A Delicate Truth

A Novel

By: John le Carré

Narrated by: John le Carré

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of A Legacy of Spies. John le Carré’s new novel: Agent Running in the Field.

A counter-terrorist operation, code-named Wildlife, is being mounted on the British crown colony of Gibraltar. Its purpose: To capture and abduct a high-value jihadist arms buyer. Its authors: An ambitious Foreign Office Minister, a private defense contractor who is also his bosom friend, and a shady American CIA operative of the evangelical far-right. So delicate is the operation that even the Minister’s personal private secretary, Toby Bell, is not cleared for it. Three years later, a disgraced Special Forces Soldier delivers a message from the dead. Was Operation Wildlife the success it was cracked up to be - or a human tragedy that was ruthlessly covered up? Summoned by Sir Christopher “Kit” Probyn, retired British diplomat, to his decaying Cornish manor house, and closely observed by Kit’s daughter, Emily, Toby must choose between his conscience and duty to his service. If the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, how can he keep silent?

©2013 John le Carré (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A novel that beckons us beyond any and all expectations." (Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post)

The master at work

Wonderful in every regard and what a treat to hear the author reading his own words.

Great prose, laborious to follow

I had no idea for the few several hours what was going on. I believe this was by design from the author. More than halfway through, it all comes together. It wasn't an easy read, but it paid off. The prose and the dialogue are superhuman. The end, while perhaps called for by the genre, was to inconclusive for my preference. It could however be that it was perfect. All in all, a flawed masterpiece.

One of Le Carre's best

Would you consider the audio edition of A Delicate Truth to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version so I cannot comment on audo vs print. The audio edition was captivating.

Any additional comments?

At age 81, Le Carre has written what is for me one of his best books. A complex story, beautifully told and beautifully read by the author. Very timely and with no "they lived happily ever after" ending. I found myself going back to hear parts of the story over again to clarify details and just to enjoy the author's voice. I have no doubt I will listen to this work many times, as I have so many of his novels. Most highly recommended.

Well done, superb story of secret wars

What did you love best about A Delicate Truth?

Well read and glorious use of language. The protagonist has a very difficult time trying to understand the nature of the thing(s) that he has experienced. This would be the case for any of us who cannot imagine the new dark war reality.The actual reading of the book is superb. Mr. LeCarre' has taken us to other adventures in the muddled world of the war on terror and has shown us that the people charged with its execution have become what they beheld. Sobering, to say the least.

What other book might you compare A Delicate Truth to and why?

Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield by Jeremy Schahill

What about John le Carre’s performance did you like?

His love of words and his extraordinary use of the language

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Being a veteran of the intelligence/security business, I love LeCarre's ability to show the importance of the human element in the whole seedy business. Human intelligence is ultimately ruled by the vagaries of the human heart.

Great Story, and read beautifully by the author

What did you love best about A Delicate Truth?

A well constructed story with a totally believable plot and well developed characters.

What other book might you compare A Delicate Truth to and why?

Mostly because of the reader it reminds me a lot of my personal favourite JLC book, Absolute Friends. The plot is of course different, but the quality of the writing and the reading is almost as good.

Which character – as performed by John le Carre – was your favorite?

The Minister

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I dont think his books translate well to film, they are much better as TV series - for example the Smiley series, probably the best TV series I have ever seen.

Any additional comments?

There is a real benefit to having an author read his own work; the intonation, vocabulary and the "sense" of the story is far better than any other approach. Le Carre is truly blessed as an excellent writer with a superb reading voice and style.

Refreshingly good

I've read most of John Le Carre's books and I used to consider him my favourite writer. But I haven't enjoyed his other more recent books, plus through Audible, I'd found other outstanding writers that I enjoyed more. But I'd have to agree with someone named Allan Massie in the Scotsman who calls it "the best novel Le Carré has written for some time" and its author "far more serious in his themes than the majority of those who write so-called literary fiction".

Right from the start, it was so delightful to be listening to excellent writing, whatever the topic. And I found I wasn't put off by some cliched characters in minor roles, as I'd feared from other reviews. It's not upbeat, but then again that seemed realistic. I particularly enjoy a minimum of gore and explicit sex, while still presenting our modern world.

Despite wishing for perhaps a different ending, I enjoyed it very much and couldn't put it down.

I found it surprising that John Le Carre was such a good narrator! He did several accents very believably and the narration was part of the appeal of the book for me.

Masterful!

Wonderful narration by the author. Feels like he's reading for me alone in authentic voices of the characters, just as he imagined them.

Just didn't care for ending really

Otherwise beautifully spoken and carefully crafted, with several absolutely spot on sentences from modern mercenary warfare and international relations

Good and Serviceable

Any additional comments?

This one is more of a page turner and clear storytelling and apart from the opening scenes in Cornwall about halfway through the book and less like some of the more indirect and streamy style for which his earlier classic novels are celebrated.

Only for le Carre lovers

If you love le Carre, you will love A Delicate Balance. However, I could not take the relentless depression, the hopelessness, the constant defeat. His writing is as good as Shakespeare, Austen and Dickens, but there is no redemption anywhere for anyone. The world is shit, the people are shit, their morals are shit, all is shit, shit, shit. Other than that, it was excellent.