His son (Nick Harkaway) is one of my favorite authors, and one of the best in SF right now.
which book would you suggest someone starts with?
John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
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Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#12I have a large book collection and one of the cornerstones is a first edition of every John le Carre book published. I've read them all, and while he is probably best known for "Tinker Tailor ..." and "Smiley's People", I found "The Perfect Spy" to be just an exceptional work of literature - and at times it is also autobiographical (his father was a con man). I'm not surprised he was at times profoundly unhappy - in…
I watch Smiley's People with Alec Guinness once a year. You can't make film like that today.
The scene with Toby Esterhase and George Smiley in the basement office of Toby's gallery is one of my favorite scenes on film of all time.
Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#13Many of his books carry a subtext of small and big personal betrayals. I wonder if he projected his own desires into the narrative.
Smiley is deceived. Anne and Haydon's relationship is written down to Haydon doing what his paymasters ordered but Anne's role is unclear. Willing participation is implied.
The perfect spy is a super book.
Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#14His son (Nick Harkaway) is one of my favorite authors, and one of the best in SF right now.
I'm just finishing up Nick's 'Gnomon', and it has blown my mind. It's been quite a while since a book has enthralled me just as as this.
Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
The best is "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold". It's a short read but a wallop of an ending.
Interesting I’m about eighty pages into it and was beginning to question the Le Carré hype.
FWIW: I didn't like it either, but really enjoyed "Tinker.." and "Smiley's People".
Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
The best is "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold". It's a short read but a wallop of an ending.
Interesting I’m about eighty pages into it and was beginning to question the Le Carré hype.
FWIW, I've been in your boat most of my life. The only reason I kept revisiting it was because my dad was a huge fan. I really started appreciating the pace and nuance as I got into my late thirties. Nothing in these stories spell anything out to you, so you have to do the work to get in their heads. It's why spies are so fascinating.
Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
I watch Smiley's People with Alec Guinness once a year. You can't make film like that today.
The scene with Toby Esterhase and George Smiley in the basement office of Toby's gallery is one of my favorite scenes on film of all time.
Alec Guinness was a master at not overplaying a role
Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#18Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#19He was able to capture so much in just the smallest of observations.
Re: John le Carré's private life, revealed in letters and a kiss-and-tell
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
The best is "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold". It's a short read but a wallop of an ending.
Interesting I’m about eighty pages into it and was beginning to question the Le Carré hype.
Maybe try A Perfect Spy. Le Carre’s novels are certainly not thrillers, more like anti-thrillers. I think of the whole spy thing as a metaphor for the ways that humans lie, conceal and hurt others.