The Ryan’s Comments (group member since Jan 16, 2013)

The Ryan’s comments from the Readering Group group.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Like a phoenix, my posting rises from the ashes of the ides of March.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, by John le Carré is the book for April.

I haven't read it, I haven't seen the movie, and I have assidiously avoided reading le Carré despite my best intentions to read The Constant Gardener for at least a decade now. I haven't even seen the movie for The Constant Gardener either, so I figure what better way to get into a classic spy novelist's work than to jump into some heavy reading?

Word on the street is that this is a dense book, but an entertaining read and all worth the while. Allegedly le Carré's first novel featuring the main character, George Smiley, as the main character, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is supposed to knock the socks off the spy genre. According to the Financial Times, "John le Carré is the great master of the spy story ... the constant flow of emotion lifts him above most novelists now practising." Ian Fleming can go get burned.* That's right, I quoted a British rag praising a British author, and who knows fine English literature better than the English?

Without further ado, John le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the Readering Group's BTR (Book To Read) for April. Don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.


* Heh, burned. As in "disavowed."** See? I'm already succumbing to genre-specific cliché.
** Or as in Fahrenheit 451.

On another note, reading this stuff while listening to Justin Bieber's "U Smile" slowed down 800% is nightmare fuel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bidHnE...

Well, one man's pornography is another man's snuff film fetish. Or something.

The FIVE DOOR ROOM?! WHAT THE FUUUUUUCK

Also, the Maze is... a room. A room of DEATH.

An aside: Van Brunt in da hoooooooouuuuuuuuse. Never knew who that boulevard was named for (never cared to check either, but it's neat to reco'nize.) Apparently, he also did Spooner Hall at KU.

I think the background information and history at the outset is pretty well laid out. It'll be interesting to see how everything builds on it.

Also, eff the French and their stupid Exposition Universelle. Pompous jerks.

Looking forward to dis

My thoughts exactly. What was the point? There is no point. Was no point. Like law school, the epilogue is all there is, all there ever was. And now the story ends just as it is beginning.

EDIT: I am 44% through, and I don't feel like this description spoils anything that wasn't semi-obvious from the beginning. There is no plot reveal, but it does place a character at the top of the hierarchy of events from my place in the book so far (again, only 44% through.) But, here I go:





Hock Seng is going to be a huge catalyst in the story's development, but that was pretty obvious from the beginning. I feel as though the other characters are just there waiting for him to knock over the dominoes before they really get interesting.

I'm 44% through and wish it would get going already. I'm not sure what the holdup is. It does seem like it'll pick up here soon, but I wish it would've started sooner.

This is much appreciated!

I put the book down after the first chapter and tried to find a torrent for the movie instead. No luck, I have since resumed reading and suspending all expectation of immediate exposition.

General character discussion. Who's the coolest character? I dig the ngaw vendor lady.

The mangosteen. The mangosteen has us now.