Single & Single
by John le Carré
Single & Single
John le Carré |
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 119)
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
fiction readers and listeners
My favorite Le Carre book on tape/CD. The author reads his own story, and the narration is wondrous, especially for us hillbillies who enjoy a variety of British and European accents.
As usual, the plot is somewhat difficult to follow, as the chronology of the story does not follow the page numbers. He moves chunks of the story here and there, requiring the reader to ascertain the chain of events. It seemed easier to follow by listening to the voices than it might have been readi...more
As usual, the plot is somewhat difficult to follow, as the chronology of the story does not follow the page numbers. He moves chunks of the story here and there, requiring the reader to ascertain the chain of events. It seemed easier to follow by listening to the voices than it might have been readi...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
any LeCarre fans interested in his life
In a VERY MOVING introduction, written in 2001, John LeCarre describes his growing up and the relationship with his father that he has been trying to capture in literature and resolve for decades. Single and Single is the result, and reading it as fiction/autobiography is a very moving experience.
The edition that I read that had the introduction was paperback, POCKETBOOKS, Simon and Schuster, 2001.
The edition that I read that had the introduction was paperback, POCKETBOOKS, Simon and Schuster, 2001.
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Not Le Carre's best work, but certainly worth a read. His shift from Cold War tension to post-arms race economic escalation is not quite seamless, but it's darn close. In many ways, the author's style works better in this kind of environment, where threats of actual violence are rare, and the overwhelming paranoia stems not from physical fear, but a sense of unconscious but irredeemable lapses of ethics.
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
good readers & ambitious writers
This book is written in 3rd person emotive state, if that means anything to you. Often you're 3 sentences beyond before you realize meaning behind the imagery you've just scanned. Beautifully done. It's more an experience than a read. Wonderful style, loopy plot that tightens as you go 'til it's got you by the throat, unforgettable characters.
Best
John Klawitter
Best
John Klawitter
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Fascinating. He has an unusual style which I enjoyed though my husband didn't. I can see how a book like this would polarize readers. It is slow in parts but I enjoyed his writing enough to keep reading.
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A rather dull and disappointing effort from an author who has never recovered from Perestroika's removal of the Soviets as master villains. Has its moments, but not enough of them.
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This is what an action novel should be-entertaining, somewhat informative, and a little campy when appropriate. There are even some insightful passages.
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
spy lovers
This is an almost-ritual tension-filled offering from Le Carre... with its usual ambiguous, literary endings... I loved it.
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Read in September, 2007
Typical post Cold War Le Carre. Still a good read, but I believe he needed the Cold War to do his best stuff.
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Read in October, 2007
I had high expectations since I'd heard so much about him. But found the book almost boring.
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