Permanent Collection ( )

As the Cold War draws to a close spy master Tim Cranmer retires to the Somerset countryside to make wine, and live peacefully with his girlfriend Emma. His settled life is disrupted by the return of an agent he managed - Larry Pettifer. Larry has found the 'casue of his life' and his actions draw Tim back into the tradecraft of espionage.
This is a suspenseful read, particularly the first two thirds. The final third as the action moves to Europe is a little less satisfying, but nevertheless Le Carre's characterisation and description thread securely through the story exploring the feelings of men whose purpose has been overtaken by the changes to ideologies as East meets West. ( )

As Le Carre has matured as an author, his books have had less and less to do with with satisfying genre requirements and more to do with exquisite character portraits and the authors own concerns. This is not to say that his story telling abilities have suffered, but Le Carre has always been subtle, and in "Our Game" his subtlety reaches new levels.

The protagonist, Tim Cranmer comes late to the important things in his life. All the "action" has already happened in this novel - many of the important events in this novel are past memories, either remembered in flashback (or revealed through interrogation). Other main events are discovered by Cranmer as already happened as he picks his cautious way through crime scenes or recent battlefields. Even love, or his recognition of it, has come to him late.

So Cranmer's quest is his attempt to discover his real past so as to provide him with a future, or at least a present. Le Carre's writing is at the peak of its form. Sometimes drol, often witty, always poetic and wonderfully intelligent, his writing captures the humanity of its character and the inhumanity of the uncaring world in deft strokes.

This is not a novel of gunplay, hi-tech espionage, car chases and narrow escapes. Neither is this a George Smiley novel. They were written almost 30 years ago and the author has moved on. This novel sits outside the genre of the spy novel, whose vague trappings the author hijacks for his own uses. The ending, which some people may not like as it is not "neat" and "final" is wonderfully unresolved, just like life.

I read this book when it was first released and have just reread it. In 10 years time, I will probably read it again. And probably enjoy it even more. ( )

Not bad, although like a lot of Le Carre quite difficult to get (and stay) into. Interesting learning about Ingushetia and Chechenia. ( )