欧宝娱乐

It's been a while since I read the Le Carre that I liked, and right now (if it's any indication), I can't really remember which ones I've read or liked. The one I remember the most is Smiley's People, which is more or less a collection of short stories about various spies Smiley has known and situations he's gotten himself into. I might recommend that to try, if only because short-story collections have a low buy-in cost -- you don't like one, you don't have to read the rest.

That said, to take a shot at why Le Carre is popular and beloved, I think because of his aggressive realism when it comes to spying--the pettiness of it all just makes it more realistic. (I mean, both Le Carre and Ian Fleming were actually in British intelligence, but no one is going to feel informed after reading Fleming.) On the other hand, some of the movies of his books have been very good; so some people might not read the books but still like him.

Furthermore, its characters never spoke the way they were described - it was always "'could you pass the tea please, that's a boy,' he shouted furiously."

OMG Kate, hilarious. I've never read Le Carre, and I expect I never will, but the above is a problem for so many contemporary authors, especially those who write way too many books. You (that is, I) want to scream at them: Did you even read that back to yourself once??

Translate "that's a boy" into "atta boy" for the Americans?

English has fourteen tenses. I've always thought it a pity that some people use so few of them. It's like playing a guitar with only two strings.

Yes, I think the problem is in the translation! English-English verses American-English. I'm a Brit and Englishmen really did talk to each other like that back then (ie 1974, when the book was written) The Oxbridge graduates with public school (in 'UKspeak': elite private school) backgrounds really did run everything. Treating each other with apparent civility while easing the knife in the back.... More tea vicar? (just watch out for the cyanide in the cucumber sandwiches....)

I think Le Carre has his own idiom - once you understand it, it becomes fascinating in itself. I also often find that sort of juxtaposition between seemingly innocuous words delivered with great emotion momentarily jarring, but that's part of the intended effect. These guys interact in a way that normal people should find quite alien. He is taking you into a strange sub culture, and the trick is to go with him. If it seems odd, it's supposed to, but Le Carre is not going to spell it out for you.

The people who follow Le'Carre do so because of the "jargony" prose which is part of the realism offered. Le'Carre's style is reminiscent of how real espionage was carried out during the Cold War. It comes across as intelligent and real, that's the draw.

"The Spy Who Came In from the Cold" was much more enjoyable to me.

That's strange Chad. Most of the spies in this book come across as the exact opposite of "intelligent & real". Jargon does not make something realistic, except in a forced way.

No. There are no spy novels better written than this by Le Carre or anyone else; you're clearly just a heathen, a philistine. Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you. ;)

Everyone likes different things that's how.

I agree that it's too 'jargon-y' and gets tiring to read at times.