I haven't finished reading this yet, but I already know it's going to be the kind of book where I just want to read out random passages to strangers, so here is a bit I liked ( Read more... )

First: Deutschland 83. ( Read more... )

A Bloody Field By Shrewsbury - Edith Pargeter : a deeply unfair and biased review by bunn.
( Read more... )

I heard a trailer for some event where John le Carré was speaking, in which he said that one of the odd things about Britain is that the majority of people, if they are asked by British Intelligence 'can we come in and use your upstairs, we can't tell you anything about it' will, if reassured the request is genuinely from British Intelligence, say ( Read more... )

I kept seeing people recommending this Second World War novel, about a British agent (Scottish!) and her English pilot in occupied France. Eventually, I buckled to the power of suggestion and came by a copy. Then it sat on my 'to read' shelf for ages without quite managing to pull me in. Yesterday, I finally got around to it - and got sucked in ( Read more... )

A tenet of my belief is that there is no situation which cannot be interpreted in or illuminated by the light of
1) Le Guin
2) Le Carré
3) Scott Adam's Dilbert cartoons
4) and occasionally Tolkien.

It's a somewhat eclectic set of reference works for life, I am aware...

( On this occasion, I am reminded of this useful scene from Le Carré's 'Call for the Dead'. )