Oh wow.....Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy......wonderful read and a superb BBC drama series, 1979 Seven part series starring the incomparable Sir Alec Guinness, one of the best things done by The BBC in its entire history IMHO. RIP......Old Chap......RIP.
I'm not a particularly literary person but John le Carre was and always will be my favourite author, and more than that, increasingly an inspirational talisman, whose work helped me make sense of the world. The BBC Today prog. this morning is implying that his later novels were not as successful as his Cold War ones. Really ? No less than six of his post-Cold War novels have been adapted for screenplay. At least the last three of his books, I bought with trepidation, thinking this has surely to be his last. I made sure to buy "Agent Running in the Field" in hardback for that reason. Yet his talents never failed him in his eighties. If you are not familiar with his later work and view him as an espionage novelist, I'd really urge you to investigate the later ones. If pressed I'd choose The Night Manager as my favourite from this era. John le Carre is a talisman for those of us who refuse to see the world in tribal, black and white ways. He held Johnson and Corbyn, Cummings and Milne, and eventually Blair, in equal contempt. I feel like a friend has passed away this morning.
A great literary career over more than 50 years. My introduction was The Spy Who Came In From The Cold as a schoolboy and I have enjoyed his work, both books and films of those books, ever since.
On a lighter note I had him down for the 'Celebrities Who Are Still Alive' thread. Sadly, that is not to be now.
Very sad. I've read maybe a dozen of his books and have enjoyed every one of them and plan to read all the rest at some point and probably to re-read some. An absolute master and one of the towering figures of post-war British literature. He should have had a lot more recognition (including a Booker or two) had it not been for snobby literary types dscounting what they regard as genre fiction.
Personal favourites are The Spy who came in from the Cold, the Perfect Spy, the Honourable Schoolboy and Absolute Friends.
Superb writer. His stories stayed with you long after you read the final page. “ The spy who came n from the cold” and “A small town in Germany” are my personal favourites alongside “ Tinker tailor... “.
I'm not a particularly literary person but John le Carre was and always will be my favourite author, and more than that, increasingly an inspirational talisman, whose work helped me make sense of the world. The BBC Today prog. this morning is implying that his later novels were not as successful as his Cold War ones. Really ? No less than six of his post-Cold War novels have been adapted for screenplay. At least the last three of his books, I bought with trepidation, thinking this has surely to be his last. I made sure to buy "Agent Running in the Field" in hardback for that reason. Yet his talents never failed him in his eighties. If you are not familiar with his later work and view him as an espionage novelist, I'd really urge you to investigate the later ones. If pressed I'd choose The Night Manager as my favourite from this era. John le Carre is a talisman for those of us who refuse to see the world in tribal, black and white ways. He held Johnson and Corbyn, Cummings and Milne, and eventually Blair, in equal contempt. I feel like a friend has passed away this morning.
Couldn't agree more. Something those Milwall scum would never understand.
I'm not a particularly literary person but John le Carre was and always will be my favourite author, and more than that, increasingly an inspirational talisman, whose work helped me make sense of the world. The BBC Today prog. this morning is implying that his later novels were not as successful as his Cold War ones. Really ? No less than six of his post-Cold War novels have been adapted for screenplay. At least the last three of his books, I bought with trepidation, thinking this has surely to be his last. I made sure to buy "Agent Running in the Field" in hardback for that reason. Yet his talents never failed him in his eighties. If you are not familiar with his later work and view him as an espionage novelist, I'd really urge you to investigate the later ones. If pressed I'd choose The Night Manager as my favourite from this era. John le Carre is a talisman for those of us who refuse to see the world in tribal, black and white ways. He held Johnson and Corbyn, Cummings and Milne, and eventually Blair, in equal contempt. I feel like a friend has passed away this morning.
Comments
RIP......Old Chap......RIP.
So much more than just a writer. Fascinating life.
RIP
At least the last three of his books, I bought with trepidation, thinking this has surely to be his last. I made sure to buy "Agent Running in the Field" in hardback for that reason. Yet his talents never failed him in his eighties.
If you are not familiar with his later work and view him as an espionage novelist, I'd really urge you to investigate the later ones. If pressed I'd choose The Night Manager as my favourite from this era.
John le Carre is a talisman for those of us who refuse to see the world in tribal, black and white ways. He held Johnson and Corbyn, Cummings and Milne, and eventually Blair, in equal contempt. I feel like a friend has passed away this morning.
On a lighter note I had him down for the 'Celebrities Who Are Still Alive' thread. Sadly, that is not to be now.
RIP
Personal favourites are The Spy who came in from the Cold, the Perfect Spy, the Honourable Schoolboy and Absolute Friends.
RIP
RIP
But from the Prime Minister of the UK? Not a word. A week ago all over Barbara Windsor's passing. Probably exactly as JLC would have predicted. Pygmy.