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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Three years after a joint American-British, public-private military operation on Gibraltar, a chance meeting between two participants raises questions and sets consciences ablaze.
I always look forward to a new le Carré novel. Few thriller writers are able to balance plot, character, language, and subject matter as well as he can. Most sacrifice too many necessities for cheap thrills. And few full-on novelists can match his mastery of narrative and dialog. Truly, le Carré is a stylist par excellence.
The bulk of his new novel is a discussion of whistle blowing--a sort of what not to do, and little bit of what to do--stemming from another discussion on private armies. What are the motives of government soldiers versus mercenaries? Where do their allegiances lie? What are the motives of those who control them? Who is accountable for their actions and errors? It also discusses the laws that are now in place, or soon will be in place, which restrict a citizen's basic rights whenever national security can be invoked. And, because of its setting--partially in the waning days of New Labour, partially after--it's a scathing criticism of the party and its actions surrounding the Iraq War.
On the whole, the novel works, mainly because of the narrative and dialog. The opening chapter is a bit of a punch for le Carré, who usually sticks to detailing past action scenes through characters interviewing each other. There were, however, a few minor issues that irritated me. The main characters all seemed to have a martyr-in-waiting attitude. Given their experience, they really shouldn't have been so naive. Also, the company which operates the mercenaries, as represented by an aging American heiress from the evangelical right, is not as ideologically believable as Karla was from the Smiley novels.
How does this novel stack up when compared to le Carré's oeuvre? He was at his peak from 1974 to 1989, no doubt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Le_Carre#Novels ). Since 2000, most of his novels have been activist-themed. Of those, this one is much better than his other two forays into the War on Terror, namely Absolute Friends and A Most Wanted Man. However, it's a bit behind The Mission Song and Our Kind of Traitor. It's a good novel, nonetheless. I think most long-time fans will be pleased, and it's a good place for new readers to start.
Oh, and by the way, that wasn't rain that we had last week. That was a myriad of angels weeping at the beauty of le Carré's writing.
I always look forward to a new le Carré novel. Few thriller writers are able to balance plot, character, language, and subject matter as well as he can. Most sacrifice too many necessities for cheap thrills. And few full-on novelists can match his mastery of narrative and dialog. Truly, le Carré is a stylist par excellence.
The bulk of his new novel is a discussion of whistle blowing--a sort of what not to do, and little bit of what to do--stemming from another discussion on private armies. What are the motives of government soldiers versus mercenaries? Where do their allegiances lie? What are the motives of those who control them? Who is accountable for their actions and errors? It also discusses the laws that are now in place, or soon will be in place, which restrict a citizen's basic rights whenever national security can be invoked. And, because of its setting--partially in the waning days of New Labour, partially after--it's a scathing criticism of the party and its actions surrounding the Iraq War.
On the whole, the novel works, mainly because of the narrative and dialog. The opening chapter is a bit of a punch for le Carré, who usually sticks to detailing past action scenes through characters interviewing each other. There were, however, a few minor issues that irritated me. The main characters all seemed to have a martyr-in-waiting attitude. Given their experience, they really shouldn't have been so naive. Also, the company which operates the mercenaries, as represented by an aging American heiress from the evangelical right, is not as ideologically believable as Karla was from the Smiley novels.
How does this novel stack up when compared to le Carré's oeuvre? He was at his peak from 1974 to 1989, no doubt (
Oh, and by the way, that wasn't rain that we had last week. That was a myriad of angels weeping at the beauty of le Carré's writing.
A mysterious private contractor. A government minister who appears not to trust his Private Secretary. A career Foreign Office man. A counter-terror operation. This is our introduction to le Carre's A Delicate Truth. When the op goes wrong, we are thrust back in time to the planning, then forward to the aftermath.
Toby Bell, the aforementioned Private Secretary, finds out more than he should, but as he is about to act on his information, his protector warns him off, and he is suddenly shipped overseas.
Sir Christopher Probyn, the Foreign Office man tasked with providing the operation with a modicum of official cover is now retired, but when he encounters one of the men involved in the operation, his conscience prompts him to talk to Bell.
This story talks to the cosy relationship between the state, intelligence services and the private security (aka mercenary) industry, and how in the modern world, we cannot trust government. For me this was a welcome return to form - the last le Carre I read I really struggled with, but this is a tight, exciting and all too real story that I highly recommend.
Toby Bell, the aforementioned Private Secretary, finds out more than he should, but as he is about to act on his information, his protector warns him off, and he is suddenly shipped overseas.
Sir Christopher Probyn, the Foreign Office man tasked with providing the operation with a modicum of official cover is now retired, but when he encounters one of the men involved in the operation, his conscience prompts him to talk to Bell.
