The Johnlecarre Website
In the johnlecarre website, John Le Carre is describes as one of the most accomplished spy novelist of our times. The website also goes ahead to describe him as one of the most successful writers in history based on a wide variety of books he has penned over time. One of his most successful novels was ‘The spy who came in from the cold’ and for quite a while, the best seller has become one of his most celebrated works.
In this text, I concern myself with books by John Le Carre including; The little drummer girl, Russia house as well as the spy who came in from the cold. I also explore how the lovers in the books were separate by death betrayal as well as taking different paths in life.
The little drummer girl
A look at this book in the background of the other books shows a significant deviation from the espionage basis of the other books by John Le Carre. Hence in that regard, one could say that this b
ook is inclined more towards terrorism which just like espionage is a relatively arcane area. Two of the main characters in this book include Khalil who is a terrorist with activities in Europe and Karl who is an intelligence official from Israel. Khalil is of the view that Israeli and Jew are all the same and in that regard, no distinction should be made when executing attacks against the interests held by either.
This view is largely based on the premise that Zionists which has strong power links with Jews are hell bent on elimination Palestinians ad in that regard; they shall do anything in their power to ensure that this takes place. This is essentially what Khalil and his ilk are using to justify their aggression towards Jews as well as organizations linked in one way or the other to Jews.As the book opens, John Le Carre presents a graphic explanation of the bombing of a house belonging to an Israeli diplomat. Though the bomb does not kill the diplomat, his son is caught up in the melee where he meets his death.
Kurtz is of the opinion that Khalil should be disposed off by he employment of tactics other than a large-scale retaliatory attack executed for any act o terrorism. This is indeed one of the main areas in which Khalil and his superiors differ. While his superiors are of the opinion that the use of deadly force should be applied against any instance terrorist attack by targeting Palestinians in Lebanon, Kurtz is of the opinion that the penetration of the whole terrorism mechanism of Khalil is the only sure way to take the man down.
In his plan, Kurtz brings in Charlie, a very impressive but radical actress from Britain. Charlie is recruited as an agent by Kurtz through another Israeli agent by the name Joseph and it is after some maneuvers which are seen as largely intricate that Charlie infiltrates the organization controlled by Khalil. She soon moves to Beirut where she mandated to fight for the cause of Palestine. At first instance, it is difficult to unravel the motivation behind Charlie’s willingness to cooperate with the Israelis. This is because she is indeed presented in more than one instance as largely anti-Zionist.
However, it is apparent that her love for Joseph is one of the main motivators for her willingness to join the Israeli cause. Meanwhile, we have Salim eliminated by Kurtz’s forces and it is the Salim’s impersonation by Joseph that convinces Khalil that indeed, Salim and Charlie are in love. The plan in this case is that Khalil will try to contact Charlie once he is made aware of the affair and this is what according to the plan would expose him to the Israeli.Charlie attends training for guerilla warfare after witnessing the living conditions of Palestinians and soon, she goes ahead to show her true allegiance to the Palestinian cause by planting a bomb in the briefcase of a decorated Israeli humanist.
This is one of the instances in the book that can be describes as a climax of sorts. This is what informs khalil’s death and the mission of Charlie comes to a halt. Soon, the magnitude of her mission as well as the stress that informed it as well as the various contradictions that had been eating her up take a toll on her and she suffers mental breakdown.It is important to note that the reading of this book by John Le Carre can be done on a number of levels. There is the professional level and then there is the largely entertaining level.
When t comes to the purely entertainment level, the book contains a plot that is relatively well written and follows a logical sequence. On the professional front, there are a wide range of activities in the secret world including but not in any way limited to the recruiting of agents, forged documentation, cutouts as well as vivid explanations of operations revolving around surveillance. A particular vignette that more specifically can be taken to be effective is the description of the agreement (procedural) between a high ranking intelligence officer from Britain and Kurtz.
In this regard, ‘The Little Drummer Girl’ follows in the footsteps of other established thrillers including but not limited to the German thrillers written by amongst others, Eric Ambler and Graham Greene.When it comes to resentment and hate, it is important to note that John Le Carre’s book has a number of highly relevant political undertones. We have Charlie becoming brainwashed in two instances, that is, when she is fist recurred to work for Kurtz and secondly, in the Lebanese Palestinian camps where she succumbs to Captain Tayeh’s worldview. It can hence be said that the author of this fascinating text captures the determination of Zionists as well as the resentment held by Palestinians in a setting that seems to postulate that the conflict between the two cannot fizzle out that easily.
The Russia house
According to Cobbs (1998), the name given to this all time classic by John Le Carre is synonymous to the name that was adopted by the British Secret intelligence Service and whose major tasks includes spying on Russia. It is important o note that the book has over time also motivated a movie. As the book opens, we have the chief executive of a family business involved in publishing discussing a number of political fundamentals he holds close to his heart. Barley, an individual who has a particular liking for the bottle is soon discussing on the implications of such political changes as adopting a new world order as well as extinguishing the tensions that were created by the cold war.
