A Legacy of Spies, John le Carre, Viking, 2017, 265 pp
Although I have read only eight of the master's books, I am a John le Carre fan. I like his particular combination of thrilling escapades accompanied by the loneliness and doubts of his spies. The title of his third book, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold captured that truth of spy craft, possibly for the first time in literature, as well as inspiring a great Joni Mitchell song, "Come In From The Cold."
So I picked up A Legacy of Spies with eager anticipation and was richly rewarded by a trip down to memories of the Cold War with all is menace of creeping communism and its moral ambiguity of the end justifies the means.
George Smiley, infamous and elusive spymaster of the British Secret Service, who straddled the line between the need for secrecy and the wish to protect his agents, is only a shadow during much of the story. Peter Guillam is featured as the retired and genuinely elderly spy pulled back in to the 21st century version of MI6. The service is about to be sued by descendants of key figures from the past and Peter is expected to save them.
He is unwilling, recalcitrant as always, and it is his cynicism that protects him from demands that he reveal old secrets he would prefer to keep cloistered in his heart. After all he lost in that game, those secrets are all he has left.
Some things never change despite the modern stresses on the service. In some of his novels, le Carre has written such indecipherable conclusions, but in this one the ending is perfect.
(A Legacy of Spies is currently available in hardcover on the new book shelves at Once Upon A Time Bookstore.)
I profoundly dislike his endings and his cynicism. Bottom feeder spies never win; they get thrown under the bus by superiors. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOK! Thank you for your honesty.
DeleteOh great my hub is reading this book now; he is a big fan of quite a few of his novels. It's nice when you can refer to a Joni Mitchell song in a review too! (ps. I'm liking your songs & voice on CD baby.)
ReplyDeleteYes, always nice to give a shout out to Joni. I am awaiting the new biography on her coming any day now. It makes my day when anyone says they enjoy my songs but even more coming from you, a true music fan. I just finished the Chrissie Hynde autobiography that you reviewed in September. Can't help thinking what could have happened if I had been a bit more reckless.
DeleteSo glad you read the Chrissie book. I know what you mean about being more reckless. It's hard though, life steers us certain ways, not always on the most optimal paths. I am a big music fan, lol; i'm impressed you toured and sang & played music!
DeleteI am glad too. Thanks for the heads up on the book. Any of the times I have performed music in my life were the best times, no matter what else was going on.
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed this one, as I did. Le Carre truly is the master of spy novel writing.
ReplyDeleteYes Dorothy, the master and truly the innovator in the genre.
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