laticsexile's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea that the United Kingdom's bid to join the European Union was rejected. Twice! Reading a spy book set during their bid to join while Brexit is happening in real life tickles me a bit.
My first le Carré book, and it was a good one. Highly recommend.
My first le Carré book, and it was a good one. Highly recommend.
paul_cornelius's review against another edition
3.0
Almost a mediocre effort on the part of John le Carré. The "small town in Germany" is Bonn, the erstwhile capital of West Germany. The novel does create the atmosphere that used to exist in the city, almost as if time itself was suspended, stuck in the 1950s. Yet all the while the influence of "Little America," the US Embassy and its associated estates, movie theaters, stores, and other entertainment facilities, hovered over all. Le Carré refers to this as "Coca Cola culture." Against this background, there has been an upset within the British Embassy. The down at the heels British have someone, Leo Harting, working within their building who is collecting data and stealing files. This brings in Alan Turner, whose job it is to find Harting before he makes a getaway or worse, as it turns out.
I am guessing that le Carré was much influenced by Rashomon, for his novel follows a similar structure. Each chapter consists of Turner questioning different embassy employees about Harting. And each one has a much different view of the man, his capabilities, and his aims. In the process, I'll credit the author for doing a nice job of skewering the petty jealousies, greed, and ambitions at work among British diplomats and their support staff. Turner's time with Jenny Partiger, for example, peels away her self defense and pathetic lies not so much like the layers of an onion but as with removing a single brick resulting in the collapse of an entire dam. She has been made Harting's dupe and strung along almost as if she were a teenager mooning for love. Nobody within the embassy is able to match their characters or emotions to the seriousness of their work.
Finally, there is the barely veiled attack on Kurt Kiesinger, the West German chancellor in the late 1960s. Clearly, this is who le Carré's Klaus Karfeld is supposed to mirror. The exaggerations, supposition, and outright inventions that he applies to Kiesinger/Karfeld are pretty much an embarrassment. Kiesinger's actual biography doesn't bear out the innuendo and specific charges that le Carré makes claim to.
Despite all that, the novel still works well enough as a basic thriller of sorts.
I am guessing that le Carré was much influenced by Rashomon, for his novel follows a similar structure. Each chapter consists of Turner questioning different embassy employees about Harting. And each one has a much different view of the man, his capabilities, and his aims. In the process, I'll credit the author for doing a nice job of skewering the petty jealousies, greed, and ambitions at work among British diplomats and their support staff. Turner's time with Jenny Partiger, for example, peels away her self defense and pathetic lies not so much like the layers of an onion but as with removing a single brick resulting in the collapse of an entire dam. She has been made Harting's dupe and strung along almost as if she were a teenager mooning for love. Nobody within the embassy is able to match their characters or emotions to the seriousness of their work.
Finally, there is the barely veiled attack on Kurt Kiesinger, the West German chancellor in the late 1960s. Clearly, this is who le Carré's Klaus Karfeld is supposed to mirror. The exaggerations, supposition, and outright inventions that he applies to Kiesinger/Karfeld are pretty much an embarrassment. Kiesinger's actual biography doesn't bear out the innuendo and specific charges that le Carré makes claim to.
Despite all that, the novel still works well enough as a basic thriller of sorts.
8797999's review
3.0
A very enjoyable read, perhaps not the best le Carré but certainly not a turkey either.
angrangy's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
CN misogyne und rassistische Sprache
Angefangen zu lesen, weils mir ein Wikipedia-Artikel gelesen hat, um ein Bild von Bonn und Königswinter zu haben. Die Beschreibungen von der alten Hauptstadt mit ihren Politikern (in diesem Buch lohnt sich das Gendern nicht) und Diplomaten in der Nachkriegszeit passen super. 1968 geschrieben fühlt es sich an wie aus den 50ern. Der Konservatismus stinkt so sehr, die Studierendenbewegungen werden mit NS-Märschen beschrieben.
Finds nun witzig, wie sich hier nun die Reviews von goodreads unterscheiden, wo überwiegend Fans geschrieben haben. Das hier war mein erstes Buch von ihm, sodass ich nicht sicher war, aber er in-character schreibt - oder einfach selbst misogyn und rassistisch ist. Die Politiker der Common Wealth (afrikanische Länder), die alle komische Namen hätten, die man sich nicht zu merken bräuchte, weil sie eh alle gleich aussehen würden. Jede Frau wird nach ihrem Aussehen bewertet wie ein Stück Fleisch. Sie seien dumm oder durchtrieben und auf keinen Fall vertrauenswürdig.
Habe nur zu Ende gelesen, weil ich auf den großen Clue in der Auflösung des Falls gewartet habe - war dann aber so plump, hätte auch von nem deutschen geschrieben sein können.
Angefangen zu lesen, weils mir ein Wikipedia-Artikel gelesen hat, um ein Bild von Bonn und Königswinter zu haben. Die Beschreibungen von der alten Hauptstadt mit ihren Politikern (in diesem Buch lohnt sich das Gendern nicht) und Diplomaten in der Nachkriegszeit passen super. 1968 geschrieben fühlt es sich an wie aus den 50ern. Der Konservatismus stinkt so sehr, die Studierendenbewegungen werden mit NS-Märschen beschrieben.
Finds nun witzig, wie sich hier nun die Reviews von goodreads unterscheiden, wo überwiegend Fans geschrieben haben. Das hier war mein erstes Buch von ihm, sodass ich nicht sicher war, aber er in-character schreibt - oder einfach selbst misogyn und rassistisch ist. Die Politiker der Common Wealth (afrikanische Länder), die alle komische Namen hätten, die man sich nicht zu merken bräuchte, weil sie eh alle gleich aussehen würden. Jede Frau wird nach ihrem Aussehen bewertet wie ein Stück Fleisch. Sie seien dumm oder durchtrieben und auf keinen Fall vertrauenswürdig.
Habe nur zu Ende gelesen, weil ich auf den großen Clue in der Auflösung des Falls gewartet habe - war dann aber so plump, hätte auch von nem deutschen geschrieben sein können.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Racism
sjlee's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
A friend lent me a copy of this book and the timing seemed relevant. At the time it was loaned to me we were still in the wake of Brexit and the relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom were dominating certain parts of the news. There was a certain irony then in reading a book where British diplomats were eager to get into closer economic ties with Europe.
My knowledge of West German history is very limited. It is an admitted blind spot for me, and therefore I was sceptical or unsure of how realistic or grounded the plot was. The domestic political situation in Germany is critical to the story.
The core of the story is a hunt for a low-level staffer that goes missing from the embassy after stealing documents. The investigator sent to uncover the cause of this breach digs into the relationships and history of the suspect and pieces together the mystery.
At the end of the story, I wasn't terribly satisfied by the mystery. The various components felt a bit unconnected to each other. The characters in the story did not feel particularly active.
My knowledge of West German history is very limited. It is an admitted blind spot for me, and therefore I was sceptical or unsure of how realistic or grounded the plot was. The domestic political situation in Germany is critical to the story.
The core of the story is a hunt for a low-level staffer that goes missing from the embassy after stealing documents. The investigator sent to uncover the cause of this breach digs into the relationships and history of the suspect and pieces together the mystery.
At the end of the story, I wasn't terribly satisfied by the mystery. The various components felt a bit unconnected to each other. The characters in the story did not feel particularly active.
bibliomaniac2021's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25