In this discussion group, there is one particularly ardent listener who goes by the name Goethe who soon asks Barley whether he is certain of the things he is talking about. Barley answers in the affirmative. Several months after this discussion, we have a woman called Katya seeking out Barley where she wants his help in publishing a book which is some kind of an expose from her friend. The book indeed contains some very sensitive information in regard to the atomic secrets as well as the nuclear capabilities of the soviet.
He compiler of the book ion this case i.e. Katya’s friend goes by the name Yakov and he sees the writing of the book as a way of giving service to his beloved country by way of facilitating democracy. Though Barley is not at the book sales fair, Katya gives the book to one to the sales agents who promises to deliver it to Barley. However, curiosity gets better of the sales agent and once he reads the manuscript, he is instantly aware of the relevance of the book. He too is unable to race Barley and he ends up submitting the package to British authorities who see the relevance as well as significance of the text.
They however recognize that though the book could be in one way or the other authentic, there are also chances that it could be a way of Russia ferreting out the various weaknesses of the concerns of the West. The ‘Russia house’ which as it has been noted earlier to represent The British Secret Intelligence Service is particularly interested in finding out the authenticity of the package. In their estimation, one of the ways of authenticating the same would be through contacting Yakov and who is in better place to do that except Barley?Though Barley is not interested in the whole issue as such, he is eventually prevailed upon to undertake the mission and it is here that he becomes attracted to Katya and starts planning on how he can fish her from the Soviet Union.
Barley and Yakov get to meet on facilitation of Katya and it is after a while that Barley comes to the conclusion that Yakov is probably under the scrutiny of the KGB. On the other hand, Yakov is increasingly becoming nervous and the hand ok KGB is seen when he is suddenly hospitalized under the auspices that he is suffering exhaustion informed by his consistent hard work. Soon, more beans are spilled when it becomes apparent that Yakov is indeed not hospitalized but probably taken by the KGB. It is after these new developments that Barley and Katya agree that any further effort to meet and Katya agree that any further effort to meet Yakov would be orchestrated by the KGB.
It is after Barley receives a message from Yakov asking for a final and conclusive list of questions that Barley utilize his connections to organize a meeting with Yakov’s handlers. The meeting venue is scanned for any instance of foul play but Barley vanishes into thin air and cannot be traced. With him are the exhaustive questions. He however resurfaces one year later and the CIA feel they should not subject him to any form of interrogation as he is most likely under the spell of the KGB.
However, later we come to he realization that the questions Barley disappeared with were actually items to act as a trade off so as to secure freedom for not only Katya but her family as well. It is important to note that the reasoning Barley postulates, though rather philosophical, is of the opinion that betrayal as well as manipulation are not a preserve of the government only. In that regard, the games spies engage in at the expense of other people’s lives are demonized in this book by the insistence that other things are more vital.
The spy who came in from the cold
Another of John Le Carre’s greatest pieces is “The spy who came in from the cold.’ This masterpiece came to be acclaimed as one of the greatest spy novels of all time and this was largely for its expose on the methods of espionage that were being employed by the west and which at a deeper look were largely inconsistent with the values as well as democracy proclaimed by the west. As a glimpse of its success, the novel was selected by the time magazine in its ‘All-Time 100 Novels.’ The beginning of he novel is set in east Germany and so is its conclusion.
When the novel begins, John Le Carre talks of the poor performance of what he regards as the circus. The circus in this case stands for or represents the British secret Service Intelligence Services West Berlin Office. The start of the novel is also set at the time of the death of Riemeck who is a senior political officer in Germany. It is important to note that at the time, Alec Leamas is the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service in West Berlin. With Riemeck dead, Leamas is significantly disgraced and it is around this time that he is summoned by the Circus’ chief who is herein referred to as Control.
It is agreed that Leamas has one more assignment to accomplish which essentially is to defect and avail information that is largely untrue to the Communists from the East German. The plan is simple, or so it seems. What is being sought at the time is the presentation Mundt as an individual who is purporting to spy for them whilst he is under the payroll of those being spied upon. This is what is referred to as a double agent. It is important to note that all the while, Fielder, who is second in command has been suspecting hat Mundt is indeed a double agent. It is hoped that by the successful execution of the plan, Mundt shall be tried in his homeland for being a traitor.
According to Control, he best person to get rid of Mundt would be Fielder as he already has some paranoia about the former. This is a crucial mission and Leamas is further briefed on the same by Guillam as well as Smiley. However, Leamas is made aware that the main reason why Smile has not shown up for the Circus in recent times is as a result of questions that were raised in regard to the operations of the circus and their moral standing especially after the happenings after Call of the Dead.The real game starts when Leamas is being readied for the big assignment. There are a number of events that follow including but not limited to his sacking by the Circus on allegations of theft.
