A Novel (Movie Tie-In) by John le Carr?? (2016-06-07)

Classic Le Carre. Style and story line follows the classic story genre we love from the original Smiley books. Le Carre adapts the story to the times, adds the flair of English understatement and political backstabbing of Whitehall. I found this to be one of those fast moving, can't put it down, books. Le Carre's prose is spell binding. Made me want to reach out and re-read the Smiley classics. If you love the early Le Carre I think you will love this. Le Carre did get into trouble when he was interviewed by the BBC for this book with regard to his views on the Russian Mafia and MI6 but having read the book I think it was out of context and didn't detract in anyway from my enjoyment. I loved the ending which in hindsight you should have seen coming but it was still a surprise!

poor old John leCarre has lost it. he wrote SUPERB novels back in his Geporge Smiley days and even for half a dozzen books after that such as Little Drummer Girl. but now his books stink. don't buy it -- you'll be bitterky disappointed

My initial excitement about this book was misplaced. The author gets too bogged down is silliness and trivial matters often leading to confusion of plot and intent. It was as if he was trying to fill pages without meaning. I found myself skipping pages to get to the end with the ever present question: where is this going? As I approached the end I was suddenly left hanging. What happened to Dima's family and the other principle players? A very disappointing read, unfortunately. Much below his standard.

I saw where somone said "too cerebral". That might be a good way to describe it, but it may be too complimentary as well.

Very realistic, interesting and sad ... we do live in a world of diminished values, with very few "good guys" left. Of course, there are those who still do their jobs well and try to do good, but they are marginalized, challenged and unappreciated

Recently, I enjoyed reading Le Carre's early books. Perhaps this is why Our Kind of Traitor came across as nothing but a weak sketch of a book. Dead end plot lines dropped in like stale cookies, characters with lame back stories, and an ending visible from early on, these problems and more plague this book. I struggled through to the end, hoping for redemption. Alas, no. This book should never have made it past an honest editor. Spend your money on one of Le Carre's first three or four books. Skip this one.

This book was a total disappointment for a LeCarre fan. He's writing in a completely different style, and introduced many names and characters in just a few pages which became quite confusing. I was able to finish only a few chapters.

Almost gave up on the book about twenty times because of so little suspense and intrigue...Got through about 3/4 of the book before ACTION begins...I stuck with the book, but now think my time was completely wasted....Not even sure I should have labeled it a one-star....Calvin Atwood

In my recent quest for the most satisfying thrillers about, past and current, this one ranks well. I always find le Carre's characters fascinating and deeply painted; Our Kind of Traitor is no exception. But the story line is not fast-moving enough for my taste, and the intricacy of one of his earlier works, such as Tinker, Tailor, or Perfect Spy isn't there. Those are high standards to match, indeed, but one must measure a writer against his best works.

My recommendations based on current reading (in this order):

Trojan Horse
The Day Of The Jackal
Single & Single
The Confession: A Novel

From the precious conversations among the intelligence Brit-o-crats to the final semi-thrilling moments of the operation that -- surprise -- doesn't go like clockwork, we've read it all before, and not just in two dimensions. This is paint-by-numbers novel writing. The only saving grace is that the Russian protagonist and his wife bear a startling resemblance to Boris Badenov and his sidekick Natasha of Bullwinkle fame. The talking moose was more believable.

Ok, I understand the point LeCarre is trying to make here, perhaps because it's the same point he tries to make in nearly all his novels. But here, after a painstakingly wrought build-up, we get such a blunt and unsubtle ending that it's hard to feel anything but cheated.

Our Kind of Traitor ranks the absolute lowest among laCarré's last three novels. Constant Gardner being the best (4 stars good) and Mission Song a mediocre second.

OKT is a tediously slow story to develop that ultimately ends leaving you with the feeling - "who cares." The tale of a defector from the Russian mafia underworld who has knowledge of high placed financial and political miscreants is too tedious to even recap for a review. Truly, I have hardly cared less about characters in a I have meet in a laCarré novel than these. The brief peek into the Russian underworld is somewhat interesting ans so too the peek into interdepartmental tensions with the British intelligence agencies; but neither is enough to redeem this poor effort on laCarré's part.

John laCarré is too good an author to produce back to back stinkers; so I eagerly await (as I always do) his next work.

Well;what a pity!The premise was very stretched,I'd come across some of the characters before-or rather bits of them-and the ending was very predictable.All I can add to the other reviewers' remarks is that it's an outline for a film with a couple of great parts for two actresses and one and a half for the leading men.I'd change the ending too:the boom'd happen on the tarmac before anyone got in;just another British cockup,with the end being an in-our-socks tension-filled race to find domestic safety for our motley mob of homeless heroes (including Hector),the cast of which I'd cut so it was only the women,Luke and Perry,plus Dima and Hector of course.Strange:I'm getting enthuiastic about it now as I write the screenplay in my head.But,I'm just a hopeless romantic so my script shouldn't count.

