A Delicate Truth

The plot twists and turns as bungled anti-terrorist action is covered up and denied. However as intriguing as this is, the joy of reading Le Carre is riding along with his brilliant grasp of the range of vernacular English as spoken by Brits from various classes and regions. The story is revealed through many different voices, all establishing memorable characters.

I like most LeCarre novels and this is no exception. Well written, characters developed enough to be interesting, and a few half-spoken lines that manage to suggest more than they have any right to. I've come expect bad endings from LeCarre; it's almost his signature. This book has no ending. It just stops. Maybe the "Sopranos" ending has made this permissible.

The plot rambles and is disjointed, the characters are not convincing in themselves or in their interaction with each other. It felt like a vehicle for the author to try to make a political point about the loss of personal freedoms in a security-obsessed Britain with its all-knowing Foreign Office and the usual, shadowy, omnipotent, US privately run intelligence operation. Not very imaginative but it may appeal to those who share his views.

No other spy novelist captures as well the MADNESS of the neocons as they go about convincing themselves their asinine, murderous plotting and mucking about in the policy pits of their respective countries will benefit anyone except their noxioui egos. A wakeup call to any but the seriously brain dead.

Le Carre's now has the privatization of national security firmly in his sights. A disturbing look at the "war on terror" and its aftermath. Somehow he manages to keep right up with the tone of the times all through the transition from his own experiences in cold war days up to the present. The sense of realism is still there and hard to match.

John Le Carre serves up another smorgasbord of espioncrats, bureaucrats, passionate Englishmen, devious mercenaries, and ill-managed operations. Cynicism and cover up abound. Even if his characters' conversational tics annoy, this is an absolutely compelling yarn, very well told, and almost impossible to put down. Good to see Le Carre back on form.

A very believable plot with well developed characters. Toby Bell is the main character. The beginning seems a bit disjointed but as you progress all the stories tie up together. The knowledge of surveillance technology comes through but not overly so giving an almost routine aspect to Toby"s adversaries. This also conveys a sense of inevitability and you are held in suspense throughout. Much enjoyed reading and gave it four stars.

When George Smiley retired he was concerned about the loss of freedoms and accountability. LeCarre has recaptured those concerns in an up-to-date setting and again addresses them as they have developed in our current world. Aside from the fact that it is a story well-told, it is a cautionary tale of government and how easily it slips from protecting people to protecting itself from the people.

A very believable plot with well developed characters. Toby Bell is the main character. The beginning seems a bit disjointed but as you progress all the stories tie up together. The knowledge of surveillance technology comes through but not overly so giving an almost routine aspect to Toby"s adversaries. This also conveys a sense of inevitability and you are held in suspense throughout. Much enjoyed reading and gave it four stars.

When George Smiley retired he was concerned about the loss of freedoms and accountability. LeCarre has recaptured those concerns in an up-to-date setting and again addresses them as they have developed in our current world. Aside from the fact that it is a story well-told, it is a cautionary tale of government and how easily it slips from protecting people to protecting itself from the people.

Typical le Carre novel, I almost always enjoy his work even if his anti-government bias is barely disguised. The end of this one left me hanging a bit but I won't disclose why for those who have not yet read it. The characters are plausible and the setting detail and dialogue are very realistic. If you are a le Carre fan you probably want to read A Delicate Truth (although to my way of thinking it might be more aptly named "An In-delicate Truth".

John le Carre addresses the abuse of power by government political appointees in concert with private interests. Like most of his novels, he develops characters slowly, giving us a sense of their values and assumptions about life, only to find themselves coming to a realization that they may have lived that life on false assumptions. Morality is center front, and the power of institutions is ever present, with a clash between the two.

A Delicate Truth is the most suspenseful book I have ever read. Almost every page is filled with tension. The author has an heroic imagination, a gift for colorful details, and the ability to create an unforgettably dramatic story. I finished reading it a few days ago but am still living with it. If your heart is strong enough, this is the book for you.

George Smiley has retired, but his author, John Le Carre, has not. The British Foreign Ministry is at work again and so are slick criminels. This time it's a top secret operation on Gibralter that goes belly up. The consequencs effect its participants three years later. Beautifully written; elegantly plotted. Best book I've read in years.

I keep thinking Le Carre will decline as a writer. However, although his subject and focus has changed, he's lost none of his ability to write a fascinating novel of intrigue and government malfeasance. Read the review in the New York Review of Books from the first week of June 2013 to really understand Le Carre's latest novel.

Extraordinary character development as always. But for people and organizations in the business of killing people, it is a little hard to imagine how collateral damage of two civilians, even a mother and child, could drive this extreme guilty behavior. I hope he's right!

