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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Compelling, and well read by the narrator (excellent upper class posh British accents). Some bits were a bit slow but it all came together really well, even though the ending was a bit weak. Much more interested in the personality and motivations of the protagonist than the wider plot, but that moved along quite nicely too. An interesting contrast to Bond, where this had much more realistic spying. From a goodreads review: "spying: an activity which is, according to LeCarre, bureaucratic, tedious, dangerous, unrewarding, and lonely - much like being a police officer minus any of the redeeming aspects. One of the most interesting questions about a spy is: why on earth do they do it? For LeCarre's characters, becoming a spy is less an act of heroism than one of self-abnegation, penance, or revenge"
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[ the BBC adaptation is SO much better ] Actually so disappointed with this. I was expecting a clever espionage tale with gradually more dastardly plots revealed. Instead what I got was some pale, male and stale 2D stereotypes, except not even the fun villain stereotype of shark pools. Big sad. The women were portrayed even more flat, except from their boobs, than a James Bond book. In fact, Fleming gives women FAR more dimension than this, which is saying something considering he named one of his women Pussy Galore. Also Pine seems to get way too obsessed with all the women, they blink and he's like they are blinking at me how dare they seduce me. What.
The actual evil guy existed. I couldn't work out how he was so bad, like it got to the point Paula Vennells is more evil than Roper... I mean she is evil but you get what I'm saying. Honestly he just rode around on his big yacht doing the occasional drug deal and we are expected to believe him being "the worst man in the world" (in itself a shit line) because Carre says so. Um no?
The writing was just odd in places as well. I kinda got bored so didn't make too many notes but one made me laugh out loud: "With the glance that heterosexuals share" LMAO what does that even mean????? There was also a point where 4 pages or something was devoted to describing a wig (that had no relevance to the plot or any of the main characters) Carre also kept on doing weird stage directions as well which was just odd. Like he REALLY wanted this to become aired on screen huh.
Also the actual structuring was awful like it kept on jumping around and we randomly are looking at idk Dave the dustbin man who features for 5 pages talking about bins and then we never see him again. Like it was so unbelievably jumpy which made it very confusing to follow.
Reading the afterword is also funny because Carre throws a bunch of shade about how the BBC series cut a bunch of stuff and made a main character a women and I'm sat there being like GOOD.
Anyways, disappointed as heard good things about Carre but I'm very put off reading anything of his now. Had some interesting points but really not enough.
The actual evil guy existed. I couldn't work out how he was so bad, like it got to the point Paula Vennells is more evil than Roper... I mean she is evil but you get what I'm saying. Honestly he just rode around on his big yacht doing the occasional drug deal and we are expected to believe him being "the worst man in the world" (in itself a shit line) because Carre says so. Um no?
The writing was just odd in places as well. I kinda got bored so didn't make too many notes but one made me laugh out loud: "With the glance that heterosexuals share" LMAO what does that even mean????? There was also a point where 4 pages or something was devoted to describing a wig (that had no relevance to the plot or any of the main characters) Carre also kept on doing weird stage directions as well which was just odd. Like he REALLY wanted this to become aired on screen huh.
Also the actual structuring was awful like it kept on jumping around and we randomly are looking at idk Dave the dustbin man who features for 5 pages talking about bins and then we never see him again. Like it was so unbelievably jumpy which made it very confusing to follow.
Reading the afterword is also funny because Carre throws a bunch of shade about how the BBC series cut a bunch of stuff and made a main character a women and I'm sat there being like GOOD.
