Posted on 12/13/2020 2:38:30 PM PST by Borges
LONDON — John le Carré, whose exquisitely nuanced, intricately plotted Cold War thrillers elevated the spy novel to high art by presenting both Western and Soviet spies as morally compromised cogs in a rotten system full of treachery, betrayal and personal tragedy, died on Saturday in Cornwall, England. He was 89.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Oh well.
They did a great adaptation of The Constant Gardener, which was one of Peter Postelthwaite’s last roles.
One of my favorite authors. Truly a one of a kind writer. RIP
How so? Because he found western spies to be corrupt? You going to argue with that?
While a reading of his spy novels today on a macro level may seem to be dated and boring, readers of my generation cannot help be reminded of a time of great ideological struggle backed by massive armies, nuclear capability and allied nations on the edge of WWIII as proxy wars flared in the third world. Combine this with mass fear bordering on hysteria in some and you realize how great our victory was.
Because he hated the west and all it stood for.
It was pretty clear in his novels.
Agree.
Le Carre was pro commie.
He was fine until he himself turned into a Communist. And then he got really pathetic, writing the typical old man’s wishful thinking novels about young nubile creatures falling for an elderly - in this case - leftist environmentalist who hated Europe and America.
David Cornwall (aka John le Carré) had a lot of unresolved parental issues. It is too bad rather then working to over come them he wanted a daddy government to make everything ok.
In the late 1970s, my local PBS station broadcast a serialized version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
I think the BBC filmed it, and I think Alec Guinness played George Smiley. At the time, I really enjoyed watching that.
Ultimately, though, I could never figure out what motivated his British and American characters.
None of them were serious patriots, and none of them ever voiced a convincing political philosophy.
In the end, they just seemed like really smart or really clever people who compulsively needed to show off their talents.
He was still alive? I thought he died when the Berlin Wall fell on him.
A wonderful writer and the Constant Gardener has never been more poignant, than today.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (with Alec Guinness) IS the best spy movie ever. It’s a thinking man’s mini-series. It must me watched and re-watched over and over to get everything, but it’s well worth it.
My mother loved those BBC series that appeared in the US on “Masterpiece Theater.” I tried more than once to read one or another of LeCarre’s books, but never managed. Maybe someday.
RIP. Simply the best realistic spy novelist, ever. Problem is he carried moral complexity a little too far. The Honourable Schoolboy was probably my favorite work. Anyway, three Cornwells on bestseller lists - David, Bernard and (by injection) Patricia.
Never saw it but will sometime.
Sandbaggers is a favorite Brit spy show.
You must watch T T soldier w/ John Hurt from 2011. It is amazing. I found it stunning.
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