Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ja_hopkins 's review for:
A Perfect Spy
by John le Carré
When Magnus Pym disappears, the British Secret Service and their American counterparts are terrified. Why has Pym gone to ground? Has the long serving diplomat and spy defected? Le Carre weaves the tale of Pym's life from childhood through to adulthood, taking in the relationship he has with his father and how Pym built his life.
From his days running errands as a kid, Pym learns how to lie. His father is a conman, and Pym learns from his relentless ability to make people believe in him. He learns how to observe, and we see his personality is built on pleasing others - his "self" is malleable - it is what other people want it to be.
I seem to be in the minority, but this is not one of my favourite le Carre's novels. I found it to be overly long, and repetitive. The lead character never had an unexplored thought. I also found the jumping around a bit jarring - not so much the different people and locations but the times when it jumps back to Magnus' childhood. Perhaps it is because it is more autobiographical than the other books, but I really struggled to get into it. I was happy to reach the end.
From his days running errands as a kid, Pym learns how to lie. His father is a conman, and Pym learns from his relentless ability to make people believe in him. He learns how to observe, and we see his personality is built on pleasing others - his "self" is malleable - it is what other people want it to be.
I seem to be in the minority, but this is not one of my favourite le Carre's novels. I found it to be overly long, and repetitive. The lead character never had an unexplored thought. I also found the jumping around a bit jarring - not so much the different people and locations but the times when it jumps back to Magnus' childhood. Perhaps it is because it is more autobiographical than the other books, but I really struggled to get into it. I was happy to reach the end.