I just now found out that one of my favorite writers of all time has passed away: John le Carre, the famous spy novelist of the Cold War. His characters were rooted in realism, not like Ian Fleming’s flashy superspy James Bond. I will always remember le Carre’s protagonist Smiley as a down-to-earth working man, surviving the mundane English bureaucracy to solve the task at hand, while exhibiting the weaknesses of the average Joe.
Admittedly, I have not read one of his novels in years. For this, I feel ashamed. His works over the last several years I kept intending to read, but life and my exploration of other literary genres always postponed my catching up on his works. I shall definitely have to set aside time for that now. I shall always remember fondly The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy as two of the first books to spur my interest in serious literature when I was in my early teens.
Rest in peace, John le Carre.
Follow this link to the CNN article on his passing.
Phil Slattery, Writer, Publisher 