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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
A department of British military intelligence has picked up a piece of information regarding secret Soviet missiles in East Germany. An operation is mounted to train a man and send him in to verify the information.
I'm slowly going back and reading Le Carré's earlier novels. I've now read all of his espionage novels. The only one I haven't yet read is his non-espionage The Naive and Sentimental Lover. With all of that as background, I'd say not to bother with this one unless you're a Le Carré completist. While the narrative shows the early promise of the brilliant stylist that is to come, the rest of the novel falls flat.
There is some discussion of the office politics that became the hallmark of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, but otherwise the characters are unremarkable. We care nothing for them, we just observe their failings from a distance. The plot lacks the complexity of his later novels, and there is no sense of suspense or intrigue. Part of this is because of the lengthy training, which le Carré handles infinitely better in novels like The Little Drummer Girl and The Russia House.
The ending of the novel improves a bit, but it's a little too late at that point. It also gets a bit sentimental as well, which feels incongruent to the lead-up.
Le Carré was at his best from 1974 to 1989. That's the place to focus. His post-Cold War novels are hit-and-miss, but they're still better than his early works when he was still developing his craft.
I'm slowly going back and reading Le Carré's earlier novels. I've now read all of his espionage novels. The only one I haven't yet read is his non-espionage The Naive and Sentimental Lover. With all of that as background, I'd say not to bother with this one unless you're a Le Carré completist. While the narrative shows the early promise of the brilliant stylist that is to come, the rest of the novel falls flat.
There is some discussion of the office politics that became the hallmark of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, but otherwise the characters are unremarkable. We care nothing for them, we just observe their failings from a distance. The plot lacks the complexity of his later novels, and there is no sense of suspense or intrigue. Part of this is because of the lengthy training, which le Carré handles infinitely better in novels like The Little Drummer Girl and The Russia House.
The ending of the novel improves a bit, but it's a little too late at that point. It also gets a bit sentimental as well, which feels incongruent to the lead-up.
Le Carré was at his best from 1974 to 1989. That's the place to focus. His post-Cold War novels are hit-and-miss, but they're still better than his early works when he was still developing his craft.
dark
this shit rules i love when people are bad at their jobs
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this after finishing The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. In the foreword to that book, Le Carre said that he tried to wright a more realistic book, and people liked it less. It's a more depressing book than The Spy Who Came In, largely because nothing feels all that important here. The characters here feel sad, and largely pathetic in their own self-importance. And when they realize how useless they are, it's a crushing moment.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
Not up to the level of the Spy Who Came in from the Cold (which would be difficult), but still very good. This is the fourth Le Carré I’ve read and I haven’t been disappointed yet. All four have been very different. This one is about a bunch of posh middle-aged men reliving their war time glories, playing at being spies and making a complete mess of it. Reading it is like watching a slow motion car crash.
On the downside, Le Carrés female characters aren’t great. I don’t know if that improves later in his career.
On the downside, Le Carrés female characters aren’t great. I don’t know if that improves later in his career.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
In contrast to the smooth, machine-like efficiency of "the Circus," the elite British intelligence agency to which George Smiley belongs and which is the focus of le Carré's earlier works, "the Department" is another part of British intelligence. But it is inept, its small staff a collection of foolish romantics living off their past glory during World War II. Biting on bad intelligence, the Department enmeshes itself in a fruitless and disastrous operation to discover the location of a secret Russian rocket base in East Germany. And they willingly sacrifice the lives of others to try and achieve their foredoomed mission.
In essence, then, The Looking Glass War is a story that is the exact opposite of that told in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Except that isn't quite so. For le Carré does pick up on what was perhaps the most disturbing notion explored in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, the low regard for life by those on either side of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War. The most important thing to the veterans of the Department are their personal vanity, career well-being, and advancement. This is true for all but the newest member of the outfit, John Avery. For him, the Department results in shattering disillusionment and an ethical crisis. He alone cares about the morality of their action. He alone is discarded at the end.
In essence, then, The Looking Glass War is a story that is the exact opposite of that told in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Except that isn't quite so. For le Carré does pick up on what was perhaps the most disturbing notion explored in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, the low regard for life by those on either side of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War. The most important thing to the veterans of the Department are their personal vanity, career well-being, and advancement. This is true for all but the newest member of the outfit, John Avery. For him, the Department results in shattering disillusionment and an ethical crisis. He alone cares about the morality of their action. He alone is discarded at the end.
Its hard to read Le Carre amongst other thrillers where you're accustomed to expecting more action. He is a master though and you do get the impression this is more accurate, albeit obviously fiction.
The Smiley series gets better with every book - this was the best one this far. The awful bureaucracy, petty departmental wars, incompetence, and cluelessness of people that are entrusted with other people's lives is so devastating, especially considering the devotion and loyalty of those sent to their meaningless deaths. Very beautifully written.
I found this book somewhat difficult to read; the portrayal of willful, egotistical incompetence and manipulation was very depressing. It's well-crafted, except for the female characters, particularly the girl at the end of the book. I'm starting to realize that's a pattern with Le Carre.