The Tailor of Panama

Rating:
Summary: An incredible, funny, touching tragedy
Review: I read this book for the first time two months ago, and now I've read it again. My second reading was inspired by the fact that I was part way through the book the first time before I realized what an incredible book it was. So I wanted to read it again from the start with a proper sense of appreciation.

"The Tailor of Panama" is purportedly a spy thriller, but the spy story is actually just the framework on which John le Carré weaves his amazing study of human nature. And the human characteristics which are dominant are not ones that the human race should be proud of. We are presented with large amounts of greed, dishonesty, jealousy, cruelty, selfish lust, corruption, apathy, frailty and stupidity. On top of that we are presented with some of the less attractive conditions for human existence: poverty, suffering, guilt and sickness.

But the amazing thing is that John le Carré writes about these human characteristics and conditions with a great deal of humor and understanding. And he does provide a few glimpses of love, altruism and generosity.

So even though the story ends tragically it is for the most part a funny and touching story, and this makes the book very readable.

Another strength of the book is John le Carré's masterful command of the English language. He writes beautiful descriptions, and has a surprising and inventive way with words. I often found myself delighted with one sentence after another, each one saying something in a way I hadn't realized was possible.

The way in which the plot is slowly but surely expanded is also very satisfying. We start out with the daily lives of a few seemingly ordinary people. But then the seemingly ordinary people are shown to be less and less ordinary, and at the same time more and more people are added to the story, and the scope of the story expands until high-level international politics of the worst sort get involved.

Yet another positive aspect of the book is the large amount of very interesting information about life in Panama and how Panama society works. In this respect the book can be considered to be an insider's tourist guide to Panama.

Highly recommended - and to be read slowly and savored.

Finally, my opinion as to why there have been a lot of reviewers who have given this book a low rating: I'm guessing that many of these reviewers expected a straight James-Bond-style spy thriller and were disappointed because "The Tailor of Panama" is definitely not a simple spy thriller. Another "problem" may be that most of the main characters are very British, and the book is written in British English. The dialog between the characters contains a lot of British slang and British expressions. To me this adds to the charm of the book, but I'm guessing that some readers find this irritating.

Rating:
Summary: The Guilty Shall Be Rewarded
Review: John le Carre is an honorable man. In his acknowledgements, he gives due credit to Graham Greene as follows: "Without GrahamGreene this book would never have come about. After Graham Greene's OUR MAN IN HAVANA the notion of ................ " With that out of the way, THE TAILOR OF PANAMA is pure John le Carre and is his alone. Like most of the better spy genre authors, le Carre had to make some adjustments in theme since the end of the Cold War. In my opinion, he again shows that he is up to the task in THE TAILOR OF PANAMA.

Andy Osnard, "young Mr. Osnard" to his rather pompous, conspiracy minded, Intelligence chief back in London, is posted to the Panamanian Embassy with the express objective of finding a plot to take over the canal when the Americans leave. He rightly understands that he is to find a plot even if none exists. "Young Mr. Osnard," has larceny in his heart and sees this posting as a golden opportunity to get rich.

As his man in Panama, he picks Harry Pendel, gentlemen's tailor to the rich and powerful. Harry is already living a double life. He is actually an ex-convict who learned tailoring in a British prison. He has come to Panama and invented a background for himself that has him being the junior partner of what was once London's finest tailor shop, and who relocated to Panama after the heart-wrenching death of his beloved partner. He has also gotten himself into serious financial difficulties in Panama.

Along comes "young Mr. Osnard" with threats to expose Harry if he refuses to spy on his important clientele. Along with the threats are promises of substantial monetary gain if he cooperates. Harry succumbs to the combination of the stick and the carrot.

In reality Harry is privy to nothing, but there's really nothing to be privy to anyway. This doesn't present much of a problem to a man with Harry's creative imagination. Before long there is a network of spies made up entirely of Harry and his creativity. There is "the silent opposition" and the "students" and the "fishermen" and the mysterious folk from "the other side of the bridge." There are clandestine meetings between high ranking Pandamanian officials and mysterious foreign delegations, and even a serious plot to build a bigger, better canal. And above all, there is the threat of rebellion and violence. Harry's information leaves no doubt that revolution is brewing.

As if this wasn't trouble enough, there is a real meeting of a small powerful group of millionaire power brokers and military opportunists back in Jolly Old England. These movers and shakers can make the unbelievable believable to the public in order to justify a military takeover of the canal. To top this off, a few highly placed British politicians need a boost in their popularity to keep their careers moving. The Panama plot is just what they need.

This tale of deviousness, incompetence, lies, ambitions run amok, and con artists conning other con artists keeps us chuckling until we realize its explosive nature. By the time Harry Pendel, the spy tailor, comes to the same realization it is too late. Way too late.

There is a moral to this tale: Only the innocent and naive shall be punished, the guilty shall be rewarded.

Rating:
Summary: Tailor of Panama stiches them up.....
Review: John Le Carre paints a colourful picture of a number of eccentric British expatriates in Panama whose lives become entwined with each others and those of their local friends, against the political backdrop of the imminent hand over of the Panama Canal by the USA to Panama.

We have Harry Pendel, owner of Pendel and Braithwaite Co. Limitada, Tailors to Royalty, formerly of Savile Row, London and presently of Via Espana, Panama City. And then there's Andrew Osnard, from the British Embassy, Old Etonian, womaniser and a spy.

Harry of course is no upper class Brit, rather "906017, Pendel, convict and ex-juvenile, delinquent, six years for arson, two and a half served. Taught himself tailoring in the slammer." Self-taught he may have been but as tailor to General Noriega his credibility in Panama is well established and even his devoted wife knows no better.

Osnard is a different person altogether, painted as an unattractive man and a bully with a superiority complex. He leans on Pendel with both carrot and stick for inside information on the mood of the people as the ownership of the canal is about to be transferred. The inner con man in Pendel cannot admit that he doesn't know any more than Osnard himself and so he fabricates tales which he thinks will please Osnard. He thus becomes the archetypal intelligence fabricator whilst earning a few bonuses on the side.

This is an excellent spy thriller which combines mystery, intrigue, romance, misplaced loyalties, jealousy, revolution and murder. If you know nothing about Panama, the educational value of this book alone makes it well worth reading. "The Tailor of Panama" gives an easy-to-read insight into the country, its people, its history, its two neighbouring oceans and its engineering marvel, the canal.

Rating:
Summary: A TAILOR FIT FOR THE JOB!
Review: The mix of a tailor and Panama's most powerful men was a delight. This is a superb espionage and political thriller. The "handlers" of this most unusual spy/hero were no match for Harry Pendel and his hidden agenda. Readers love a story that's brim full of the unexpected. And we all identify with someone who is in over his head. Harry Pendel is a tailor fit for the job...the perfect plant in a city filled with danger and corruption. I would recommend this novel in a Panama heart beat.