He makes of with a measly pension and soon enough, he gets a lowly job at a local library. He however gets sacked soon enough on allegations of performing his duties while under the influence of alcohol. However, it is at the library that Leamas meets a young beautiful lady by the name Liz. Hough they do not touch base on a number of issues involving politics, they soon fall in love and soon enough, their relationship turns intimate. It is just before Leamas starts off on his mission that he instructs Liz not to ever look for him. This he makes her promise. He also asks Control not to interfere with Liz and Control has no qualms about that.
It is after he assaults a local Grocer that Leamas is cared away to jail, just as it is in the plan.After Leamas is released from jail, he is approached by a recruiter from East Germany and soon, Leamas is on board to an encounter with Abteilung authorities. It is at the time of his debriefing that Leamas gives clues concerning an Abteilung double agent who has been receiving payments from the British. However, even as gives these clues, Leamas pretends he does not understand what it means for the whole system. At around this time, we have Guillam and Smiley approach Liz where they wax lyrical about their friendship with Alec.
They query her on his whereabouts and advance to her some monetary help.While still in East Germany, Fielder and Leamas meet and in the course of their conversations, Fielder is brought out as an intelligent young man as well as an individual who has no qualms living in the shadow of Mundt. Fielder is also relatively keen on getting exhaustive evidence about Mundt and with time, Leamas starts to experience a burning urge to help Fielder get rid of Mundt. This is essentially because with the passage of time, Leamas comes to believe that Mundt is a heartless and merciless opportunist whose links with the communists existed by virtue of their being in power.
It is at around is time that the communist party information exchange invitation is advanced to Liz.What soon lets the cat out of the bag is the arrest and release of Leamas and Fielder apparently on orders from Mundt. On release, both Fielder and Mundt are asked to appear before a special tribunal where they are to present their cases. As the hearing continues, Fielder presents to the tribunal a mountain of evidence demonstrating that indeed, Mundt is a double agent. Part of the evidence presented includes some alleged secret bank payments that were made in favor of Mundt.
There is also evidence that Mundt agreed to work as a British double agent in exchange or freedom after he was captured in England.Soon, things take a very strange turn when Liz is presented as the defense’s witness and she ends up accepting that Smiley had paid her rental lease. Things continue to take strange turns when it comes to be known that indeed, Leamas had bid Liz goodbye a night before the incident at the grocer. It also becomes apparent that Leamas had asked Liz never to look for him once he disappeared. In the light of these events, the cover is effectively blown.
It is at this time that to secure Liz’s freedom and ensure that Fielder is not implicated, Leamas offers to spill all the beans on the nature of the operation as well as his dealings with Control. Fielder is soon arrested and it is then that Leamas starts to realize the real operation orchestrated by both Smiley and control.Soon, Liz is sent to a cell but this is wavered through Mundt’s facilitation who ensures that Liz and Leamas accompany him to Berlin. It is during this journey that all the intricate details about the whole operation are revealed.
This includes but is not limited to some parts which the two were not aware of till the trial’s end. Apparently, the false bank accounts are indeed real and so are the transactions that take place in hose accounts. Things get a little bit confusing when it is revealed that indeed Mundt is a double agent and the whole operation mooted by Smiley and Control is not against Mundt but against Fielder. We are made aware that the whole plan was put underway because it was become apparent that Fielder, a young and intelligent man was closing in on Mundt and it was impossible for Mundt to do away with fielder because he was apparently way too powerful.
Thus the only way it seems is to let the authorities do the dirty job. It appeared that Control and smiley put Leamas and Liz as co workers so that eventually, it would be easier to discredit Leamas before the tribunal and hence by Leamas falling in love with Liz, he was essentially just oiling the plan.What horrifies Liz however is the extent o which British intelligence went to dispose off fielder who in her own opinion is a brilliant young man. Indeed, what baffles her most is why Mundt who appears the bad guy in this case has to be protected.
She even goes ahead to inquire from Leamas what would most likely happen to Fielder and though we are not told in the novel, Leamas is of the opinion that he shall eventually be shot.The novel however ends in a sad note. Liz is morally disgusted at the extent of deception at play in the whole scenario though she still agrees to accompany Leamas towards Benin wall so that they can make their way towards West Berlin. However on a very sad note, they do not make it. Liz is shot as Leamas helps her climb the wall and it is on seeing her die that Leamas also exposes himself to fire from East German guards.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to note that the novels analyzed here are not the only texts completed by John Le Carre. Other classic works by this great espionage novelist of times include but are not limited to; The constant gardener, The tailor of panama as well as the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
References
Cobbs, J.L. (1998). Understanding John Le Carré. Univ of South Carolina Press, 1998
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