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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
I want to get the book from the library. The audiobook from the BBC is hard to follow and I feel like it assumes people are seeing sets and interactions at some points. One of the few times I’d rather just have a normal reading. Kind of annoying.
Había leído dos libros de John le Carré antes de llegar a El Topo: El espía que surgió del Frío (que me encantó) y Amigos absolutos (que no tanto). También, antes de leer El Topo, ví varias veces la película basada en este libro con Gary Oldman como George Smiley y también disfrute la serie de 7 episodios de la BBC que está disponible entera en YouTube (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy [BBC 1979].
Esto no afectó mi lectura del libro. La trama me enganchó. El autor logra transmitir la ansiedad del espía que se siente acorralado por un ejercito en los bosques de Brno en la República Checa, o perseguido por otro espía en las calles heladas de Londres. No se puede confiar en nadie. El enemigo parace ir siempre un paso adelante y la única forma de ganarle es mintiendo y sacrificando a otros.
"Smiley decidió que la traición es, en gran parte, cuestión de costumbre."
Esto no afectó mi lectura del libro. La trama me enganchó. El autor logra transmitir la ansiedad del espía que se siente acorralado por un ejercito en los bosques de Brno en la República Checa, o perseguido por otro espía en las calles heladas de Londres. No se puede confiar en nadie. El enemigo parace ir siempre un paso adelante y la única forma de ganarle es mintiendo y sacrificando a otros.
"Smiley decidió que la traición es, en gran parte, cuestión de costumbre."
This book was infuriating. It’s only in the last third that you know who everyone is. Le Carre has a habit of mentioning someone but not explaining who they are. Perhaps it was poorly edited. Anyhow it’s deftly told and the second half is very engrossing. If you’re coming to it knowing about Smiley, the Circus, Karla, Control, the Competition, the Centre then it must be a great read from the start. For someone entirely new to Smiley, like me, it doesn’t seem the best place to start. Certainly Le Carre is head and shoulders above Fleming as a author of spy stories.
The plot involves Smiley, now retired, being asked to investigate whether there’s a mole in the heart of MI6. There’s a failed mission out East under Tarr and failed mission led by Control in Czecho, is there a connection etc. Smiley hunts down those that may know about those missions and springs a trap to capture the mole. I suppose it felt a little too obvious that the mole was also the friend betraying Smiley by sleeping with his wife.
The plot involves Smiley, now retired, being asked to investigate whether there’s a mole in the heart of MI6. There’s a failed mission out East under Tarr and failed mission led by Control in Czecho, is there a connection etc. Smiley hunts down those that may know about those missions and springs a trap to capture the mole. I suppose it felt a little too obvious that the mole was also the friend betraying Smiley by sleeping with his wife.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book took me what felt like forever to finish. Call me whatever you like, but I’ve come to realize that spy novels might just be too complex for me. There’s a lot of psychological depth in this story, which adds incredible layers to the characters. Once I stopped and wrote down all the names, I could see how well-developed they were—each one contributing to a vivid picture of the "Circus." However, despite this, I still felt lost for most of the book.
In an attempt to make sense of it all, I even watched the movie adaptation. Unfortunately, that didn’t help much either; the film seemed to take its own creative liberties. What it did highlight for me, though, was that the timeline in the book is a bit out of order. After revisiting the introduction (which I had initially skimmed), I realized that this was mentioned upfront—I just missed it the first time.
Ultimately, I think spy novels might not be my thing. Or perhaps this particular book wasn’t the best starting point for me. I discovered (after a lot of reflection) that this is actually the fifth book in a series - 1st in an arc. While many people insist it works as a standalone, I’m not so sure. There’s a lot of vocabulary and context that seems crucial to fully understanding what’s going on.
In an attempt to make sense of it all, I even watched the movie adaptation. Unfortunately, that didn’t help much either; the film seemed to take its own creative liberties. What it did highlight for me, though, was that the timeline in the book is a bit out of order. After revisiting the introduction (which I had initially skimmed), I realized that this was mentioned upfront—I just missed it the first time.
Ultimately, I think spy novels might not be my thing. Or perhaps this particular book wasn’t the best starting point for me. I discovered (after a lot of reflection) that this is actually the fifth book in a series - 1st in an arc. While many people insist it works as a standalone, I’m not so sure. There’s a lot of vocabulary and context that seems crucial to fully understanding what’s going on.
challenging
slow-paced
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not my favorite Le Carré book but an all time great of literature.
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
C'est un excellent roman d'espionnage. Dans ce livre, Smiley doit retrouver une taupe qui s'est infiltrée dans le service d'espionnage de la Grande-Bretagne. On apprend au fur et à mesure de la lecture le passé intrigant de tous les personnages.
J'aurais sûrement trouvé le livre meilleur si j'avais eu la chance de le lire plus rapidement. Malheureusement j'ai perdu à quelques occasions le fil de la lecture. Ça reste malgré un livre solide, un classique des romans d'espionnage.
J'aurais sûrement trouvé le livre meilleur si j'avais eu la chance de le lire plus rapidement. Malheureusement j'ai perdu à quelques occasions le fil de la lecture. Ça reste malgré un livre solide, un classique des romans d'espionnage.