bese199's review against another edition
4.0
The dialog is so British - for me, it was sometimes hard to decipher and sometimes just annoying. But the plot and story are as good as always.
ja_hopkins's review against another edition
4.0
A mysterious private contractor. A government minister who appears not to trust his Private Secretary. A career Foreign Office man. A counter-terror operation. This is our introduction to le Carre's A Delicate Truth. When the op goes wrong, we are thrust back in time to the planning, then forward to the aftermath.
Toby Bell, the aforementioned Private Secretary, finds out more than he should, but as he is about to act on his information, his protector warns him off, and he is suddenly shipped overseas.
Sir Christopher Probyn, the Foreign Office man tasked with providing the operation with a modicum of official cover is now retired, but when he encounters one of the men involved in the operation, his conscience prompts him to talk to Bell.
This story talks to the cosy relationship between the state, intelligence services and the private security (aka mercenary) industry, and how in the modern world, we cannot trust government. For me this was a welcome return to form - the last le Carre I read I really struggled with, but this is a tight, exciting and all too real story that I highly recommend.
Toby Bell, the aforementioned Private Secretary, finds out more than he should, but as he is about to act on his information, his protector warns him off, and he is suddenly shipped overseas.
Sir Christopher Probyn, the Foreign Office man tasked with providing the operation with a modicum of official cover is now retired, but when he encounters one of the men involved in the operation, his conscience prompts him to talk to Bell.
This story talks to the cosy relationship between the state, intelligence services and the private security (aka mercenary) industry, and how in the modern world, we cannot trust government. For me this was a welcome return to form - the last le Carre I read I really struggled with, but this is a tight, exciting and all too real story that I highly recommend.
pluginsteadman's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
roshk99's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't a huge fan of the first le Carre that I read, but I wanted to give another one a try. Something about the writing style seems specifically obtuse. I can't put my finger on it, but as I'm reading, it's as if the story is a little out of focus. Otherwise, its a chillingly realistic portrayal of the depths of the intelligence world.
brannigan's review against another edition
2.0
This is the first le Carré I've read, an impulse buy in a supermarket. Not impressed.
First, the prose. I found le Carré's style to be a bit clunky and affected, as if it's trying too hard altogether. E.g. the sentence "That there was gravitas in him was undeniable". I don't think it's just me - I think that line is objectively horrible. And what's with the irritating habit of italicising every other word of dialogue? Finally, the incessant switching from past tense to present and from first person to third was probably intended to be stylistically striking, but in the end comes across as messy and confused.
I've heard that the author described this as his 'most British' book to date. I think what he means by this is that the characters often refer to things as "Her Majesty's x... Her Majesty's y" and so on, despite the fact that nobody talks like that. The use of Americanisms throughout such as 'cellphone' suggest that perhaps he's toned up the James Bond-ness for a US audience.
It was also quite obvious that the author took a box-ticking approach to the novel, carefully making sure to include Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish - and even Northern English! - characters. Throw in a few references to Kosher butchers, women in veils and black guys to tick the multicultural box and there you have it, the Modern British Novel. That didn't feel forced at all.
The plot itself was just about decent enough to keep me interested, but things got a little silly at the end. It's just difficult to believe that the government would go to such lengths to conceal the truth behind the botched counter-terror operation, when the nature of the cover up - although tragic - isn't really that devastating. Maybe I'm jaded, but I'm sure worse things happen most weeks.
Finally, I must draw attention to one character's bizarre outburst (p. 238) about nobody reading the Evening Standard now it's free. It's completely unnecessary in the context, and just seemed like a way for le Carré to shoehorn a personal rant.
To conclude, the novel failed to satisfy, I seriously considered giving up at several points, and I won't be reading any more JLC.
First, the prose. I found le Carré's style to be a bit clunky and affected, as if it's trying too hard altogether. E.g. the sentence "That there was gravitas in him was undeniable". I don't think it's just me - I think that line is objectively horrible. And what's with the irritating habit of italicising every other word of dialogue? Finally, the incessant switching from past tense to present and from first person to third was probably intended to be stylistically striking, but in the end comes across as messy and confused.
I've heard that the author described this as his 'most British' book to date. I think what he means by this is that the characters often refer to things as "Her Majesty's x... Her Majesty's y" and so on, despite the fact that nobody talks like that. The use of Americanisms throughout such as 'cellphone' suggest that perhaps he's toned up the James Bond-ness for a US audience.
It was also quite obvious that the author took a box-ticking approach to the novel, carefully making sure to include Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish - and even Northern English! - characters. Throw in a few references to Kosher butchers, women in veils and black guys to tick the multicultural box and there you have it, the Modern British Novel. That didn't feel forced at all.
The plot itself was just about decent enough to keep me interested, but things got a little silly at the end. It's just difficult to believe that the government would go to such lengths to conceal the truth behind the botched counter-terror operation, when the nature of the cover up - although tragic - isn't really that devastating. Maybe I'm jaded, but I'm sure worse things happen most weeks.
Finally, I must draw attention to one character's bizarre outburst (p. 238) about nobody reading the Evening Standard now it's free. It's completely unnecessary in the context, and just seemed like a way for le Carré to shoehorn a personal rant.
To conclude, the novel failed to satisfy, I seriously considered giving up at several points, and I won't be reading any more JLC.
withanf's review against another edition
4.0
I never appreciated le Carré when I was younger, but now I appreciate reading about his morally ambiguous characters and unresolved scenarios. An enjoyable read.
kevin_coombs's review against another edition
4.0
le Carre at his best, which is very good indeed. As with most le Carre works, providing a review which is also a synopsis of the story, would either short-change the novel, or run to novella length in its own right. Rather than either, suffice it to say that the characters are well-realized, the pace near perfect, the story itself compelling, and the ending - like the endings in so much of what le Carre does - is perfectly and appropriately bleak. le Carre writes to tell a story, and in so doing, he does not make compromises to give the reader a "happy" ending. Often enough, there aren't such things as happy endings, and it is a compliment to his audience that le Carre writes with that in mind.
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this book based on a recommendation as it was read by John le Carré.
It had many very enjoyable and suspenseful moments, however the end was unsatisfyingly unresolved and I like resolution.
It had many very enjoyable and suspenseful moments, however the end was unsatisfyingly unresolved and I like resolution.
gmarsh_ca's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hornmp's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0