with little or limited evidence of modern day gadgetry - presumably to give this novel the sort of legs that his earlier, Smiley series attained so effortlessly.
Nat (pronounced more like Nate by Le Carré but spelt this way on the blurb) narrates his own story - a 47 year old veteran of Britain's SIS, he was an agent runner in the past, although these days he's fully expecting the final handshake at any moment. Back in London now, after many years on the move, he's re-establishing himself as husband to the long-suffering Prue, when he also finds himself taking over a department known as "The Haven", a defunct substation of London General, a backwater populated by a rag tag crew, aside from Florence - an agent runner who seems to have considerable potential. Right up until the time that she suddenly resigns and drops from view.
But I've moved forward a bit, Nat isn't just an agent runner, and now odd backwater chief, he's a passionate bandminton player - something he's used in the past as a way of covering up meeting agents. When accosted at his club by Ed, a stranger who seems strangely desperate to beat Nat, a young man that Nat soon finds himself playing on a regular basis and coming to know a little - with his anti-Brexit / Trump, pro-German / EU stances quickly becoming apparent. Meanwhile Prue isn't just Nat's wife, she's a well-respected human rights lawyer, and somebody who is used to be married to someone for whom secrecy is a given. Even though their rebellious and slightly contemptuous daughter was never told what her frequently absent father actually does.
Given that Le Carré's past novels have always had a focus on the Cold War tensions, it was always interesting to see where he'd go when that particular thread unravelled slightly. Spies surplus to requirements, fringe dwellers to the whole new world of EU political influence spying is an intriguing idea, with the Americans and British supposedly working to undermine the EU whilst Brexit is still a theory, as opposed to the current day reality.
This plot gives Le Carré plenty of opportunity for some wonderfully cynical observations about politics, Brexit and the state of the world from a more left-leaning viewpoint (enough I suspect to make those of the opposing political persuasion furious). All of which, when delivered in Le Carré low key, dry, utterly without inflection style of narration, were disarmingly low-key until they aren't.
It's an unusual sort of thriller to be honest, possibly made more so because the narration is so low-key. The implications of what's being explored here are fascinating though, and definitely give the reader (listener) something to think about in terms of the way that politics has been so badly damaged by the sorts of clowns countries seem inclined to vote into highest office lately. Whilst it would be nice to think that the public service remains intact in the face of the buffoonery, everybody has their breaking point and it kind of feels like Nat's not the only one that's reaching his.
Having said that, AGENT RUNNING IN THE FIELD is crying out for a sequel, it ends with a thud as opposed to a crescendo. There's a lot of scope for some more prodding to go on here.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/agent-running-field-john-john-le-carre
The book revolves around the world of Britain's SIS, and the Russia Department, concerned it seems mainly these days with the rise and rise of Russian oligarch's, this is less "spy thriller" than Le Carré's earlier works, with a strong emphasis on current day politics, but with little or limited evidence of modern day gadgetry - presumably to give this novel the sort of legs that his earlier, Smiley series attained so effortlessly.
Nat (pronounced more like Nate by Le Carré but spelt this way on the blurb) narrates his own story - a 47 year old veteran of Britain's SIS, he was an agent runner in the past, although these days he's fully expecting the final handshake at any moment. Back in London now, after many years on the move, he's re-establishing himself as husband to the long-suffering Prue, when he also finds himself taking over a department known as "The Haven", a defunct substation of London General, a backwater populated by a rag tag crew, aside from Florence - an agent runner who seems to have considerable potential. Right up until the time that she suddenly resigns and drops from view.
But I've moved forward a bit, Nat isn't just an agent runner, and now odd backwater chief, he's a passionate bandminton player - something he's used in the past as a way of covering up meeting agents. When accosted at his club by Ed, a stranger who seems strangely desperate to beat Nat, a young man that Nat soon finds himself playing on a regular basis and coming to know a little - with his anti-Brexit / Trump, pro-German / EU stances quickly becoming apparent. Meanwhile Prue isn't just Nat's wife, she's a well-respected human rights lawyer, and somebody who is used to be married to someone for whom secrecy is a given. Even though their rebellious and slightly contemptuous daughter was never told what her frequently absent father actually does.
Given that Le Carré's past novels have always had a focus on the Cold War tensions, it was always interesting to see where he'd go when that particular thread unravelled slightly. Spies surplus to requirements, fringe dwellers to the whole new world of EU political influence spying is an intriguing idea, with the Americans and British supposedly working to undermine the EU whilst Brexit is still a theory, as opposed to the current day reality.
This plot gives Le Carré plenty of opportunity for some wonderfully cynical observations about politics, Brexit and the state of the world from a more left-leaning viewpoint (enough I suspect to make those of the opposing political persuasion furious). All of which, when delivered in Le Carré low key, dry, utterly without inflection style of narration, were disarmingly low-key until they aren't.
It's an unusual sort of thriller to be honest, possibly made more so because the narration is so low-key. The implications of what's being explored here are fascinating though, and definitely give the reader (listener) something to think about in terms of the way that politics has been so badly damaged by the sorts of clowns countries seem inclined to vote into highest office lately. Whilst it would be nice to think that the public service remains intact in the face of the buffoonery, everybody has their breaking point and it kind of feels like Nat's not the only one that's reaching his.
Having said that, AGENT RUNNING IN THE FIELD is crying out for a sequel, it ends with a thud as opposed to a crescendo. There's a lot of scope for some more prodding to go on here.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/agent-running-field-john-john-le-carre