The Pigeon Tunnel

The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life by John le Carré

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


John le Carré more than once observes that the worlds of inner and objective reality are so melded in his mind that he cannot always tell which perception belongs to which. Read this for tasters of the experiences and ideas that triggered his writing, and that will make you want to visit / revisit his novels (perhaps that's the idea?)

Remember though that the subtitle is accurate - it's stories from his life, not the story of his life. Look elsewhere for a biography, and be prepared to delve deeply between the lines for any glimpse of the man himself. In his own words, "As a maker of fictions, I invent versions of myself, never the real thing, if it exists."

With that caveat, it's a jolly good read.



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