andyshute 's review for:

A Perfect Spy by John le Carré
3.0

I've been listening to this for the last couple of months and despite a slow start eventually got sucked deeply into the narrative. It's a dense but rewarding tale, skipping between the past with a colourful and morally traumatising upbringing with his conman father, his education and forays into his life as a spy, to the present as everything comes crashing down around his fractured life.

Pym is a thrilling and complicated character, a man so twisted with the constant lies and half truths that he doesn't know who he is anymore. Part autobiographical, le Carre has created a moving, funny and emotional novel that most have cut quite close to the bone. A brave work.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Michael Jayston who does a wonderful job bringing it all to life, throwing around some great accents and providing a loving empathy. I think I may have found the printed version harder to get through right now.

Well worth the time.