The Secret Pilgrim
£15.23
Eerie and fascinating - A British Intelligence agent, trained by George Smiley, at the end of his carreer, finds himself led back into a situation reevoking his past work during the Cold War. Fine characters and intriguing action. Excellent.
George Smiley s final ride through the calleys of the Cold War - The Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and this book was first published a year later. Back then it was believed that as the Cold War was over, the spying espionage novel was finished. Redundant. Passé.Of course that wasn t the case, the world s second oldest profession was never going to go as quietly as that, and so it proved. Today in 2007, the intelligence services are busier than ever.The Secret Pilgrim centres on George Smiley s retirement, and the progress of his protégé, Ned. In many ways it is not a single book at all, but a collection of flashback stories set in such varied locations as Estonia, Israel and Lebanon, and Thailand and Cambodia. The individual stories come in varying degrees of intensity, and many of the images it brought to my mind lived with me long after I had set the book down. Some of them I will never forget. Is this the true test of a novel s power?Dame Stella Rimington, the former head of Britain s intelligence services, the first woman to hold the post, and the first person ever to hold the post whilst known to the public, stated recently that John Le Carré, of all the espionage writers, painted the most accurate pictures of her times in the service. It is not difficult to believe, and The Secret Pilgrim will not disappoint any espionage aficionados, though you don t have to be such a buff, to glean enjoyment from this work.I have always preferred Mister le Carré s earlier works, of which this just about is. I found it an easy book to read, hard to put down, easy to follow, (not always the case in this genre) and well worth the effort in returning to his back catalogue. I suspect spy books are set for a comeback, something that will suit Mister le Carré admirably. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but then I would. I m hooked you see. Give it a try. Codebook anyone?
Smiley in Small Doses! - I was given this book as a birthday present, otherwise I probably never would have read it, since I am not a fan of spy fiction (other than the kind that appears in the factual espionage genre). I am very glad, however, that I did read it.The Secret Pilgrim represents the best of both worlds, since it is actually a dozen short stories tied together within the framework of a novel. The latter depicts George Smiley, the Old Cold Warrior, acting as guest lecturer to a group of young Circus recruits, who are learning their tradecraft from one of his old pupils, Ned (who is himself about to retire). Each of Smiley s topics during the lecture and the conversation afterwards triggers Ned s memories and, therefore, his reminiscences about old cases. The short stories serve as an excellent introduction to the author s earlier works, since Ned, in his adventures, has dealt with the likes of Bill Haydon, Toby Esterhaze, and Percy Alleline, as well as George Smiley--all of whom make cameo appearances. The tales are entertaining, witty, and wholly absorbing, as one gradually learns that the narrator is the pilgrim of the title on a quest to discover why he ever entered the secret world in the first place. Once he had imagined himself as a dragon slayer, who would leave the world in a safer place. Now, however, that rampant Communism has been replaced by rampant Capitalism, the narrator, in the last chapter, wonders whether the right people have won, noting that the evil was not in the system, but in the man. The Secret Pilgrim is set in a very different world from the original Smiley books. George Smiley is now presiding over the Fishing Rights Committee, a joint effort between the intelligence services of London and Moscow. How Kim Philby would have approved!.
A Delight - This book comprises what, at first sight, seem to be a set of short stories. In fact, the stories are linked, in part by a narrative structure and in part by the presence of George Smiley, brought out of retirement to make an after-dinner speech to a bunch of new spooks.Much of Circus history is revisited, including the mole-hunting era of Tinker, Tailor etc. New angles and insights are revealed and old motivations seen in new lights.It goes without saying that the writing style is fluid, intelligent and engaging. [If anything, too engaging-it is all too easy to read just one more story....]Enthusiasts for the earlier history of Smiley and his associates will delight in this book. I m not entirely sure that newcomers will find it quite such an accessible read: some background has to be assumed to avoid repetition.Highly recommended.Bill
For the reflective Le Carre fan, this is the best - Having read most of JLC s books, this one has a unique effect on me. A series of anecdotal stories, perhaps, connected by a thread summarised by Ned s and Smiley s reflections at the close. Great insight into the real motivation of a spy, and those entrapped in the world of espionage. Wonderfully read, compelling, funny, compassionate and angry.