jklugman 's review for:

A Perfect Spy by John le Carré

3.0

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The novel intercuts between past and present. The past: the Pym character recounts his origins being raised by a conartist father in letters addressed to his son and to his superior, always referring to himself in the third person. The present: Pym’s spouse and superior (distractedly named “Jackie Brotherhood”) come to grips with his betrayal. The novel suggests his fucked up upbringing, including a series of mother figures who end up committing suicide or leaving, accounts for Pym’s need to be loved by both his Czech handler and his superior, leading his to be a double agent. It is an interesting character study but I found much of Pym’s retrospective account uninteresting, especially the parts related to his childhood.