While the "Smiley" trilogy is rightly feted as one of the greatest Fiction trilogies of the 20th Century, this Novel is my personal favourite of Le Carre's formidable and rather intimidating catalogue.
Strictly meant for lovers of serious Fiction,this is easily the bleakest book that I have ever read in my life. Written at the height of the Cold War, I remember taking a shower at midnight after I was done with it to "cleanse" myself. A hard, bitter,relentlessly cynical and disturbingly realistic peek at the sordid workings of an Espionage network.
Le Carre begins in his customary languid style, setting the tone and mood before the plot begins to tighten almost imperceptibly; culminating in a claustrophobic and an almost schizophrenic climax that leaves you numb, stunned and pondering over the astonishing capacity of the human mind to weave webs around itself.
A small piece of seemingly important information comes into the hands of "The Department", an almost defunct Brit Espionage network that is gasping for breath and hanging on by the skin of its teeth. The "Circus" (Le Carre buffs will be familiar with the term) starts to flex its muscles and what ensues is a painstakingly precise Espionage procedural and an intense struggle for establishing individual identity which will inevitably be brushed aside with ruthless efficiency keeping the "larger interests" in mind.
Le Carre admitted that this was his most realistic,nihilistic and hard hitting book and suggested that the stiflingly bleak tone may have been too much for even most hardened readers. He was damn right !
Do not pay heed to the average ratings here and follow the herd. They don't count for cow crap !
Likely to be enjoyed and savoured by discerning,mature readers who can separate the wheat from the chaff.
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