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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
slow-paced
I’m sure I might have liked this better if I had read other George Smiley books, but as a first jump into that universe I felt very lost. Everything felt like a call back I knew I couldn’t understand and there were so many character names introduced I found it hard to track them all and follow the plot. I’m realizing I like my spy stories on tv rather than on page
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Solid spy novel, in the tradition of JLC, the author’s father.
Quite densely written, which I liked, as it forced me to pay attention to the plot but I found the ending a little unsatisfying.
Quite densely written, which I liked, as it forced me to pay attention to the plot but I found the ending a little unsatisfying.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Smiley would prefer to play the game with a certain set of rules. However, he tends to win with whatever hand he's dealt. He's haunted by those who don't survive his machinations.
Nobody goes quite as deep undercover in this as Leamas in The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. There's a lot more pantsing than plotting. The same amount of wheels within wheels, they're just put in motion quickly reacting to events. Quite a few side characters are ready to be expanded on.
The exploration of work/life balance added to the story, but might have been fleshed out a bit more.
I'm looking forward to both more Harkaway Smiley books and the rest his father wrote. Next up is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Nobody goes quite as deep undercover in this as Leamas in The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. There's a lot more pantsing than plotting. The same amount of wheels within wheels, they're just put in motion quickly reacting to events. Quite a few side characters are ready to be expanded on.
The exploration of work/life balance added to the story, but might have been fleshed out a bit more.
I'm looking forward to both more Harkaway Smiley books and the rest his father wrote. Next up is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes