December 13, 2020

JOHN LE CARRE R.I.P.

Acclaimed novelist John le Carré has passed away. Born David John Moore Cornwell in 1931, the author served in MI5 and MI6 and mined his observations of the secret world into a long career writing espionage fiction (his pseudonym was required, as officers weren't allowed to publish under their own names). Amidst the fantasy and pop-art sensibility of the 60s Spy Boom, le Carré's stories were a thoughtful and sombre reminder of the often unheroic and grim realities of the Cold War. And it was a testament to his talent as a storyteller that generations of readers have been pulled into the intricate, psychological web of his characters such as George Smiley. Many of his books were adapted for film, radio, and television, with The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (with Alec Guinness) being personal favorites of mine. John le Carré stayed active and publishing through these past sixty years and recently won the Olof Palme Prize in 2020. Some of his notable books include The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1963), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974), The Honorable Schoolboy (1977), Smiley's People (1979), The Russia House (1989), The Tailor of Panama (1996), and Agent Running in the Field (2019). He was 89. More info at The Guardian

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