Peter Guillam, staunch colleague and disciple of George Smiley of the British Secret Service, otherwise known as the Circus, is living out his old age on the family farmstead on the south coast of Brittany when a letter from his old Service summons him to London. The reason? His Cold War past has come back to claim him. Intelligence operations that were once the toast of secret London, and involved such characters as Alec Leamas, Jim Prideaux, George Smiley and Peter Guillam himself, are to be scrutinised under disturbing criteria by a generation with no memory of the Cold War and no patience with its justifications.
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Publisher:
New York : Random House Large Print, ©2017.
Edition:
Large print edition.
ISBN:
9780525501305
0525501304
0525501304
Characteristics:
385 pages ;,24 cm.
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Add a CommentIn what is probably Le Carre's last book he ties up many loose ends (while still leaving - adding - a few more). A page turner yet somewhat empty. Leaves one longing for his earlier works
Snore.
The great author is 86 and it's time to sit on the porch and smoke his pipe.
Probably his last - he should have left us wanting more - and this ain't it!
Le Carre is of course a master wordsmith and for that reason alone this book should be read. However I couldn't help but think that if one had not read his earlier works, this would be a difficult story to follow. Has he run out of ideas?
Le Carré's best works are behind him, I think, this one is a rehash of earlier, better, books, with the accent on "hash"
One of the most accessible le Carre reads! He draws the reader in to good and bad relations between characters, thankfully keeping the cast to a manageable number.
There is no one who is as good a writer as this guy. This is a must read.
Book continues the George Smiley canon with Peter Guillam as this book’s central character. Must have read ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ and ‘The Spy who Came in from the Cold’ first.
An intriguing spy story that’s just a bit bogged down by all the old files Peter must peruse. Had a bit of the feel of a swan song as these characters have all gotten older. Hope not.
Good for die-hard Smiley fans, but I found they mystery/suspense element didn't shine as brightly as LeCarre's classics.
Wonderful fun revisiting the inimitable George Smiley and the twisty, turny, slippery slope that was British Cold War spycraft. But above and beyond that, this book is a thoughtful study on the evolution (or devolution) of spycraft. We have always been impressed by Le Carre's knowledge of Cold War spycraft, but in this book he shows us how well he grasps its modern equivalent. This may not be the best book to introduce yourself to this author, but to those of us familiar with both Le Carre's style and his classic characters, this book is a true delight.
Five stars. Convoluted LeCarie plot, obscure/arcane vocabulary and pretentious British attitude. It couldn't be better.