Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Mini-Review of “A Most Wanted Man” by John Le Carre


I have many “favorite authors.” In the genre of spy novels, John Le Carre stands at the top of the pantheon of very good writers. This Oxford graduate brings an elegance and panache to the world of espionage that few other writers have been able to match. Over the years, I think I have read most of his novels, and seen the movies that have been made based on his works – “Russia House,” “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,” “The Constant Gardener,” to name a few.

With his latest novel, “A Most Wanted Man,” he adds a nice exclamation point to an already stellar career.

This was what he had to say when he had finished the process of creating this work:

“Dear Reader,

New spies with new loyalties, old spies with old ones; terror as the new mantra; decent people wanting to do good, but caught in the moral maze; all the good, sound, rational reasons for doing the inhuman thing; the recognition that we cannot safely love, or pity, and remain good ‘patriots’ – I’m pleased with the way this novel turned out.

Best, John Le Carre”

Turn out well it did. In this up-to-date and action-filled tale set in Hamburg, Germany, the author comments on the moral compromises we are asked to weigh in promulgating the “War on Terror." In that regard, it is both an entertaining and a cautionary tale.

Enjoy!

Al

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