Fans of British Writers discussion

Welcome to our annual common read!

Our book for 2024 is The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré.

Happy reading everyone!

I'm in! I got started on the book yesterday, though I didn't get any reading in today.

I started reading the book today, my first book by this author.
I'm finding it to be a very bleak book and not really the type of book I usually read.

I'd forgotten that Ihad the audio version of this (read by Michael Jayston) so I will start listening to it this evening. Apparently I listened to it in 2019, but can't remember it at all.

That was a few years ago, but maybe you'll remember some of it as you're reading/listening.

Rosemarie wrote: "I started reading the book today, my first book by this author.
I'm finding it to be a very bleak book and not really the type of book I usually read."

It is definitely bleak! It's not a feel-good read by any means.

John le Carre's real name was David John Moore Cornwell. He wrote under a pen name, because at the time he wrote his first three novels (including this one, his third) he was still working full time for British intelligence, and couldn't use his actual name. As this suggests, his depiction of the milieu of Cold War espionage is based on first-hand knowledge and experience, and is as realistic as M16's censors would tolerate. This book was his "break-out" novel, which allowed him to become a full-time writer.

I can sense the helplessness of the main character as he realizes the difficult situation he is in.
It does have a sense of realism, but it's also very grim.

I finished the book a couple of days ago-I won't be reading any more books by this author, mainly because I don't really like novels about espionage.
My heart went out to the main character in the novel-he really didn't get any breaks.

So far, I've finished Chapter 15; but then, I've also read the whole novel before, albeit over 50 years ago. Like you, Rosemarie, I have a lot of heartfelt sympathy and compassion for Leamas' travails here.

Rosemarie wrote: "I won't be reading any more books by this author, mainly because I don't really like novels about espionage."

That's a fair enough consideration (and I'll keep it in mind the next time I suggest a book for one of these reads). I can relate, because there are also certain types of fiction I don't get into; for instance, I'm not a fan of "techno-thrillers," mainly because mechanical gadgetry applied to military hardware just doesn't interest me.

Where novels and stories of espionage are concerned, one thing to keep in mind is that there are different strands within the genre, and different writer's work may have very different flavors, styles, and themes/emphases. We've used the terms "bleak" and "grim" to describe this book (and I'm sure anybody who's read it would agree!) and le Carre' is noted for that; but that contrasts him with a number of other writers of "spy" fiction, some of whom even write novels that could be described as "comfort reads." I've never read any of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels (maybe someone who has can compare/contrast the two authors). But I've read fiction by Peter O'Donnell, Donald Hamilton, John Buchan, Manning Coles, and Alistair MacLean (to name a few) who write about espionage; but all of their books have a very different feel from this novel, despite the similar subject matter and often Cold War settings and/or British protagonists.

Another interesting consideration is whether or not it makes a difference whether the book is set in the author's present (as is the case with the writings of all five of those I mentioned above, as well as le Carre'), or if he/she is writing historical fiction that centers around espionage. (Examples that come to mind are James Fenimore Cooper's The Spy and Clive Lee's Coral Hare: Atomic Agent.) Another area to explore is the difference between spy fiction written by males (obviously, this genre is male dominated, both in terms of its writers --all those mentioned above are males-- and its readers) and the fiction written by women authors, such as Liane Zane. (Or does it make a difference if the main character is female, rather than a male, as is the case here?)

Personally, I haven't read a lot of espionage-themed fiction (I have a customized Goodreads bookshelf for it, here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... , but it only has 22 books on it). But what I've read, I've mostly liked. It often has a strong action-adventure component, which appeals to me (though that element is absent in le Carre's work!), and it may offer unique opportunities to explore serious moral, philosophical, social, and even theological/spiritual issues, in situations of high-stakes tension and danger that adds emotional immediacy.

What do others reading this think?

I have read 2 JlC novels but not the one being discussed here. I have read 3 of the James Bond novels and they are very different in style. The early ones bear a resemblance to the films - but not much. I would recommend the early ones - but they are "of their time" so you need to transport your mind back to the 1950's/60's use of language and technology.
I opted out of this latest book as like Rosemarie, spy stories are not my favourite to read. When I did a lot of driving - pre retirement_ I did enjoy them on story tapes.

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I've read one James Bond novel, Casino Royale, and has a very different vibe from the LeCarré book.
It really didn't portray women well, whereas in The Spy... the female character is portrayed sympathetically. And she doesn't deserve what happens to her.

Rosemarie wrote: "I've read one James Bond novel, Casino Royale .... It really didn't portray women well, whereas in The Spy... the female character is portrayed sympathetically. And she doesn't deserve what happens to her."

Yes, both of the Wharton sisters, Frances and Sarah, are treated sympathetically; but Sarah's character arc isn't a happy one. :-( Cooper essentially respected women; from what bits and pieces of the Bond canon I've picked up from seeing occasional snatches of the films on TV, or from general pop culture, I'm not sure that Ian Fleming did. And there definitely is a strand of 20th-century spy fiction and cinema that treats women pretty much exclusively as sex objects.

The 15 Bond books by IF were written between 1953 and 1966. He was influenced by the social mores of his time, his own experience in the security services, and his middle class upbringing and adult life. So yes, when he wrote his female characters he did so in a way that would not be acceptable today.

However, I would suggest that you do not rely on the films too much as of all literary genres migrated to the screen, the Bond movies are perhaps the most corrupted by what film Producers think will make more money at the box office.

Christopher wrote: "I would suggest that you do not rely on the films too much as of all literary genres migrated to the screen, the Bond movies are perhaps the most corrupted by what film Producers think will make more money at the box office."

Thanks, Christopher; that's helpful to know! (I frequently roll my eyes at what Hollywood turns out as 'adaptations" of books that I have read, and can compare.)

I finished the book late this afternoon, but won't have a chance to write my review until Friday evening. That's fortunate, because it will give me time to mull over my reaction and allow the emotions created by the read (and especially the ending) to settle a bit. My rating won't stay at the two stars I slapped on it from memory back when I first shelved the book; it's definitely going to rise. (The only question is how much.)

For anyone who's interested, here's the link to my five-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... . Maybe it will help spark some additional discussion. :-)