Obit: John Le Carre (David Cornwell) (1931-2020)

Subject: Obit: John Le Carre (David Cornwell)
From: robomatic
Date: 13 Dec 20 - 08:06 PM

He took on an established genre and re-stamped it with an ethical viewpoint and a sense of reality and some damn good writing.

Subject: RE: Obit: John Le Carre (David Cornwell)
From: The Sandman
Date: 14 Dec 20 - 02:07 AM

The Constant gardener is a book i must read ,thanks for the heads up

Subject: RE: Obit: John Le Carre (David Cornwell)
From: gillymor
Date: 14 Dec 20 - 04:16 AM

He and Graham Greene wrote the only spy novels I've ever read. I especially liked the ones which featured George Smiley as a principal character.

Subject: RE: Obit: John Le Carre (David Cornwell)
From: The Sandman
Date: 14 Dec 20 - 05:17 AM

Greene was a diplomat[Spy] wasnt he

Subject: RE: Obit: John Le Carre (David Cornwell)
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Dec 20 - 06:35 PM

Eric Ambler was another author early in the genre.

Fresh Air w Terry Gross is replaying a 17 interview with him.

Subject: RE: Obit: John Le Carre (David Cornwell)
From: robomatic
Date: 14 Dec 20 - 07:00 PM

In listening to the Fresh Air interview I am very touched by Le Carre's recounting of his tough relationship with his father, a conman, who sued him because he felt he needed acknowledgement of his importance in Le Carre's life. He described his father's attitude as "Trumpoid" in its narcissism.

Apparently the KGB identified with his novels and distributed them among their students; one of them visited Le Carre saying he felt himself to be a "George Smiley".

Here is a link to the
New York Times article.

Subject: RE: Obit: John Le Carre (David Cornwell) (1931-2020)
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Dec 20 - 08:11 PM

One of Le Carre's sons became an author as well.