Posted on 08/23/2010 5:03:05 PM PDT by nickcarraway
It's still spy author vs. spy.
Famed espionage writer John Le Carré remains no fan of James Bond, the martini-loving super spy created by Ian Fleming.
"I dislike Bond. I'm not sure that Bond is a spy," the "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" author said in 1966, during a BBC interview that will be re-broadcast next week.
Today, the 78-year-old Le Carré told the Radio Times that while he may have been harsh 40 years ago, he's still not sure Bond is much of a spy.
"At the root of Bond there was something neo-fascistic and totally materialist," said Le Carré, who once worked with the British Foreign Service. "You felt he would have gone through the same antics for any country really, if the girls had been so pretty and the Martinis so dry."
Le Carré - whose real name is David Cornwell - described 007 as more of an "international gangster" who sported a "license to kill," and had no real loyalty to England.
"I think that it's a great mistake if one's talking about espionage literature to include Bond in this category at all," he said.
Le Carré's own spy character, George Smiley, appears in several of the author's works and stands in stark contrast to the Fleming creation. The author admits that his approach to spy novels is far more realistic than the gadget-obsessed adventures of James Bond.
"I had written about the reality in 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold,'" he told Radio Times. "The Fleming stuff was a deliberate fantasisation."
Le Carre sucks and is a lib. The Spy Who Came Out of the Cold largely sucked.
The best of the bunch was Michael Caine as Harry Palmer in the Ipcress File and Funeral In Berlin.
Next this anti-semite will be blaming “James Bond” and his creator, Ian Fleming, as being “Zionists”. He might even be a closet “Burqua Boy”, if memory serves me correctly.
Le Carre’ is also anti-American. Check out his statements for the past 10-20 years.
Sounds jealous. Maybe he should see a therapist about that.
Le Carre and the absence of a sense of humor. Coming next - doubts about Indiana Jones as an archaeologist.
Many years ago I tried valiantly but just could never finish a Le Carre “thriller”. According to his reasoning Mata Hari was not a spy, but Edith Clavell was. Guess what John they both were.
I read a few of his novels years ago. Boy, did I struggle with them. I’ve never returned since. From what I’ve heard of his political beliefs, I never will return to his books.
Hey John, How many people even know who George Smiley is?
Fixed it for you.
The only other book that came close to turning me off as much was Dutch the official biography of Ronald Reagan, although for very different reasons. In that book the nitwit author inserted his own character in the story of Reagan's life and seemed to give more attention to the fictitious character than to the true exploits of Reagan himself. In a biography? I don't think so!
Mata Hari, was an adventuress, for lack of a better word. She may well have been a spy, though there is some doubt. If she did do it, it was not from any sense of conviction, but for money or she was using or being used by her lovers.
I wonder what he thinks of Eric Ambler.
That would make sense. Lc’s books are tedious and pretty boring. Not to mention the Hero ALLWAYS dies. In the end.
I fail to see the problem here, especially if Britain pays the tab. :)
At the root of Bond there was something neo-fascistic and totally materialist,” said Le Carré, who once worked with the British Foreign Service. “You felt he would have gone through the same antics for any country really, if the girls had been so pretty and the Martinis so dry.”
Although he’s a work of fiction I strongly disagree....Bond enjoyed the finer things in life and women but wasn’t completely about the money...
Like others here, I struggled with one of his "esteemed novels". It sucked.
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" in spite of Alec Guinness playing George Smiley - Sucked.
So, David Cornwall, do you notice some kind of pattern here?
What is with you Brits who claim, through some name changing magic, to be connected to the French? You and that other socialist, anti-semetic hump Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno.
John, your just jealous that only a few die-hard leftists will remember you and your work, if only vaguely, while Fleming and Bond will still be renowned far into the future.
You may agree with Le Carre that Mata Hari was materialist, etc and therefor not a spy but the French killed her just the same.
I’m just saying Edith Clavell was a patriot and knew what she was doing. Do you think Mata Hari was a German patriot?
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