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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Crossposted at Booklikes.
Another excellent production by the BBC of a John le Carre Smiley novel. The question is, of course, who is the enemy? The other country or something else? Well acted audio production. Well worth a listen.
Another excellent production by the BBC of a John le Carre Smiley novel. The question is, of course, who is the enemy? The other country or something else? Well acted audio production. Well worth a listen.
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yes, I know, this book took me nearly 2 years to read and it's less than 300 pages. I don't know why that's the case, but I just kept putting it down and reading other books. It never grabbed me the way other Le Carre novels have. Maybe it's because Smiley and the Circus were background figures or that it's such a political endeavor. The Department basically costs lives by wantonly betraying trust all to try to try to get back to the glory days and keep pace with the Circus. I may be wrong but this book seems to be one of the more dated books I've read. Not technology-wise (the best espionage novels are those set prior to the digital age anyway), but style-wise: It just felt like I was reading ancient files left about some operation and that kinda took the joy out of it and made it a drudgery. I usually like Le Carre's style, but this one was painful. Sad, because I really wanted to love it.
Written apparently out of spite because of how The Spy Who Came in From The Cold was interpreted (ie as a tragedy and not a farce) LeCarré leaves no room for doubt in this one, spelling out the unlikable incompetence of every single character, leaving no one to root for, and no mystery to solve. The one exception is Smiley who haunts the edges of the book and sporadically appears, the first time the weight of his character (from stories before and since) unbalances the story and the end he appears essentially as a deus ex machina to tie the plot up.
It’s not entirely without merit, and it’s certainly something to read a book so annoyed with British nostalgia for WW2 that was written in 1965, and there are sections that are crisply written page turners. But it’s certainly the weakest LeCarré I’ve read to date
It’s not entirely without merit, and it’s certainly something to read a book so annoyed with British nostalgia for WW2 that was written in 1965, and there are sections that are crisply written page turners. But it’s certainly the weakest LeCarré I’ve read to date
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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:
Yes
It was a very slow pace, but I was still interested in the plot. Le Carré's books can be hard for me to fully understand, but I'm greatful for the challenge he gives.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Violence, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, War
Minor: Kidnapping, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully written very sad and bitter look at British espionage. It is about a power struggle between the Circus, which is the British secret service, and a holdover intelligence agency that was used during WWII.