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Top reviews from the United States

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RF

More an anti-Trump diatribe than a spy novel

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019

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I threw the book out at page 58. I see and hear enough Trump Derangement Syndrome and BREXIT derangement syndrome day in and day out. I have no love for Trump but I read spy novels to get away from all the current political drama. I don’t expect Trump Derangement Syndrome in a John Le Carre novel.

Add to that the fact that the plot and story are awful and you simply have the worst book Le Carre has ever written. And I have always loved Le Carre.

All the rave reviews for this book are the basic equivalent of watching Michael Jordan scoring six points in a game yet claiming Jordan had an awesome game - and doing so merely because of Jordan’s track record as an awesome basketball player.

James Harrol Lewis

Don't purchases this piece of BS.

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2019

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Don't purchaset this piece of BS

Le Carre has always been a bit anti American and quite liberal. But I was always able to ignore the politics but he has now went past that.

Summer

What a disappointment!

Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2019

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I was so happy to see the publication of a new book by my favorite author. I love his prose and his understanding of the inner workings of intelligence agencies. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, the middle and then, without warning, it ended. It was as if the author was told midway through the story, okay you have enough. And, in response, he stopped writing. The end took me by surprise, not because of the outcome, but because it came out of the blue and was too premature. I think the author owes his audience another several hundred pages to bring the story to a logical conclusion.

MAB

A late-career Le Carre triumph

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2019

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The man is 88, and he hasn't yet written a bad sentence. What's remarkable about this book is how light the author is on his (figurative) feet. The past several Le Carre books have been heavy, which isn't to say heavy-handed -- he's too good for that. But this gives us Brexit and Trump without becoming a screed, and it's a cracking yarn to boot. It goes by in a flash, and let's say the ending is slightly less somber than in "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold." I've admired every one of his books, but it has been a while since I've enjoyed one this much.

Fernando

Book returned. I won't pay to read liberal preaching.

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2019

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Oh, what a good writer Le Carre is...
But I won't pay to read his exaggerated liberal preaching.
At 28% this book was returned for a refund.

Daniel S. Palter

Delicious good fun

Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2019

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An amazing noir tour de force. IMO the author let his loathing for the post-Reagan US and post-Thatcher UK drive far too much of his stories. Both loathings are still there, but they are just part of the setup of an excellent spy world procedural. I would have wished he had added the missing final scene of his 'exit interview' but I still loved every rapidly turned page.

John C. Frock

Politics, politics

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2019

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Formerly a fan, no longer, not ever again if he continues to write. The lack of plot was an excuse for anti-Trump and BREXIT bashing! He's the second author I've crossed off because of political bashing. I read fiction for pleasure not to read some hack's personal political views regardless of where they fit in the political spectrum.

Curiousity1950

Less involved with Tradecraft, more with social craft

Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2019

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The storyline begins with two main characters meeting to competitively play badminton. Family or singles relationships are depicted. I found that this part of the story, with relatively little connection to spying was tedious. The best parts of this book do involve plans for high tech observation, actual connections or a surprise ending. There are characters worthy of greater involvement in the story, such as an older, beautiful Russian spy, but they are dropped. One main character, Ed Shannon, does comment on Trump and Brexit, but Americans who follow the news will be familiar with negative observations about this situation. Overall, I thought it was a decent read but I expected much more.

Top reviews from other countries

Hine Hall

Oh dear.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2019

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I love Le Carre’s books. Always have. The most relaxed style or writing yet elegantly providing copious detail. This book, typically, flows with his usual eloquence. But a story about a Brexit conspiracy that reflects the author’s extreme anti-Brexit views is just a step too far. The conspiracy against the many honest citizens in the U.K. who voted to leave, lead by MPs and the courts and supported by their privileged cronies like Le Carre is too much to bear. I wish he had kept his politics separate from his professional life - it is a sad day for me to read this book and I would rather have my money back than give it any kind of recommendation.

A. C. CRISAN

(Still) Entertaining (To A Point)...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2019

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The book is a good read, although the political bias is quite hard to swallow, especially for those who do not share the writer's leftist views. It is regrettable that J.L.C. finds it appropriate to resort to slogans and insults in order to vent his personal frustrations at the current state of affairs in the world. It dents his prestige as a writer and makes a negative impact upon the quality of the book. Still, entertaining, to a point...

TheMink

Undisguised rage

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2019

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Another excellent page turner which Le Carre has crafted as well as ever. Brilliant characters interact in his evocative way that never disappoints. Except maybe for Brexiteers and Trump fans who will not enjoy the way Le Carre vents his spleen as he witnesses the self destruction of the UK in our insane times. He has more contempt for this than the old KGB .

D J.

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2019

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Hard work.
The narrator,(Nat), considers his boss,(Dom), self-serving and pretentious, yet Nat hopelessly over-lards his narrative in Chapter 5 with “Chers collègues”,(especially), and other foreign phrases...
‘pretentious?....moi???’
The characters seem to be the types of persons that are best avoided like the plague.
If Le Carré intended to write a commentary on the present state of this country, he must be congratulated on his prescience in getting it out in print at exactly this moment, but I, for one, would be not overly saddened if he followed his best creation Smiley into an obscure retirement, on the strength of this book.

Amazon Customer

Le Carre's familiar themes give a further outing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2019

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Le Carre doesn't write bad books but this will not be high in the list of his best. There are many of the familiar tropes - analyses of the motives of suspected spies and who might be running them, office politics within the intelligence agencies, nifty dialogue - but he's done this before and to greater effect. The distinguishing feature is his despair about current politics, here in the UK and in the US. I am not sorry to have read the book, just not very excited about it.

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