I’ve got the new Le Carre too, having read everything by him. Saving it for the Christmas/NY break but pleased he’s back on form. Despite the slightly grating, polemic tone of his output 20 years or so ago he’s rarely put out a duffer.
I’ve read a few recently.
I actually read, as opposed to listened to, the new Le Carré. I enjoyed it but it didn’t set me on fire. Plot-wise it relied on a few coincidences of almost Dickensian magnitude: the would-be defector just happened to be…; the defector’s girlfriend just happened to be…; but Le Carré handled them well, minimising their impact. To be honest I think he’s writing now mostly because writing is what he does, rather than because he has something particular to say.
By contrast, I listened to A Spy Among Friends by Ben McIntyre. This is the Kim Philby story. It’s been told many times and everyone is familiar with the broad outline, but I think this may be the first full and detailed account I’ve read. The author justifies going over such familiar ground yet again by concentrating on the reasons why it was able to happen. He lays the blame fair and square on the English class system: Philby was recruited originally because, as the son of a moneyed and well-connected family and a product of Eton and Cambridge, he was “one of us” and therefore “sound”, and for the same reasons he was able to avoid suspicion, and then exposure, for far too long. There were people in MI5 who believed he was a traitor for a long time before he was finally exposed; the author explains that 5 was the somewhat lower-class cousin of the aristocratic MI6. It’s a fascinating read.
Finally, Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon, another audiobook. I only read it because I love the movie (Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand and Robert Downey) and I rather feared I might be disappointed. In the end, while I don’t think the book is as good as the film, I did enjoy it. It has its faults, including the classic American faults of verbosity and completely unnecessary embellishment of incidental characters; but it generally gets on with telling the story and making its points. It’s well read, too, by David Colacci.
Is it a book or audio book S10? Sounds pretty good either way.
I’ve just started on the Mick Herron Slough House series and I’m a bit underwhelmed half-way through the first book. Having said that I’ve got four more to get through after this so there’s plenty of room for improvement.
If you mean the Philby one, it’s both. Mrs S10 read the print; I listened to the audio.
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Just finished Peace, the Disher sequel to Bitterwash Road. Absolutely top notch.
Garry Disher, Chris Hammer and Jane Harper are setting the markers for outback noir. Not that Hammer’s second is outback - more regional coast.
Now tossing up between Le Carre’s latest and C J Sansom’s Dominion. I’d read his Winter in Madrid and that encouraged me to try this one - another alternative fiction one where Germany won WW2.
AN10 would you please tell me if you think Disher’s writing has improved/developed since his debut or has he, to your mind, maintained a steady level? I was very much put off by his debut but don’t want to write him off if he’s picked up since.
I didn’t read him early doors, so can’t compare the way you want me to, but he’s been very good for a few years now…
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Not sure about the Wonder Boys to be honest, book was OK but movies just don’t do for me, but “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union” was a cracker.
I feel the need to defend the writer who shops at the same supermarket as me, but which Disher do you mean? The children’s author, the young people’s author, the general fiction author or the crime author? He’s written and won awards in all the previously cited genres. Made a career in a field which is littered with failed attempts.
Personally I thoroughly enjoyed the Wyatt and Challis/Destry novels but it probably helps if you come from down this way and recognise Waterloo is Hastings. He throws in all sorts of local links to tease the locals as well, which us locals lap up.
PS He’s crap at public readings but so is Coetzee, Oz’s only living Nobel winner.
Bitterwash Road and Peace star a new character, Paul Hirschausen, an Adelaide ex-detective who was in a corrupt CID branch and has been sent back to uniform and exiled to the Flinders Ranges. The main two towns are fictional, Redruth and Tiverton, but you can assume he’s up east of Clare and not that far from the Barrier Highway. It’s assumed by his colleagues that he blew the whistle on his CID colleagues and is treated accordingly.
Fits the description of outback (or bush) noir perfectly.
I’ve really only read the Challis and Wyatt books before this.
Edit…on further research, maybe they’re based in Burra, where Disher was born, and Redruth was a historical part of Burra.
I feel like I’ve given Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books a run far longer than he really deserves, but his latest book, Blue Moon, is probably my last go at him.
The recent ones have been far-fetched but in this one, he is summarily executing opponents. A bridge too far for me.
There’s only 3 or 4 Jack Reachet books I haven’t yet read, including the new one. The last one I read was an early-ish one and eas probably the worst of them. Can’t remember the name but it’s set in Colorado.
Reading the third Jane Harper, The Lost Man. Been a slow burn but feel it’s building to something.
Definitely is. I was a little surprised by the denouement.
24 Jack Reacher books; I have read 23 and will download the next one when it is available which is soon.
I read them in order of publishing and they do run consecutively; and all have the same basic storyline.
Jack Reacher discover a problem and fixs it
He beats the krap out of every bad guy, and kills as he pleases mostly with his bare hands.
He always get the girls and screws them in nirvana in every book.
But I keep reading looking for a new plot.
Hard to explain how Tom Cruise at 170 cm and 68 kg, can play a guy who is 198 cm and 130 kg; that’s Hollywood !!
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I read Killing Floor in 2012, it’s the only one I’ve read and I have to confess I felt compelled to finish it despite the fact it was appallingly cliched and badly written. Still not sure why I persisted but I felt dirty and used after the finale. Absolutely flabbergasted that it gets 4 out of 5 stars on Good Reads BUT I repeat, I did finish it. Child must have access to the literary equivalent of MSG. One thing’s for sure, it was my first and last. I still feel dirty about it.
Garry Disher was interviewed by David Astle on 3LO tonight. I’m sure it’s possible to pick up the interview.
Is it bad form to recommend my own children’s book?
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After many years of hard work, balancing a growing family, teaching and procrastinating on Bomberblitz I have finally published my debut novel.
“My Favourite Comedian” is a book for 10-14 year-olds. It is a comedy that touches on issues such as divorce, body image and self-esteem.
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Really enjoyed the bush noir Scrublands by Chris Hammer and have Silver lined up to go. But I was in a book shop and found a large pile of old Westerns. Curiosity got the better of me and I’m now reading Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey. Written in 1912 it’s aged pretty well and I’m thoroughly enjoying this heretofore unexplored genre!
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