A Delicate Truth
John le Carre
Penguin Books. First published 2013.
As usual with le Carre, the book is extremely contemporaneous, to the extent that at times one feels one is reading a long newspaper report. The plot involves a minor official of the British foreign office who comes across evidence of a cover-up, at the highest level, of a botched anti-terrorist operation, which was illegal in the first place. He tries to expose it 'through the proper channel', but very soon hits a dead end. He then dangerously tries an alternate route. Le Carre does not mention 'Wikileaks' or 'Edward Snowden', not even covertly. However, the book hit the stands, at least here in India, just a few days before the Snowden affair, and maybe a year after the Wikileaks/Bradley Manning stuff. The connections are obvious. Le Carre is surely vigorously cheering on Assange, Manning, Snowden and that ilk.
Through his many books, le Carre's writing shows no change in style, tone or politics, though the 'perpetual drizzle' in London seen in the earliest books, has moderated somewhat. Over time, from his first books, he has moved increasingly to the left of the establishment. Though, perhaps, it is more correct to say that the establishment has moved increasingly to the right of his humanistic ideals. The book is a taut thriller that 'entertains as it instructs', to inappropriately quote PGW. It is rather shorter than his usual books, and does not involve as deep an exploration of the individual as, for the example, the best of his efforts in that direction, viz. 'A Perfect Spy'. This is a good book, but not a great one.
Penguin Books. First published 2013.
As usual with le Carre, the book is extremely contemporaneous, to the extent that at times one feels one is reading a long newspaper report. The plot involves a minor official of the British foreign office who comes across evidence of a cover-up, at the highest level, of a botched anti-terrorist operation, which was illegal in the first place. He tries to expose it 'through the proper channel', but very soon hits a dead end. He then dangerously tries an alternate route. Le Carre does not mention 'Wikileaks' or 'Edward Snowden', not even covertly. However, the book hit the stands, at least here in India, just a few days before the Snowden affair, and maybe a year after the Wikileaks/Bradley Manning stuff. The connections are obvious. Le Carre is surely vigorously cheering on Assange, Manning, Snowden and that ilk.
Through his many books, le Carre's writing shows no change in style, tone or politics, though the 'perpetual drizzle' in London seen in the earliest books, has moderated somewhat. Over time, from his first books, he has moved increasingly to the left of the establishment. Though, perhaps, it is more correct to say that the establishment has moved increasingly to the right of his humanistic ideals. The book is a taut thriller that 'entertains as it instructs', to inappropriately quote PGW. It is rather shorter than his usual books, and does not involve as deep an exploration of the individual as, for the example, the best of his efforts in that direction, viz. 'A Perfect Spy'. This is a good book, but not a great one.
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