Pre-order John le Carré’s new novel Agent Running in the Field now, and be one of the first to read it.‘No other writer has charted – pitilessly for politicians but thrillingly for readers – the public and secret histories of his times’ Guardian________________________________Nat, a 47 year-old veteran of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, believes his years as an agent runner are over. He is … Intelligence Service, believes his years as an agent runner are over. He is back in London with his wife, the long-suffering Prue. But with the growing threat from Moscow Centre, the office has one more job for him. Nat is to take over The Haven, a defunct substation of London General with a rag-tag band of spies. The only bright light on the team is young Florence, who has her eye on Russia Department and a Ukrainian oligarch with a finger in the Russia pie.
Nat is not only a spy, he is a passionate badminton player. His regular Monday evening opponent is half his age: the introspective and solitary Ed. Ed hates Brexit, hates Trump and hates his job at some soulless media agency. And it is Ed, of all unlikely people, who will take Prue, Florence and Nat himself down the path of political anger that will ensnare them all. Agent Running in the Field is a chilling portrait of our time, now heartbreaking, now darkly humorous, told to us with unflagging tension by the greatest chronicler of our age.
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‘John le Carré is as recognisable a writer as Dickens or Austen’ Financial Times
‘No writer has ever been better at turning the act of two people talking politely to each other across a desk into a blood sport’ Telegraph
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Rarely do I lament over finishing a book. When I finished the latest (I believe) John Le Carre novel, my heart sank a little. Between Agent Running in the Field and Little Drummer Girl, I believe Mr. LeCarre has given me a better education about the modern and contemporary western world than any work of non-fiction has. It’s far different to live with characters than to read about them. I hope Mr. LeCarre lives and writes forever.
When I first read a book by John Le Carré, I struggled with the slow beginning to the story. In other words the story was almost too intricate in its foundations. However, as time goes on I realise that a master-spy story-teller has to be intricate, because it is a fiendishly intricate world. Just like a spy, a secret agent or even a an agent-runner, the reader needs to be patient. If one is, the result is as thrilling as this very excellent “thriller” by this master storyteller.
Excellent work by the dean of spy novels. Well written and great ending.
Vintage John le Carre, yeah. All of his usual lyricism, and well painted characters whose motivations emerge from the gloom as the story progresses. There’s a yearning nostalgia running throughout, a sense of regret for the decisions the UK has made. The measured pace of the telling is driven by Nat’s considered tone, and distorted by Ed’s alternating lethargy and visceral fury, aimed variously at Trump, brexiteers, and others.
This is John le Carré’s latest book, and one feels that it’s his chance to get certain things off his chest. These views are expressed by Ed Shannon to his regular badminton partner and career spook, Nat. But there is more going on than Ed’s grumbling after games at the Athleticus Club, and the Russians are never far away, as the experienced agent-runner Nat is well aware. As with all le Carré’s novels, the writing is elegant and gently sucks you into the plot. And he has lost none of his ability, described by one critic, to turn the act of two people politely talking to each other across a desk into a blood sport.
I’ve always admired John le Carré’s fiction. ‘ ‘, and ‘, , , ‘ trilogy, rank as modern classics. No other writer in the field has quite matched him in his unravelling of the complexities of the secret world. My own fiction owes a debt to him as he has greatly enhanced my understanding of the world of power politics, secret intelligence and governmental double-dealing, even if mine tends to the otherworldly.
His latest, ‘ ‘, slots itself firmly among his finest. Venting spleen appropriate for these insane times and peppered with scalding humour, it’s bang on the zeitgeist: Trump, Putin, Brexit, Syria, Ukraine and Iran are all there as backdrop to garden-variety perfidy bedded with hopeless idealism and misjudged alignments.
