A review by amandatamsin
A Most Wanted Man by John le Carré

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Not quite my usual genre, but I found this novel in a book exchange and decided to give it a go and am glad I did.  This is a really thought-provoking read.  The characters are complex, and in some cases mysterious.  Some of them really grew on me and I could empathise with them.  I also love the subtle, 'show but not tell' writing style, leaving a lot to the reader's imagination and deduction.

The book seems very well researched on the themes covered, and I feel better educated as a result of reading it.  Overall, it is quite a dark read (though there are some light moments and aspects), so I think you have to be in the right state of mind for it, but I found it to be worth it even when it challenged me emotionally.  I will be reading more by this author.