A review by laticsexile
Absolute Friends by John le Carré

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The writing, as always, is top notch. The characters, by and large, are superbly described. The dialogue and backdrops where they appear are convincing. There are moments of high tension, drama and wry humour. I liked it a lot, and there were moments when I felt that it might occupy a seat at the Le Carré highest table, but in the end, it just didn’t quite get there. Le Carré’s distaste for the dubious (at best) Iraq War maybe coloured his vision a tiny bit. The ending, while epic, didn’t quite feel quite right. A very good book, but possibly not a great one.