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55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
4 1/2 Stars...Caught in a Tug-of-war, November 1, 2006
Since the days of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "The Little Drummer Girl," I've followed le Carre's novels with heightened interest. Of late, however, he's lost me with an unfocused style. I picked up "The Mission Song" with skepticism. Thankfully, I found here a story of undeniable appeal. The first-person narrator, Bruno Salvador, is an interpreter with an uneven marriage and on secret assignment with the British. His personality is more naive, more humorous and satirical, than most of le Carre's protagonists, lending the novel a lighter tone that still manages to make scathing remarks about western politics. The Bush and Blair administrations both get low marks here, and high-minded, white colonization is shown to be a greedy and violent proposition. Bruno, caught in a tug-of-war between his native allegiances and his British ties, must face the truth and consequences of his assignment. Is one secretive coup really intended for Eastern Congo's good? Or is there a more self-seeking motive behind the financial investment of the nebulous Syndicate? Although we the readers never really doubt the motives of all involved, it's hard not to be swept along with Bruno's romantic (somewhat thinly drawn) and politic questions. This is a conflict that could relate to African scenarios two centuries ago or a decade in the future. It's a timeless tale, told with unflinching social remarks, while still remaining an entertaining story. Le Carre remembers to treat us as fiction readers, and not simply as a gathering of politicos. Once again, my interest is renewed, and I look forward to his next project.
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
occasionally exciting, often tedious, February 5, 2007
In Le Carre's latest thriller, an expert interpreter of various African languages learns of a nefarious plot involving the Congolese government. At first I was intrigued with the fact that the protagonist Salvo is an interpreter. Nice twist, and I have some experience in both interpreting and in African language study (Swahili). But the narrator is so obsessed with his status that it becomes both distracting and annoying. Consider, for example, the following excerpts from the book: "I am...by profession a top interpreter of Swahili," "the code of your top interpreter is sacrosanct," "Never mistake, please, your mere translator for your top interpreter," "my top interpreter's ear," "your top interpreter responds without premeditation," "Salvo the top interpreter is there beside them," and there are many more. I mean, Come on! A major portion of the book (maybe a third) takes place at a meeting of Congolese elites and European mercenaries making plans. The meeting drags on forever, and with the exception of a brief interlude of torture, it gets pretty tiresome. No action, no interesting suspense. In fact, it reminds me of many meetings I've attended (some of which have taken place in Africa); but that doesn't make it interesting writing. The plot doesn't really pick up until the last third of the book. At that point, it moves along at a decent clip. The prose is okay but nothing special; I made the mistake of listening to this audiobook immediately after Jumpa Lahiri and before Margaret Atwood, two masterful wordsmiths. Lastly, some information at the end of the book leaves the reader feeling that much of the book was completely futile, which felt totally unsatisfying. All in all, the book had its moments and some interesting twists and turns along the way, but I was unimpressed. If you want to read a good Le Carre book about Africa, stick with The Constant Gardner. Metacritic, a website that collects professional reviews, found the following mix: 6 reviews found the book to be outstanding, 9 favorable, 2 mixed reviews, and 8 unfavorable. So the professionals, on average, liked the book a little better than I did. I listened to the unabridged audiobook narrated by David Oyelowo (published by Hachette Audio). Oyelowo is a British actor of Nigerian descent. He does the African voices well, but some of the European voices sounded strange. In terms of objectionable content, the book is chocker-block full of strong language and contains a little bit of sex and violence. And, of course, people trying to rip off some Africans at the expense of the lives of others.
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Philip Caputo's review says it all (almost), March 11, 2007
"The Mission Song" is a great book, somewhat along the same lines as "The Tailor of Panama". John le Carré depicts the harsh reality of some of the human species' least admirable traits, presenting them as seen through the eyes of loveable but misguided and idealistic individuals. And despite the tragedy of the situation he maintains a positive and often humorous tone. I was planning on writing a full review of "The Mission Song", but after reading the wonderful review by Philip Caputo of the Washington Post (see above under Editorial Reviews), I figured that it would make more sense to simply recommend that review. "... corporate giants that know no boundaries, moral or geographical", remarks Mr. Caputo, and he's hit the nail on the head. One wonders sometimes of our future, when all of the raw materials have been plundered and the environment destroyed. I do have a few remarks about the audio version of "The Mission Song", read by David Oyelowo, a British actor of Nigerian descent. When I started listening to this book I was thinking, "what a poor reader, it sounds like he's half-asleep!" Very dull and almost monotone, especially at the very beginning. It turns out that this was an intentional technique. Bruno "Salvo" Salvador tells the story in the first person, and at one point he remarks that he is proud that he has made his English as characterless as possible, so nobody will think he's trying to sound upper-class or as if he belongs to any particular group of Englishmen. Furthermore, once you get to the end of the story you realize that there is a good reason why Salvo tells the story in a rather tired and depressed voice. But the amazing thing about David Oyelowo's reading is the dialog. As soon as anybody other than Salvo is talking he comes alive, and his rendering of the many African and English dialects is fantastic. I was totally blown away listening to The Mwangaza telling of his dreams for the Congo. Here's where a good audio book is far better than the printed version. In summary, "The Mission Song", like "The Tailor of Panama" (also highly recommended), is not a spy story. It is a story about human character and how we humans create our own tragedy, and the optimistic attitude we need to survive this truth. We end up thinking, "Good luck, Salvo", and good luck to us all. Rennie Petersen
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