John Le Carre, died this evening.

[TVR1]

Essential reading as a teenager in the ‘80’s.

A very interesting life.


https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/13/john...

Edited by TVR1 on Sunday 13th December 23:37

[Stick Legs]

Great author.

Must have read every one of his books, and there are a lot!

The Smiley series are genre defining and his ability to simultaneously hold a mirror up to hypocrisy yet not to diminish the players was un-matched.

A great loss to the literary world.

[85Carrera]

Yep as a teenager in the 80s read and loved all his books (back then)

Not read his more recent stuff. Any good?

[wisbech]

Yes, his later stuff also very good. Bit preachy, but well worth reading (Night Manager, Tailor of Panama, Constant Gardener)

Honourable Schoolboy my favourite

[hidetheelephants]

I prefer Len Deighton but the Smiley series was definitely gripping, far better than Fleming's nonsense(which I also enjoy for different reasons).

[W124Bob]

Another fan here, I'm actually sitting next to a stack of his books and thinking I just need a couple for a complete set. Must have read Tinker & Similey's People at least three times. I seem to recall he played a large part along with his publisher at the time of breaking the Net Book agreement. RIP John.

[stitched]

Interesting man, wonderful writer.
Genuinely sad, we won't see his like anytime soon.
RIP.

[Derek Smith]

Tinker, Tailor set a standard that was reached by few. It converted well to TV and cinema.

There is an overwhelming sense of confusion as to who are the good guys in his books that's just riveting. He played completely fair with readers as well. I read an early, non-spy, book first of all, A Murder of Quality, although it did feature Smiley. That was way back, in the 60s. It was poorly reviewed, mainly because it was seen as not as good as his first, but I liked all its twists and turns. It's make a good TV series, with someone nondiscript, in the lead, so no Tennant. I then read his first book, the one that introduced Smiley and the Circus, and I was, initially, a bit put off as I didn't really like spy books. But stuck with it, and am glad I did. I was converted and it put me off reading Fleming, although the Bond films were great.

A cracking author who treated his readers as adults' people not requiring everything explained. One of our best, the best I reckon, spy thriller writer, my only criticism being he could be a bit depressing. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold didn't fill you with love for the establishment. Corruption of innocents is a theme which he signalled in his first book.

Time to reread my small le Carré collection I think, and then raid the library.

[Halmyre]

I threw out my copy of TTSS to stop me reading it for the umpteenth time.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold was on Talking Pictures recently. A suitable watch for a miserable winter's evening.

[Stick Legs]

The Perfect Spy is excellent and the BBC adaptation with Peter Egan is brilliant.

It's lesser known than TTSS and worth seeking out.