Kev’s Comments (group member since Nov 17, 2014)

Kev’s comments from the Espionage Aficionados group.

I have A Legacy Of Spies in my hands! How lucky we are to still have this great author alive and continuing to produce wonderful gems like this.

My favourite Noir writer is Jim Thompson. His output is dark with a capital D and a real change up from samey police procedurals

Hi guys. I'm delving back into Deighton's Game, Set and Match trilogy with Mexico Set.

Should read as 'wasn't unforgettable'. IMO of course

True Steve. I enjoyed the Night Manager but it was unforgettable like the Tinker, Tailor 70s productions. It was flashy and stylistic but the dialogue lacked the depth of Le Carre. I doubt they will attempt to recast it in another era like The Night Manager though. In summary, I'm 'cautious'.

The BBC has announced another Le Carre TV adaption, this time it's a 'Spy Who Came In From The Cold' remake.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. To me the book is almost perfect and doesn't need any adaption otherwise it just infiltrates my own version. In addition, it's already been done once and quite a decent attempt it was too.

What's everyone else's view?

Yes it's probably my least favourite Le Carre. Apart some interesting revelations about how Oligarchs shift their money around I don't recall anything memorable

Feliks. My initial ramblings.
Greene was one of the titans of British (worldwide?) Literature in the 20th century. He wrote novels, 'entertainments', short stories, plays, children's books, film scripts, film treatments, editor of various publications the list goes on and on. Simply put: the man could write. The Quiet American for me is his best novel for a variety of reasons. 1: It's evocative sense of place. Just read that beginning, say the first thirty pages and you are in the steamy, humid streets of 1950s Indo-China. Greene had that unique ability to transport you to a different place and time with just the fewest words. 2. Prophetic. The novel foreshadowed a lot of the problems the US would run into in Vietnam and other foreign interventions. 3. It's anti - war sentiments. Nowhere does Greene do this better when describing that bomb scene in the street. It's horrific. 4. The use of three characters to represent the Three countries at the time: Pyle (US), Fowler (Britain), Phong (Vietnam). Pyle the young brash idealistic man pitted against Fowler the old cynic over the love of Phong the beautiful, alluring but mystifying woman (Vietnam). I could go on and I've kinda rushed this so hopefully those more articulate than me can contribute now.

Jeff wrote: "I love characters like Pyle. Add him into the Cold War timeline of the 1950s, and he could be a character fresh out of the CIA-backed National Student Association, Kennan's X article ringing in his..."

You raise some great points Jeff. Seems we're on the same page here. The key for me are the marked differences between the weary cynic Fowler and the 'man of good intentions mixed up in a world he didn't really understand.' And how this wider theme relates to where the Brits and US were at the time geo-politically.

Anyway regarding Edward Wilson, Envoy is the right place to start but the series gets a lot better afterwards. Have fun.

Oops posted too soon.

...politics and events rather than gather intelligence like a spy.

Plus the novel is told through Fowler, the cynical journalist.

It's just an opinion and I can see the counter argument

I guess I see Pyle as a naive, idealistic agent provocateur that meddles in the local politic

Jeff, The Quiet American is probably my favourite Greene but I just don't see it as a spy novel as such.

My two pennies worth...

Forgetting the obvious brilliance of Le Carre I would like to give a shout out to Edward Wilson. His Catesby series is atmospheric, highly readable and addictive.

For the classics I don't think Graham Greenes spy novels have been mentioned enough this thread so I'd say Our Man in Havana (for black comedy), A Confidential Agent (noir pre ww2) and Ministry of Fear (Hitchcock-esque spy caper).

For an absolute timeless spy thriller that reads like it was published yesterday I'd say Eric Ambler's Mask of Dimitrios

Should read LC

Its up there for me. In my top three JC for sure.

Seeing the Smiley/Karla trilogy come to a climax in such an effective manner was a joy to behold.

Cphe wrote: "No Kev - which book would you recommend?"

Hi Cphe. I haven't tried him yet. He was on a 'buy one, get one half price' deal in a book shop. I was just trying to canvass opinion

Second the Edward Wilson recommendation. The Midnight Swimmer is a first class cold war thriller.

Has anyone read Simon Mawer before?

Just started Le Carre's biography. Already 100 pages in. His childhood is fascinating mainly because of his old man who seems a bit of a chancer (putting it mildly). Can't wait to read more

I liked the Human Factor. It's an understated late Greene novel with well realised characters. The tradecraft by this point was well out of date but it didn't matter really. The clue was in the title. Typical of Greene it's largely about the inner turmoil of a 20th century man. Faced with a choice of love or country he chooses the former and the end result is pretty crushing.

I stumbled across a film version that is very hard to find apparently. It was quite a strong adaption and well worth a watch if you can track it down.

Number 9 as it represents a damp, foggy London.