Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by kahn_johnson
A Perfect Spy by John le Carré
3.0
The more observant amongst you will notice that it appears to have taken me nigh-on two months to read this book.
And it sort of has — but with good reason.
First, I got asked to review the latest Dublin Trilogy book, something I was more than happy to do as it meant I could stop wading through interminable prose.
I then put off returning to it by reading Mick Fleetwood's first autobiography. It's still a toss-up as to whether that was a wise decision or not.
But finally I could put this off no longer. I had to give it a spirited go...
Now, I'm a big fan of Le Carre's work and to date haven't met a book of his I didn't like.
My how that has changed.
The first alarm bell was sounded with the quote on the front from Philip Pullman proclaiming A Prefect Spy to be one of the finest works of the 20th Century.
The second was the blurb on the back explaining how this was Le Carre's most autobiographical work.
Given this is, in a large part, about a man's troubled and tortuous relationship with his father, this did not bode well.
Le Carre may have exorcised demons here,. but the reader has suffered in the process.
At the centre of the 600-odd pages is a story about a man who may or may not be a Czech spy and the hunt to track him down.
These bits are tense, gripping, and executed with all the skill and dexterity Le Carre has become known for.
However, the vast majority of this tome is an overblown study of the author's relationship with his dad, told through the central character in a variety of styles and voices that are neither easy to absorb or comfortable to experience.
According to his Wikipedia page, Le Carre reflected that "writing A Perfect Spy is probably what a very wise shrink would have advised".
Possibly, although I suspect they'd rather have had the money.
A very wise editor would have advised seeing the shrink.
It's clear that there are a number of feelings and emotions bouncing around the pages, but they do not make for a cohesive narrative or even a particularly insightful peek into the author's life.
The relationship is established very early on. After that, the point just becomes laboured.
All of which is a crashing shame, because the actual spy thriller passages are really rather good.
And it sort of has — but with good reason.
First, I got asked to review the latest Dublin Trilogy book, something I was more than happy to do as it meant I could stop wading through interminable prose.
I then put off returning to it by reading Mick Fleetwood's first autobiography. It's still a toss-up as to whether that was a wise decision or not.
But finally I could put this off no longer. I had to give it a spirited go...
Now, I'm a big fan of Le Carre's work and to date haven't met a book of his I didn't like.
My how that has changed.
The first alarm bell was sounded with the quote on the front from Philip Pullman proclaiming A Prefect Spy to be one of the finest works of the 20th Century.
The second was the blurb on the back explaining how this was Le Carre's most autobiographical work.
Given this is, in a large part, about a man's troubled and tortuous relationship with his father, this did not bode well.
Le Carre may have exorcised demons here,. but the reader has suffered in the process.
At the centre of the 600-odd pages is a story about a man who may or may not be a Czech spy and the hunt to track him down.
These bits are tense, gripping, and executed with all the skill and dexterity Le Carre has become known for.
However, the vast majority of this tome is an overblown study of the author's relationship with his dad, told through the central character in a variety of styles and voices that are neither easy to absorb or comfortable to experience.
According to his Wikipedia page, Le Carre reflected that "writing A Perfect Spy is probably what a very wise shrink would have advised".
Possibly, although I suspect they'd rather have had the money.
A very wise editor would have advised seeing the shrink.
It's clear that there are a number of feelings and emotions bouncing around the pages, but they do not make for a cohesive narrative or even a particularly insightful peek into the author's life.
The relationship is established very early on. After that, the point just becomes laboured.
All of which is a crashing shame, because the actual spy thriller passages are really rather good.