John Le Carre has a new book out, "Absolute Friends." He used to be my absolute favorite author: I'd read each new book as slowly as I could, because I wanted to draw out the pleasure as long as humanly possible.
Somewhere in the last ten years, I lost that love of his work, though I still read every book, and will order this one from amazon UK as soon as I finish this entry (note that you can buy books published in England from amazon's UK site as easily as from the US one, and shipping costs and all are - surprisingly - about the same as buying in the US, which astounds and pleases me no end).
His book, "The Little Drummer Girl" - made into a superb movie starring Diane Keaton, of all people, as the little drummer girl/terrorist - was a superbly insightful look into the psyche of the Middle Eastern terrorist, years before terrorism became the defining theme of world geopolitics.
I don't know who is my Le Carre-equivalent author of devotion and all possible love today. I don't think I have one anymore. As Eve Babitz said so perfectly, "I'm easy to please, but hard to satisfy."
Article comments
1 - Natch
I've read all of Le Carre, and I look forward to reading this.
However, Len Deighton's Yesterday's Spy dealt with Arabs buying a French A-bomb. It was published in 1975.
2 - Sena
I like it!
3 - kev
The book is great. The best part is, you get a classic le Carre Cold War tale (the best kind of le Carre there is) which -- right about the time you're wondering why THIS tale at THIS POINT in the game -- turns awful contemporary, and with an awful vengeance. Hail to the master!
One might have been right to be a bit disappointed with le Carre following The Constant Gardner, but Absolute Friends should restore your faith.