As ever with le Carré, the most seemingly mundane interactions and observations are underscored with ambiguity. His characters are well-drawn, and deep we go from the commonplace into shadowy inner states and their practices, exposing the rot at the core of present day home and international relations. Countless covert departments, sub-departments and secret operations, Orwellian surveillance and the self-serving nature of those running it all, lead to a growing sense of discomfort, particularly knowing that this is fiction of the real. Reading le Carré can be revelatory. The homely and innocent are not what they seem; duplicity is endemic. Yet, in labyrinths of deception and counter-deception, trust, mistrust, ambition, chicanery and numbing betrayal there’s still, perhaps, a ray of human goodness. It’s a page-turner and it’s wonderful.
As usual the author creates a great environment, twisting plot and characters to keep you interested to the end.
A return to form for one of my favourite authors. I am not sure having badminton as a major plot thread is necessarily eye grabbing, but Le Carré Croft’s an interesting story line and characters with a credible and authentic contemporary plot twist.
John le Carre can still (at nearly 90) turn out a fascinating, twisty espionage novel. To this one, the reader needs to bring an understanding of the current Anglo-American relationship, the Russia-Ukraine situation, and a tolerance for political views in fiction. The usual strong tradecraft and tradetalk, vivid language, memorable characters, with a bit of a rush at the end.
Part of the problem with LeCarre is that he does the spy novel so well that the occasional dropped stitch stands out all the more. A perfectly fine LeCarre novel is better than anyone else’s very best. The reason I marked it down a little is that he is a bit breezy in places, occasionally glossing over something that could use a bit more of an explanation. Of course, that’s what professionals in the intelligence business do in real life, too, which makes it ring true even more but is still slightly annoying at times. Agent Running in the Field is a sweeter book than you’d think a spy novel could be, without a giant momentous bombshell at the center, but still provides that insight into the reality of a life in espionage that LeCarre does so well.
John le Carre is a gifted wordsmith whose impeccable choice of words create pace and depth to his stories. Eighty-eight years old, and le Carre has not given up a step. This outing carries less action than some of his previous works, but his prose, and conflicted characters will keep you vested in the story.
Weary British agent Nat meets an awkward Ed Shannon at Nate’s badminton club. (Yes, badminton.) Nat’s protégé, Florence, brings her own mystery to the pages. Soon Nat realizes that he is being used, but as an agent running in the field, it is not unfamiliar territory for him. Never in control, but never one to panic, Nat navigates a solution to Ed and Florence’s predicaments. And while her Queen’s government might not be pleased with Nat’s behavior, Nat is at a position where his conscious commands a higher calling than his government.
The book takes a few humorous jabs at Brexit, as le Carre is not one to shy from current affairs. The voice and feel of the narrative is of a man half of le Carre’s age. If we’ll lucky, he’ll write well into his nineties.
Essential reading for any fan! or citizen.
Not his best but still very entertaining
La Carre at his best, but updated to today’s issues.
Just all right. Hated the America/Trump/Brexit hating, but the interplay between spies was quite interesting.
He will forever be my favorite author.
You just can’t go wrong with LeCarre. Not his best work but that’s a pretty high bar. A good solid entertaining read.
The master’s still at the top of his game.
I love everything this man does. I hope he lives and writes well into his 100s.
John Le Carré has written some of my all-time favourite novels, it had been a few years since I had read one of his books, and I couldn’t wait to read AGENT RUNNING IN THE FIELD. Surprisingly, the book description conveys rather well the gist of the story, what I call “a quiet spy story”, Mr. Le Carré’s specialty. The milieu feels entirely authentic, every character is believable and carefully developed; it is very cinematographic and it all feels real.
Very early on, I had guessed part of the intrigue which shocked me, to be honest, but definitely not the ending. I must say, I expected more from the Ukrainian angle. One thing bothered me, however: although I wholeheartedly agree with the author’s political views, it became annoying after a while. AGENT RUNNING IN THE FIELD is very interesting but, it pains me to say, not terribly exciting. Still, John Le Carré remains one of the finest writers around; his mastery of the English language is astounding and few authors can even dream of matching the sheer perfection, the sophistication, the elegance of his superlative prose and dialogues.