2018 50 Book Challenge

[dwyhajlo]



9. The Spy Who Came In From the Cold 1963 John le Carre
I haven't read many spy books, but I sure enjoyed this one. Lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending. I am now entering my mystery phase with a couple of interesting other books sandwiched between.

This is probably one of the best spy books ever, and it's definitely a good place to start.

If you're into mysteries, and looking for something new, you might want to check out Melville House's international crime series. They've done a bunch of nice editions of Spanish, Russian, etc. detective/mystery stuff. They look really nice all lined up on the bookshelf too.

 

[clockwise]



This is probably one of the best spy books ever, and it's definitely a good place to start.

100 % correct. You may want to consider Tinker Tailor, Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People now. The Smiley trilogy is Le Carre at his best.

 

[clockwise]



If you're into mysteries, and looking for something new, you might want to check out Melville House's international crime series.

Hmm, I like it. Any particular author / novel I should try first??

 

[dwyhajlo]



Hmm, I like it. Any particular author / novel I should try first??

Joshua Sobal's Cut Throat Dog or Manuel Vázquez Montalbán's Southern Seas are good places to start.

 

[TheDelta]

Rereading alot of the Ender's game series (15 year old cousin is reading them and wants to discuss so i have to remember)

However I did just order The Spy Who Came in from the Cold on Amazon based on this thread. Pretty excited as the only spy books ive read were the bourne novels.

Also just picked up Decision Points for a little Republican fanfare reading.

Oh, and after watching the new Sherlock Holmes I'd like to read some of the actual novels, Anyone have a good suggestion on where to start?

 

[Steve B.]



100 % correct. You may want to consider Tinker Tailor, Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People now. The Smiley trilogy is Le Carre at his best.

Which is the first one? I think I read the second. I hate that.

 

[dwyhajlo]



Oh, and after watching the new Sherlock Holmes I'd like to read some of the actual novels, Anyone have a good suggestion on where to start?

Well, there are only four actual novels. The best of them are The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of the Four.

 

[clockwise]

A Study in Scarlet is the first novel but weaker than the other three. My personal favorite is probably The Sign of Four but I also love the less famous and final novel The Valley of Fear. All Sherlock Holmes novels (and a big dose of the short stories) are mandatory reading. If it was me, I would take them in chronological order.

 

[clockwise]



Which is the first one? I think I read the second. I hate that.

What is sometimes called the Karla trilogy starts with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, continues with The Honourable Schoolboy and ends with Smiley's People. George Smiley and Le Carre's special world of English espionage already appears in earlier novels such as Call for the Dead and A Murder of Quality. They are all very good but especially brilliant, in my view, are the first two of the Karla trilogy.

 

[Steve B.]



What is sometimes called the Karla trilogy starts with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, continues with The Honourable Schoolboy and ends with Smiley's People. George Smiley and Le Carre's special world of English espionage already appears in earlier novels such as Call for the Dead and A Murder of Quality. They are all very good but especially brilliant, in my view, are the first two of the Karla trilogy.

I have TTSS on way from Amazon. The other 2 aren't on THE LIST so I shan't read them.

Time's a wastin'. My girls have told me they will not read them to me in the nursing home.

 

[clockwise]

Well, I guess you can start with TTSS and then see if there may be reason to pick a couple from outside THE LIST.
1001 / 50 is only around 20 years. Unless you are approaching 70 you should still have time.

 

[Steve B.]



Well, I guess you can start with TTSS and then see if there may be reason to pick a couple from outside THE LIST.
1001 / 50 is only around 20 years. Unless you are approaching 70 you should still have time.

One would think I had time..But then there are all those brain cells I burnt.

 

[dfagdfsh]

Can I count books I have to read for class?

If I can't..

Still working on (my hard book):

Just Finished

The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

 

[Steve B.]



Can I count books I have to read for class?
If I can't..
Still working on (my hard book):

Just Finished
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

I'm OK with it. FWIW the protagonist in White Noise headed an entire dept about Hitler.

 

[clockwise]

Books read for class or "pleasure" doesn't matter, it is still damn hard work. To count towards this challenge, a short review should be posted for each book, that's all.