Anyways, disappointed as heard good things about Carre but I'm very put off reading anything of his now. Had some interesting points but really not enough.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
"self-exiled creature of the night and sailor without a destination" page 41
"Yes, I am adept. I spy. I betray. I love when it is too late" page 47
"Every man has his personal Devil waiting for him somewhere" page 122
"You give the air of looking for someone, Sophie had said. But I think the missing person is yourself." Page 314
"I live my life, Jonathan told himself with deliberation as he jogged down the hill. I am not a puppet. I am nobody's servant." Page 343
"Yes, I am adept. I spy. I betray. I love when it is too late" page 47
"Every man has his personal Devil waiting for him somewhere" page 122
"You give the air of looking for someone, Sophie had said. But I think the missing person is yourself." Page 314
"I live my life, Jonathan told himself with deliberation as he jogged down the hill. I am not a puppet. I am nobody's servant." Page 343
Smooth, intelligent and old school: That's what make le carre books work. Makes me want to watch the tv mini series. The characters are fluid and dark, but real. Perfect plane read.
This is the second le Carré book I’ve read this year, and I just don’t think his writing style is for me. I just felt bored the whole way through because it felt like nothing really happened. I don’t know if I just couldn’t get into the action or if it was just a slow book, but I really couldn’t get into this one at all.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
I'll come up front and say it at the beginning of this review: I couldn't watch the final episode of The Night Manager because I was too stressed out about it, so I went out and purchased and read the book before finishing the television series. And I'm so glad I did.
As always, the book has much more info that the series, but I was actually rather pleased to spot the differences. In the series, the locations and characters have been updated for a more modern take on the world--as you can guess, the book is just as political as the television series, if not more. Because of that, I learned quite a bit about which countries didn't like other countries, and what the political wartime world looked like at the time.
And, as always, we were granted more insight into the characters. We learn more about Jed and her behaviors, and just why Jonathan is so entranced by her. Heck, I'm entranced by her.
The Night Manager is actually the first spy thriller I've read and watched. So not knowing about what the common tropes are aside from lots of guns, spying, and getting the girl at the end, my review is certainly gong to come off as a bit amateurish. Still, I found The Night Manager to be hugely entertaining, a book that you'd sometimes have to pry out of my hands. Because of this, I'd have to say that regardless that it's my first spy thriller, I really, truly enjoyed this, and didn't feel inundated with the sorts of (neutral) criticisms that run through my head when reading lots from the same genre. I'd definitely recommend this to anybody who wanted something riveting, secret, and sometimes hap-hazardous on the characters' parts.
Get the full review here!
As always, the book has much more info that the series, but I was actually rather pleased to spot the differences. In the series, the locations and characters have been updated for a more modern take on the world--as you can guess, the book is just as political as the television series, if not more. Because of that, I learned quite a bit about which countries didn't like other countries, and what the political wartime world looked like at the time.
And, as always, we were granted more insight into the characters. We learn more about Jed and her behaviors, and just why Jonathan is so entranced by her. Heck, I'm entranced by her.
The Night Manager is actually the first spy thriller I've read and watched. So not knowing about what the common tropes are aside from lots of guns, spying, and getting the girl at the end, my review is certainly gong to come off as a bit amateurish. Still, I found The Night Manager to be hugely entertaining, a book that you'd sometimes have to pry out of my hands. Because of this, I'd have to say that regardless that it's my first spy thriller, I really, truly enjoyed this, and didn't feel inundated with the sorts of (neutral) criticisms that run through my head when reading lots from the same genre. I'd definitely recommend this to anybody who wanted something riveting, secret, and sometimes hap-hazardous on the characters' parts.
Get the full review here!
Le Carre is a super writer - literary, wonderful style and a magic writer of intelligent thrillers. Thoroughly enjoyed this - brought to mind by the recent series on TV (which I have not seen but now look forward to after the book). The author controls the pace really well and draws you on inexorably from chapter to chapter. He has great knack for painting locations really well so that you can become immersed in the area in which the action takes place. Thought the ending a little sudden and somewhat contrived but overall a good read.
Writing this somewhat (several months) after reading it. But it was excellent Le Carré. Really good to see how he branched out after the fall of the Soviet Union. Also nice continuation of themes and characters from The Secret Pilgrim. Somewhat reminiscent of The Little Drummer Girl. A touch more Bond-ish than normal, with all the sneaking around. Lots of the Le Carré human fallibility on display.