In his later novels (since The Secret Pilgrim 1990), le Carre has focused on the themes in which the role of the state is compromised by political deals and commercial self interest. His characters have to deal with moral conflicts which often lead to their own demise as political spin and the Secrets Act combine to silence their capacity to speak.

Le Carres characters are artfully sketched using selective observation and effective dialogue. His story lines are truly woven and often unpredictable in their resolution. The psychological portraits are real. I love his prose style.

If you seek a novel offering the restrained drama of characters empowering themselves to fight for good in an amoral world, look no further. Le Carre is the master.

A story of conscience, honor and dishonnor. Poignant and relevant LeCarré continues to deliver with his strong character development and delectable phrasings. This time the window passes across the lives of two men for whom action is finally the only option as together they attempt to expose a great wrong from their past. They learn that the Establishment protects itself come what may regardless of the cost.

LeCarre has not lost his touch or his extraordinary writing skills. He has changed his politics however and I appreciate that. This is a fine tome and I took my time reading it for that very reason. I would wish for a more Hollywood ending, but Mr. LeCarre writes for the real world.

As I sit here missing dinner until I finished this book I realize that I have once again come under the master's spell. Those longing for the days of George Smiley and the Cold War battles should remember what made LeCarre so special was not the color or style of the sweater but the spinning of the yarn.
To that end, he is better than ever.

Le Carre's recent book graphically describes the corporate nature of modern wars, which are fought by large corporations with their own ideologies for profit. While not his best writing, the theme of the book is nonetheless powerful. In this new world of war, the conscience of the individual, and indeed, the individual, is wholly expendable to the needs of the corporate-national alliance, and national security means protection of the corporate warrior.

By returning to his usual genre John LeCarre has again written a compelling story that is hard to put down. The plot revolves around an aborted operation to capture a terrorist in the Crown colony of Gibraltar and the aftermath that results in the resignation of a Minister of the Crown and the cover up that followed. Good characterisations woven around linkages between various charaters makes for and interesting read that has a ring of truth to it.

My shelves are loaded with LeCarre...and must say that...either we have ghost writers...or a fraction of what is left of his writings...the style is gone, language magic does not exist and the plots almost non existant...Keep hoping for another winner from my favorite spy-suspense writer...to no avail. Will keep hoping.

An amazing writer, and his books are absolutely awesome. However for some reason, this one falls short.
Perhaps it's because compared to the tremendous level of corruption and atrocities committed all over the world today, I found the storyline a bit of an anti-climax.

This follows the liberal-leaning notions of David Cornwall to see danger in multinationals and quasi-nationals in the new game of espionage. The front story is interesting but doesn't go anywhere and relates to a stellar or botched mission in Gibraltar. While the plot is a bit slow, the characters are well described and the book well -written.

Master that he is, LeCarre seems to let the reader experience the disconnections and near chaos of the agency. The beginning is slow and confusing, granted. But as the parts fall into place, LeCarre shines, just as he has in earlier books. I was glad to have stayed the course.

I have followed Le Carre's novels since a student in the 1950's. I have enjoyed all (perhaps to varying degrees), although the octane power has been a little diluted in the last decade or so. But... "A Delicate Truth" had me sitting up all night, agog, as when I first read "Tinker, Taylor"!

Very detailed description right off the bat of a black ops extraction on Gibraltar. But, these things never turn out as they're planned and the book then follows several key characters from the black ops and the follow-up (or clean up?) from this. Well defined character and well defined locations. Berlin. Vienna. London.

Enjoy.

Having lived through the same time period as the author I have learned to depend on him for providing me with the essence of the issues which plague humans and nation states . To say that he seems to always be one step ahead of world events e.g. drug dumping, carnage over minerals or now the crisis of conscience with state secrets just amazes me. He is a masterful guide and valued voice. His writing in this genre is without equal, Bob D

Quintessential Le Carre'; except for his extraordinary talent for telling a tale one gets the feeling he has told this tale before and has changed the names and locations to unintentionally(of course) protect his royalties. I enjoyed the tale but it may be one novel too far.

For awhile, I have been a little disillusioned with LeCarre even though I have continued to read each book as it is published. In this one I would say he has returned to his extraordinary level of greatness. I absolutely loved it.

There is simply no better spy quiet than Le Carre, and he's in fine form in this compelling novel. His characters and prose are at the top of his game, and the insights and tenor are thrilling. A joy to read from end to end.

John le Carre is an excellent writer, and with all the mediocrity around I found it a most enjoyable read. Yes, the ending is a bit abrupt and the basis of the plot somewhat unrealistic but despite these flaws the book captured me and my interest.

Since the sad passing of Patrick O'Brien, John Le Carre is the king of English novelists. This tasty thriller will unfortunately spoil my pallet for the everyday work of most other writers. Pray Le Carre lives a long and productive life!