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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Humanistic thought-provoking tale of the unlikely spy, January 27, 2003
Firstly, one does not pick up a John Le Carre book to be dazzled with the flash-bang imagery of modern spy thrillers. John Le Carre writes 'spy literature', a look at the inner workings and emotions felt by his well fleshed-out characters in the espionage trade. Like meeting a life-long friend for the first time, you come to know his characters, and if patient enough, actually care about them. His prose often borders on poetry. I offer this warning of style for the sake of saving time for those looking for a quick pulse-quickening read. On to my opinion of "The Russia House". Barley Blair, the inner hypocrite comes clean. The book is an in depth tale of how a lackluster publisher with a penchant for self-destruction and jazz finds himself deeply embroiled in the hopeful defection of a Russian scientist, Goethe. Blair bumps into Goethe at a chance gathering during the hopeful glimmer of glasnost. Goethe overhears Blair's recited philosophical rhetoric for a hopeful future between the West and Communist Russia. The conspiracy begins. Le Carre steers us through how a communique meant for Blair is intercepted, where essentially we begin our journey. We are led through London, Moscow, an island off the coast of New England, and Leningrad in the attempt to confirm Blair in his new job of spy and get the elusive scientist to switch sides. However, Blair wasn't expecting to fall in love with Goethe's emmisary, and a whole new tasteful spin is added to the spy novel. Le Carre's characters here are equally intimate and distant, illuminating yet shrouded in secrecy...so very human. So, not to spoil the intricacies for the eager reader, I shall conclude explaining the plot here. Through all of this, Le Carre gives us a glimpse of life for both the Westerners and Easterners in Communist Russia. The lingering shadows of Stalin and Breshnev are never dismissed lightly, but rather the hope that was glasnost shines on through the murky depths of intrigue. Fans of the George Smiley books may find themselves disappointed with reading "The Russia House", but I think fans of Le Carre as the storyteller and writer will be very satisifed.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bang on target, October 19, 1999
Although some elements of this book may not seem overly realistic to the more discerning specialists of espionage, the general story line is believable. Being a native of Moscow, I enjoyed the masterful, if oversimplified, descriptions of things Russian. Le Carre diction is particularly pleasing -- his mastery of the English language is superb. The text flows easily; it is hard to put the book down. I highly recommend the book to anybody who wants to get a sence of intelligence operations, the difference between US and British apporach to espionage and what Russia was like in the 1990s. Additionally, readers will enjoy Le Carre's masterful command of English -- "an example to us all," as one of his heroes points out. I love this book!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Fantastic, June 22, 2000
John Le Carre has the gift of storytelling. To me, he is the best espionage writer alive today. Most of the espionage writers put all the emphasis on the events whereas the main theme of Le Carre's books has always been characters. Le Carre does not write breakneck thrillers. He writes characters, lively and human. And that's why when you read a Le Carre book, a year down the road, you can't recall the story but you can easily recall the characters of the story. He is the creator of many memorable characters and Barley Blair is one of them. Barley is not a hero, not even a patriot. He is a careless publisher, a jazz player and a chess fan. He is not a spy. He is pushed into the espionage game because of his drunken exchange of thoughts with a Russian scientist, another of Le Carre's memorable characters. Barley has reluctantly agreed to play the part of a courier and agent-runner by British spymasters and on his arrival in Moscow, he falls in love with a girl, who very much like Barley himself, is pushed into the spy game. Barley soon reaches a point where he has to decide whom to betray. The girl he loves or his country. To me, that is the climax of the novel, the classical dilemma. And dilemma it is. Here is Barley Blair, the main character, forming one part of the triangle, who is not a spy, doesn't even want to be one. The second part of triangle is Goethe, the Russian scientist, who wants to tell something to the world but not through the spies. And the third part is Katya, loved by both Goethe and Barley, who doesn't even know what is she doing and where does she fit in the whole scheme of things. And in the background are the spymasters of UK and USA who think they have all the strings in their hands but have totally ignored the fact that human nature is an essential part of all the espionage equations. You've got to read the novel to know the whole thing. And if you are into serious fiction, you must read "The Russia House".
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