Read for the CBR Bingo: Cover
The challenge of Alan Moore’s legendary graphic novel Watchmen is how to make the superheroes in that universe accountable when they do things outside of their government’s control. This leads to the famous tagline “Who watches the Watchmen?”
Such a lens is turned on espionage in Le Carré’s famed novel which, despite being in print for almost fifty years, was given a new cover for its recent round of Penguin re-publishing that will instantly be seen as iconic.
I am middle-brow in many of my tastes from food to cinema to books: I want things to be good and challenging but not too good and challenging. Which is why I do not read many works of literature. The two LeCarré novels I’ve read are great but they require a patience I do not often possess. And yet, I would be nauseous if forced to sit through a cheap spy thriller with an implausible plot.
But perhaps in my older age, I am appreciating the literary thriller more. Because as drab as LeCarré can be with his many Britishisms and sentiment of England and its decline, this is a thrilling book. The last 75 pages or so, I was literally gripping it trying to figure out what happened. And the resolution surprised me.
Maybe I’m transitioning from middle brown to high brow but this made me want to read LeCarré’s entire catalogue.
“ The two LeCarré novels I’ve read are great but they require a patience I do not often possess.”
I can definitely relate to that. I read The Constant Garderner because Rachel Weisz was in the movie adaptation but it made me realize that LeCarre probably isn’t for me. I always wonder if I should reconsider that assessment given the love for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
If you didn’t like the other one you read, I wouldn’t recommend going further. I’m glad I gave it another shot but it’s a labor of love. I just find that as I’m getting older, I’m willing to invest the labor more as opposed to reading another quickie mystery novel to pass the time.