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Summary: Magnus Pym and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
Review: Reading "A Perfect Spy," I was fascinated by the parallels between this novel and that of Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man." If you read these two novels back to back, I think you will see Ellison's unmistakable influence on Le Carre. The connections run the gamut from simple allusions (Le Carre reusing some of Ellison's characters' names in slightly different forms) to reworking of overarching themes (Le Carre treating the conflicted diplomatic relationship between East and West in much the same way that Ellison explores the tension between blacks and whites in America; Magnus Pym's shadowy participation in his own life mirroring that of the Invisible Man's, etc.) But don't take my word for it: Read both novels. Either one alone is worth the time. But the comparison is all the more fascinating.
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Summary: Boring. Very boring.
Review: Since so many (how many are the author's shills?) love this book, it must be a matter of patience. For those of you who treasure each written word and languish over each sentence, this may be a book you will enjoy. For many of us, reading The Perfect Spy is like watching paint dry.I nearly gave up reading it, but reasoned that such a highly acclaimed author and book would make it all up for me in the ending. Not to.
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Summary: Boring. Very boring.
Review: Since so many (how many are the author's shills?) love this book, it must be a matter of patience. For those of you who treasure each written word and languish over each sentence, this may be a book you will enjoy. For many of us, reading The Perfect Spy is like watching paint dry. I nearly gave up reading it, but reasoned that such a highly acclaimed author and book would make it all up for me in the ending. Not to.
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Summary: "A MASTERPIECE"
Review: This book ALWAYS makes my Top 5 list !
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Summary: So much more than just a spy novel
Review: This book is so much more than just another espionage thriller. It is really a character study of the central figure and a very satisfying psychological investigation into the anticedents of a spy's character. Magnus Pym was the perfect spy because of the way he was raised; specifically, the way he learned to perceive the world as he came to understand his father - a con man of great charm (based on Le Carre's own father) who always acted as though truth was whatever he wanted it to be at the moment. Maybe the title actually refers to the father and not to Pym. Perhaps? Le Carre's use of language is always a pleasure, and here it is put to excellent use in recreating the world of Pym's past. The main plot of finding the missing Pym becomes less important than the subplots - often involving past events - and the overall structure of the novel is less driven by unknown outcomes than is a typical 'spy' story. One is left with a great sense of sadness after finishing this book but no disappointment. Very original and very satisfying.
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Summary: A Perfect Spy Novel
Review: This is a terrific spy book. [The reason for the ending is unclear to me, tho.] The protagonist is complicated; I was fascinated with him.
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Summary: Captivating
Review: This is easily one of the best books I have read in a long time, espionage-related or not. Once I started it, I could not put it down.
I am fairly new to Le Carre, having read only a couple of his early spy novels - Spy/Cold, Looking Glass War - so I cannot compare this book to the more-recent titles with which most people are already familiar. But it stands on its own as a great book.
A friend suggested this book to me and I am so glad he did. It is superbly written, with marvelously drawn characters and a moving story. This is, I believe, Le Carre looking deep into his own life and excavating what he can about his own father, who was, I have read, a con man and somewhat distant and mysterious. Yet, Le Carre has framed his story as a gripping tale of espionage, with all the deceit and tradecraft and historical savvy that he is so well known for.
There is a BBC TV production based on this novel, with the same title, and it is superb, too. I highly recommend it. But trust me, read the book. You won't be disappointed.
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Summary: A Perfect Spy is John Le Carre's masterpiece.
Review: This is the finest book I have ever read. I first read it about 8 years ago, and read it again a few years later. Nothing else he has written comes close to eclipsing the brilliance of this work. What is the secret of this masterpiece? The secret is... almost every sentence written has greater meaning and greater significance than the simple words that form them. The text is oozing with innuendo, suggestion and ambiguity. The characters are vivid and almost walk of the pages. This book induced one of my favourite quotes, ascribed to Ricky: "Ideals are like the stars. We cannot reach them, but we are enriched by their presence" Well, I was enriched by this masterpiece.
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Summary: A perfect novel
Review: This novel has been hailed as "the best English novel since the war". Well, I wouldn't know about that, but I can safely say that this is the best "serious novel" I've read. Few pages into this novel, it becomes apparent that this is the novel he wanted to write. All the George Smiley novels, however brilliant, were nothing but preludes to this. This is a story of a lifetime of deception, an epic tale of a spy, who believed that "love is whatever you can betray. Betrayal can happen only when there is love." "A Perfect Spy" can be said as an autobiography of the author's alter ego. You can feel the pain and the pleasure of the author and the protagonist as le Carre finally brings himself back from the cold.
It is difficult to appreciate this book by reading it in your commuting train; you may need a whole Christmas vacation, but it is well worth it.
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Summary: Le Carre's Magnum Opus
Review: This novel is without a doubt the best spy novel I have ever read, if not the best novel. Although Le Carre is normally associated with his 1963 novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, A Perfect Spy surpasses anything he has ever written. The story of Magnus Pym is the price one man has to pay for "living on several planes at once," the human price for being a spy. Le Carre has created a brilliant character study within the framework of a thriller, but it is Magnus's story of tortured existence that interests the reader. Questioning the notions of patriotism, nationality,and politics, A Perfect Spy is as much a search for one man's identity as it is a taut political thriller.
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