Now reading...

[A Lark Ascending]

As close to actually being there as I'd ever want to get.

I thought it was a brilliant book.

[jlhoots]

As close to actually being there as I'd ever want to get.

I thought it was a brilliant book.

So did I.

[JohnJ]

Le Carré's latest.

Bill - you're obviously a big fan. I am currently reading "Tinker Tailor" on the recommendation of my wife. I am bored with it - none of it makes sense to me. What am I doing wrong?

You're doing nothing wrong. LeCarre was in his depths by then. His best are his earliest 5 or so novels, and he's written better ones (like The Night Manager) in later years.

I couldn't follow Tinker either. Struggled to the end then got rid of the copies of The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People that I had been planning to read next. I consoled myself while reading Tinker with spotting instances of bad grammar and poor sentence construction. A pity, as I liked The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.

You surprise me Crisp. Those three novels, published collectively as 'Smiley vs Karla' are easily my favourite Le Carre's and are generally regarded as not only his best work but the best of the genre. While they all have complex plots I never found them particularly difficult to follow, just superb storytelling.

[BillF]

Le Carré's latest.

Bill - you're obviously a big fan. I am currently reading "Tinker Tailor" on the recommendation of my wife. I am bored with it - none of it makes sense to me. What am I doing wrong?

You're doing nothing wrong. LeCarre was in his depths by then. His best are his earliest 5 or so novels, and he's written better ones (like The Night Manager) in later years.

I couldn't follow Tinker either. Struggled to the end then got rid of the copies of The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People that I had been planning to read next. I consoled myself while reading Tinker with spotting instances of bad grammar and poor sentence construction. A pity, as I liked The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.

You surprise me Crisp. Those three novels, published collectively as 'Smiley vs Karla' are easily my favourite Le Carre's and are generally regarded as not only his best work but the best of the genre. While they all have complex plots I never found them particularly difficult to follow, just superb storytelling.

Part of the problem may be that Le Carré deliberately sets out to mystify the reader as part of his narrative method. Very often his central characters don't know what's going on themselves, particularly in the earlier parts of the books. His use of secret service jargon ("lamplighters" etc) without explanation is another factor. But all gets resolved eventually.

[Jazzmoose]

Glad you guys are discussing Le Carre; after seeing the Gary Oldman flick, I'm ready to dive in. Any suggestions as to where to start?

[BillF]

Glad you guys are discussing Le Carre; after seeing the Gary Oldman flick, I'm ready to dive in. Any suggestions as to where to start?

In view of the way the discussion has gone, start with a shorter, early one. I think The looking Glass War is great - full of atmosphere from the first page.

[JohnJ]

Glad you guys are discussing Le Carre; after seeing the Gary Oldman flick, I'm ready to dive in. Any suggestions as to where to start?

In view of the way the discussion has gone, start with a shorter, early one. I think The looking Glass War is great - full of atmosphere from the first page.

Good choice. 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' would be another.

[jlhoots]

Shalom Auslander: Hope: A Tragedy

[BillF]

Glad you guys are discussing Le Carre; after seeing the Gary Oldman flick, I'm ready to dive in. Any suggestions as to where to start?

In view of the way the discussion has gone, start with a shorter, early one. I think The looking Glass War is great - full of atmosphere from the first page.

Good choice. 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' would be another.

Am currently reading the more recent Le Carrés and have just finished this:

While they don't equal the earlier classics, they still stand out nowadays as exemplary writing. Of these newer ones, the best I've come across so far is this, but I haven't got to the end of the list yet!

[jlhoots]

Dana Spiotta: Stone Arabia

[jazzbo]

The liner note booklet to Dylan Bootleg Vols. 1-3.

[alankin]

Peter Lovesey - Swing, Swing Together: A Sergeant Cribb Investigation

[Jazzmoose]

Finally started Now Wait for Last Year.

[A Lark Ascending]

Continuing my journey through this series - this time an evocative setting in Cambridge. You'd never know the writer was American given her geographically accurate descriptions of various parts of Britain and her character descriptions.

Enjoying this long but engaging biography. He's just arrived in Gaul and is chasing down the Helvitti.

[alankin]

Elmore Leonard - Pronto

[crisp]

You surprise me Crisp. Those three novels, published collectively as 'Smiley vs Karla' are easily my favourite Le Carre's and are generally regarded as not only his best work but the best of the genre. While they all have complex plots I never found them particularly difficult to follow, just superb storytelling.

Perhaps because I'm a journalist, I'm rather into simple, solid sentences these days, so perhaps that's part of the problem I had with Tinker. As I said, I didn't read the others, although I started Schoolboy before abandoning it. I'm currently reading Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge, which has a complicated structure and grapples with some quite ineffable themes but is a masterpiece of clarity. The odd Oxford comma aside, each sentence is beautifully composed.

[jazzbo]

Maugham was an awesome writer. I need to re-read some of his novels.

[crisp]

This my first Maugham, though I've long been aware of his work. I also have Of Human Bondage lined up. Which ones are your favourites?

[A Lark Ascending]

Of Human Bondage is superb. I did it for 'A' Level in 1972-3..and still enjoyed it!

[BillF]

Elmore Leonard - Pronto

Must try that one. Just finished this:

[jazzbo]

I need to read that one day. I've seen two movies adapted from it, and enjoyed them both!

[Royal Oak]

Le Carré's latest.

Bill - you're obviously a big fan. I am currently reading "Tinker Tailor" on the recommendation of my wife. I am bored with it - none of it makes sense to me. What am I doing wrong?

You're doing nothing wrong. LeCarre was in his depths by then. His best are his earliest 5 or so novels, and he's written better ones (like The Night Manager) in later years.

I couldn't follow Tinker either. Struggled to the end then got rid of the copies of The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People that I had been planning to read next. I consoled myself while reading Tinker with spotting instances of bad grammar and poor sentence construction. A pity, as I liked The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.

You surprise me Crisp. Those three novels, published collectively as 'Smiley vs Karla' are easily my favourite Le Carre's and are generally regarded as not only his best work but the best of the genre. While they all have complex plots I never found them particularly difficult to follow, just superb storytelling.

Part of the problem may be that Le Carré deliberately sets out to mystify the reader as part of his narrative method. Very often his central characters don't know what's going on themselves, particularly in the earlier parts of the books. His use of secret service jargon ("lamplighters" etc) without explanation is another factor. But all gets resolved eventually.

My wife kept telling me to stick with it, but it continued to bore me. I already do enough stuff which bores me, so it's been ditched.

Now reading Nelson ALgren's "Man With The Golden Arm"

Edited February 16, 2012 by rdavenport

[jlhoots]

John Burdett: Vulture Peak

[Jazzmoose]

Of Human Bondage is superb. I did it for 'A' Level in 1972-3..and still enjoyed it!

I'm trying to rememver if I've ever heard a more positive review of a book in my life; don't think so.

[A Lark Ascending]

Of Human Bondage is superb. I did it for 'A' Level in 1972-3..and still enjoyed it!

I'm trying to rememver if I've ever heard a more positive review of a book in my life; don't think so.

Actually, 'A' Level was quite encouraging.

The downer was two terms doing an English literature subsidiary at university. We read a book and then went to a lecture where a) it was assumed we'd read everything else by the author and his/her contemporaries and b) we were told why we shouldn't have enjoyed it.

I was relieved to get to 100% History in the latter part of my first year.

Edited February 17, 2012 by A Lark Ascending