In this elegant novel that introduces us to the world of big time, post-Soviet, Russian gangsters, LeCarre continues his lifelong exploration of such questions as: Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? (Hard to tell.) Does it matter? (It does.) And why should we, any of us, commit? (No short answer.) It's a page turner with meat on its bones.

Author John Le Carré surprises again with a story about russian criminals.
Once you start reading you cannot, and will not, stop.
Very good reading, well defined characters, with all the flaws and qualities you usually find in humans.
And a style!

I really enjoyed this book at first, loved the writing and the intrigue. However, about 70% of the way through, it sorta loses itself. That being said, I would recommend reading it and it has turned me onto John Le Carre and I'll definitely read other books of his.

I gave up this horribly poorly written story that goes nowhere and so much irritated me. It's basically a dialogue between a professor and a Russian criminal, who's words are all written in a Rusian tongue, ok for a page but not throughout the book. I put it away several times, picked it up only to get more aggrevated. Would anyone enjoy this review if I would write it with the accent of my mother tongue, Dutch?

One started reading Le Carre those many decades ago for his mastery of plot and character and style. At this late date, however, there is nothing left at all of the first two, and only a parody of the style. It's as if an untalented hack had been assigned the task of mimicking Le Carre, and ended up by producing a humorless Inspector Clouseau. Even after the Cold War dried up, there were still Le Carre's own founding psychoneuroses to explore, especially that of the monstrous father. And later, the horrors of the Caucasus still provided some worthy material. Now we have two-dimensional evil Russian gangsters, but for a really good take on that you'll have to turn to something like Cruz Smith's "Red Square." Not a single one of Le Carre's characters is the least bit interesting, not one of his plot moves produces more than yawns, and it generally seems like he'd lost interest even before he started writing. End of the line, folks. One wants to remember Smiley, not a flicker of video-game figures.

Thinly drawn caricatures in a practically nonexistent plot with an ending wrought from the author's hurry to go and do something better. A stark contrast to the recent "The Mission Song"; that was a five star work.

One started reading Le Carre those many decades ago for his mastery of plot and character and style. At this late date, however, there is nothing left at all of the first two, and only a parody of the style. It's as if an untalented hack had been assigned the task of mimicking Le Carre, and ended up by producing a humorless Inspector Clouseau. Even after the Cold War dried up, there were still Le Carre's own founding psychoneuroses to explore, especially that of the monstrous father. And later, the horrors of the Caucasus still provided some worthy material. Now we have two-dimensional evil Russian gangsters, but for a really good take on that you'll have to turn to something like Cruz Smith's "Red Square." Not a single one of Le Carre's characters is the least bit interesting, not one of his plot moves produces more than yawns, and it generally seems like he'd lost interest even before he started writing. End of the line, folks. One wants to remember Smiley, not a flicker of video-game figures.

Thinly drawn caricatures in a practically nonexistent plot with an ending wrought from the author's hurry to go and do something better. A stark contrast to the recent "The Mission Song"; that was a five star work.

I actually have not read the entire book but like LeCarre books so gave it something in the middle. I read the free sample on my Kindle and when I went to purchase it saw that it was $14.99 and said ,"No Way". If I am going to pay $14.99 for a book I want to be able to pass it on to someone else to read. Guess the publishers have just hit my price sensitivity point. Who will they hurt, themselves, the store, certainly not me? I have a choice and am hoping this is not the coming price of new books. If it is I'll probably give up my newer Kindle, except for travel, and go back to used books, the library or at least a new book I can share. I have been using Kindle since they first came out. I really enjoy it but not at any price.

...and this book maintains that sucky tradition.

I LOVE this Le Carre, have purchased and embraced every book and audiobook (loving the 70s, 80s & 90s stuff).

But The Constant Gardner I found a little disappointing, and every book since has gotten less involving, less fun, and less intriguing.

I can't BELIEVE how much of this book involved tennis matches and basement chats and so much MELODRAMA (teen pregnancy! will father find out! oh noes!) from the mostly irritating main couple. And we're expected to identify and sympathize with them?

In his prime, Luke (sans lovesickness -- it's like "Twilight" in here!) and Ollie would have been Le Carre's main characters.

As I've told myself for the last four novels now... "maybe the next one will be better."

I cross my fingers in hope.

I have read almost every thing JLC has written ,and this is by far the most disapointing.He spends forever plodding thru and getting a tennis game completed. You know whats going to happen, you dont know how the characters wind up in the end. all in all you would be better off watching paint dry.