John Le Carre

Since the heyday of Ian Fleming's fantasy superspy James Bond, the novels of John le Carré have held up to readers across the world a sombre, fascinating picture of decline, deception and ethical ambiguity. In this study, originally published in 1986, the first to include an interpretation of A Perfect Spy, Eric Homberger argues that within the tradition of the spy thriller of John Buchan and 'Sapper' a 'space' was created by Somerset Maugham, Eric Ambler and Graham Greene for serious writing. From The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1963) to The Little Drummer Girl (1983) and A Perfect Spy (1986), le Carré has used that space to make a searching investigation of the nature of post-Imperial Britain. In the process he has become the peer of Conrad and Greene in the recognition that the spy novel is a literary form capable of the highest artistic seriousness.

List of contents

General Editors’ Preface. Acknowledgements. A Note on the Texts. Introduction. 1. Spies and Spy Stories 2. Closed Communities 3. The Reasonable Man at War 4. Families. Bibliography.

About the author

Eric Homberger

Summary

In this study of John le Carré', originally published in 1986, the first to include an interpretation of A Perfect Spy, Eric Homberger argues that within the tradition of the spy thriller of John Buchan and ‘Sapper’ a ‘space’ was created by Somerset Maugham, Eric Ambler and Graham Greene for serious writing.

Product details

• Authors: Eric Homberger, Homberger Eric
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.10.2021
• EAN: 9780367354831
• ISBN: 978-0-367-35483-1
• No. of pages: 114
• Series: Routledge Library Editions: Modern Fiction
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; FICTION / Literary, English, LITERARY CRITICISM / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 20th Century, Literary studies: from c 1900 -, Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers, Literary studies: c 1900 to c 2000