Nick Pateras | Our Kind of Traitor
BOOK REVIEW
Our Kind of Traitor – John le Carré
Former secret intelligence agent lends insights in adventurous spy novel
I’d not heard of John le Carré before receiving this book but was informed that he was a former British intelligence officer who’d worked for both MI5 and MI6, exposure which allowed him to so easily translate his experiences into riveting spy novels once he took up penmanship. This is evident throughout the book, as he skillfully leverages motifs relating to the morals of national intelligence agencies as well as foreign corruption.
"It struck him as a bit unfair that, at the age of eight, he should have manifested the same sense of solitude that haunted him at forty-three."
I found the plot to be quite enjoyable overall, although it was certainly not the best writing I’ve ever encountered. I disliked that the ending came so abruptly in just the final few pages, but the storyline throughout was captivating and intriguing, as you would expect from a much-published spy author. After further research, I discovered that most reviewers agreed this was a thrilling le Carré effort, but it didn’t quite match the caliber of two or three of his earlier books, which were globally lauded. It was entertaining enough that I plan to purchase at least one more of le Carré’s works, though he is not near the top of my to-read list - I think this in itself best captures my feelings towards this read.
-NP, Feb. 2014