Call for the Dead
£2.91
Le Carre s First - This is Le Carre s first novel, and for anyone who loves his George Smiley books this is a most enjoyable introduction to him. In comparison with his later work, this has a slightly amateurish feel to it but that shouldn t spoil the pleasure. It s a good story, full of intelligence, character and with a dash of humour. It was first published in 1961 and therefore it has a certain period charm. Telephone numbers have 4 digits, espresso coffee is spoken of as a sophisticated treat, and actresses say Gosh. It s a thoroughly pleasurable read, and at about 150 pages you can finish the whole thing in an evening.
A good read if you like his work. - As always, meticulous plotted with some strong observations in terms of character. I wrote this review in disgust at one of the reviewers on here who thought that it was too far fetched that a spy would join an amateur dramatic society to meet with a contact. They should stick to James Bond, which is far removed from the real world of esponiage. Le Carre s spy writing generally does not embellish on the technical wizardry of the CIA, instead relying on character and human nature to sell itself to the reader. It is far more realistic than other novels, showing that spying is more mundane than the stereotypical Hollywood or James Bond image. This is what makes Le Carre s work more humane, and that is true of Call for the Dead, which delves deeply into the pysche of the dead man and his wife. One of the most memorable bits of the book for me is the way that Smiley deals with someone in his house who has been sent to murder him, almost the anti-Bond you might say! Well worth the purchase price.
tedious beyond belief - I found this book tedious beyond belief, the way we are told espionage operatives work is beyond belief, it s utterly absurd - who could believe that in order to meet together a spy and his informer join an amateur dramatic society where they can exchange brief cases via swapped cloak room tickets? Slow, borderline nonsenical plot, a struggle to finish... I have read a couple of Le Carre novels but this one surely sets new standards of implausibility!