This story talks to the cosy relationship between the state, intelligence services and the private security (aka mercenary) industry, and how in the modern world, we cannot trust government. For me this was a welcome return to form - the last le Carre I read I really struggled with, but this is a tight, exciting and all too real story that I highly recommend.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-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
I wasn't a huge fan of the first le Carre that I read, but I wanted to give another one a try. Something about the writing style seems specifically obtuse. I can't put my finger on it, but as I'm reading, it's as if the story is a little out of focus. Otherwise, its a chillingly realistic portrayal of the depths of the intelligence world.
This is the first le Carré I've read, an impulse buy in a supermarket. Not impressed.
First, the prose. I found le Carré's style to be a bit clunky and affected, as if it's trying too hard altogether. E.g. the sentence "That there was gravitas in him was undeniable". I don't think it's just me - I think that line is objectively horrible. And what's with the irritating habit of italicising every other word of dialogue? Finally, the incessant switching from past tense to present and from first person to third was probably intended to be stylistically striking, but in the end comes across as messy and confused.
I've heard that the author described this as his 'most British' book to date. I think what he means by this is that the characters often refer to things as "Her Majesty's x... Her Majesty's y" and so on, despite the fact that nobody talks like that. The use of Americanisms throughout such as 'cellphone' suggest that perhaps he's toned up the James Bond-ness for a US audience.
It was also quite obvious that the author took a box-ticking approach to the novel, carefully making sure to include Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish - and even Northern English! - characters. Throw in a few references to Kosher butchers, women in veils and black guys to tick the multicultural box and there you have it, the Modern British Novel. That didn't feel forced at all.
The plot itself was just about decent enough to keep me interested, but things got a little silly at the end. It's just difficult to believe that the government would go to such lengths to conceal the truth behind the botched counter-terror operation, when the nature of the cover up - although tragic - isn't really that devastating. Maybe I'm jaded, but I'm sure worse things happen most weeks.
Finally, I must draw attention to one character's bizarre outburst (p. 238) about nobody reading the Evening Standard now it's free. It's completely unnecessary in the context, and just seemed like a way for le Carré to shoehorn a personal rant.
To conclude, the novel failed to satisfy, I seriously considered giving up at several points, and I won't be reading any more JLC.
First, the prose. I found le Carré's style to be a bit clunky and affected, as if it's trying too hard altogether. E.g. the sentence "That there was gravitas in him was undeniable". I don't think it's just me - I think that line is objectively horrible. And what's with the irritating habit of italicising every other word of dialogue? Finally, the incessant switching from past tense to present and from first person to third was probably intended to be stylistically striking, but in the end comes across as messy and confused.
I've heard that the author described this as his 'most British' book to date. I think what he means by this is that the characters often refer to things as "Her Majesty's x... Her Majesty's y" and so on, despite the fact that nobody talks like that. The use of Americanisms throughout such as 'cellphone' suggest that perhaps he's toned up the James Bond-ness for a US audience.
It was also quite obvious that the author took a box-ticking approach to the novel, carefully making sure to include Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish - and even Northern English! - characters. Throw in a few references to Kosher butchers, women in veils and black guys to tick the multicultural box and there you have it, the Modern British Novel. That didn't feel forced at all.
The plot itself was just about decent enough to keep me interested, but things got a little silly at the end. It's just difficult to believe that the government would go to such lengths to conceal the truth behind the botched counter-terror operation, when the nature of the cover up - although tragic - isn't really that devastating. Maybe I'm jaded, but I'm sure worse things happen most weeks.
Finally, I must draw attention to one character's bizarre outburst (p. 238) about nobody reading the Evening Standard now it's free. It's completely unnecessary in the context, and just seemed like a way for le Carré to shoehorn a personal rant.
To conclude, the novel failed to satisfy, I seriously considered giving up at several points, and I won't be reading any more JLC.
I never appreciated le Carré when I was younger, but now I appreciate reading about his morally ambiguous characters and unresolved scenarios. An enjoyable read.
le Carre at his best, which is very good indeed. As with most le Carre works, providing a review which is also a synopsis of the story, would either short-change the novel, or run to novella length in its own right. Rather than either, suffice it to say that the characters are well-realized, the pace near perfect, the story itself compelling, and the ending - like the endings in so much of what le Carre does - is perfectly and appropriately bleak. le Carre writes to tell a story, and in so doing, he does not make compromises to give the reader a "happy" ending. Often enough, there aren't such things as happy endings, and it is a compliment to his audience that le Carre writes with that in mind.
I listened to this book based on a recommendation as it was read by John le Carré.
It had many very enjoyable and suspenseful moments, however the end was unsatisfyingly unresolved and I like resolution.
It had many very enjoyable and suspenseful moments, however the end was unsatisfyingly unresolved and I like resolution.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
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:
No