Book Review – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – John le Carre

Book Review – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – John le Carre

Facts:

Book: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Author: John le Carre
Genre: Mystery / Crime
Year of Release: 1963
Read 219-page paperback edition in January 2019

Book Description:

Considered one of the first modern spy novels, this fast-moving story takes us in front and behind enemy lines, following the former British spy Alec Leamas, who has decided to defect to the Germans/Russians during the Cold War. Or so he wants them to think. In reality, he is on his last mission, before he can finally “come in” and retire for good.

But this is a complex and multi-dimensional mission, that is going to be extremely dangerous for him to get out of.

Book Review:

This was an intense crime novel that truly did change the way people thought about spies and espionage. John le Carre has done a great job writing a novel about two morally ambiguous spy agencies. There is not necessarily a “good” and a “bad” side. There are good and bad people on both sides, and in both agencies. And both sides engage in questionable behaviour and even questionable ethics to try and achieve their ends. The success of this novel was in bringing some of these themes to light in a thought-provoking way

The author did a nice job bringing to life several main characters who had various unique and interesting traits, positive and negative. Although at times the book did feel a little bit sluggish, and it did feel we didn’t learn quite enough about some of them, there was big payoff at the end when we learned a lot about a few of them, and when we saw the plot unfold completely.

Similarly, although at times the reader may have been a bit confused about the plot and some of the finer details being discussed; and although at times some of the characters were doing a lot of speeches and talking and there was less in the way of action; overall the ending chapters were a great pay off to explain what was going on and provide some key action and excitement for the readers. It also helped clear up any confusion that may have been present

One point to keep in mind, and this was a product of the time the book was written in, was that the cast was mainly white males (likely straight), and the couple of females in the book were not necessarily strong characters. This lack of diversity was annoying, but again may have been a sign of the times when this book was written

Overall, this was an enjoyable and historically important book in the development of today’s spy novel.

Overall: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Book Review – The Girl in the Spider’s Web – David Lagercrantz

Book Review – The Girl in the Spider’s Web – David Lagercrantz

Facts:

Book: The Girl in the Spider’s Web
Author: David Lagercrantz
Genre: Thriller
Year of Release: 2015
Read 531-page paperback edition in January 2019

Book Description:

It has been some time since journalist Mikael Blomkvist has seen young hacker Lisbeth Salander. He has to admit that at the same time as missing her, he is also seeing frustrating changes in his magazine, with a larger media company buying a significant group of shares, allowing them some say in the decisions

But when word comes out that a strong female hacker broke into the USA government , Blomkvist knows that something is going on. And then, Blomkvist gets a call from a top computer programmer / designer, who recently quit from the private sector, and who is feeling threatened with death from an unknown gang.

It looks like Blomkvist and Salander’s paths are due to cross again, as they both encounter a dangerous mix of criminals, shady companies, and corrupt government officials and police.

Book Review:

Author Lagercrantz has taken on the role of writing in the exciting, nail-biting Lisbeth Salander series, after the unfortunate passing of Stieg Larsson, the writer of the first three novels. Although it’s hard to follow the pace set by Larsson, and impossible to copy his style, Lagercrantz does a good job of developing a fast moving plot and narrative. Although it is a slow in a couple parts early on, the storyline eventually gets moving quickly and there are a few twists and turns along the way.

On the plus side, Lagercrantz does a good job building on the stories of the characters we have grown to love and enjoy. We learn new things about main and secondary characters, although some of the critical characters from the past are quite absent from this outing, such as Ms. Berger. That being said, other secondary characters like Inspector Bublanski do get some nice development which was enjoyable to read about

Lagercrantz does a good job when focusing in on the actions of the two main characters. They have settled into a calm relationship in this novel, where they don’t talk much, and when they do connect, it’s usually serious. We understand that seems to be harder on Blomkvist than Salander, and the author does a nice job of showing this.

On the negative side, in addition to being slow in places, at times the novel feels like it loses momentum and forgets to cover the basics. Sometimes it is even the simplest things that are missed, making you wonder if the author and editor just didn’t care about the details, preferring to just look at the big picture story?

For example, on page 235-236, there is a short scene where two characters meet for a meal. They sit down, they talk, and they proceed to have their quick meeting, without ordering anything and without eating. The character who arrives first has wine, but the second character has nothing. And the waiter never seems to show up to take an order or find out what the second character even wants to drink. This is a very illogical scene, and brought me right out of the dialogue between the two characters, because it just didn’t make sense. Although the food and drink is secondary t the dialogue of the plot, it still needs to be there for the scene to work! These kinds of illogical instances occurred more than once, and they were frustrating

That being said, this thriller was an enjoyable book, and a nice sequel to Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy

Overall: 3 stars out of 5 stars

Book Review – Leonardo da Vinci – Walter Isaacson

Book Review – Leonardo da Vinci – Walter Isaacson

Facts:

Book: Leonardo da Vinci
Author: Walter Isaacson
Genre: Biography
Year of Release: 2017
Read 531-page paperback edition in December 2018

Book Description:

Following up on other biographies of great geniuses, such as Steve Jobs and Einstein, Isaacson has written his latest detailed biography on the great Leonardo da Vinci. Isaacson makes the case that Leonardo is truly one of the greatest minds of all time.

Certainly not infallible, as Isaacson is quick to point out, Leonardo nonetheless was centuries ahead of his time, in a vast array of art and science disciplines. From painting, design, and architecture, to hydrology and anatomy, Leonardo became an expert in numerous fields, simply by always remaining curious and always learning.

The biography includes thoughtful text and beautiful sketches, maps, and art. Looking at both his accomplishments and life lessons, to the social and cultural realities of his time, with some inclusion of Leonardo’s personal story, this is a detailed account of the life of a legend.

Book Review:

Biographer Walter Isaacson has done an incredible job researching, exploring, and expanding on the life of Leonardo. This is someone who most people know a little about at minimum, and yet this biography is a way to learn so much more about Leonardo, but also what he can teach us in the 21st century.

Isaacson does a nice job at finding a way to bring a lot of material (Leonardo left huge volumes of journals still surviving to today) to a manageable sized biography that is acceptable to a wide readership. Although it would have been nice to learn a little bit more about certain aspects of Leonardo (example: I was curious to learn a little bit more detail into his personal life), Isaacson does a great balancing job overall.

This biography is fascinating, with great information that showcases the talent of Leonardo based on his sheer variety of subjects. The biography gives the reader an opportunity to learn about better known aspects of Leonardo, like the Mona Lisa and his flying studies, but also lesser known aspects of his work, like other paintings and art he engaged in, and the conflict between his belief in peace (even being a vegetarian on moral grounds) versus his willingness to engage in war studies for one of his patrons.

Isaacson does a nice job devoting chapters to various time periods throughout Leonardo’s life, including some limited time looking at Leonardo’s upbringing, and the fact he had limited formal education. It serves to show us how incredible Leonardo was, and looking at his overall achievements, how ahead of his time he was. One of many examples was Leonardo essentially understanding and pointing out Newton’s first law, which would not be discovered until much later.

Isaacson points out that one of Leonardo’s issues was that he tended not to follow through and finish items, and that he didn’t publish any of his works, despite keeping detailed, meticulous journals. This often meant others had to “rediscover” things centuries later that Leonardo had already come across in his own studies. Isaacson also points out, however, that perhaps this decision to be flexible and not focus on publishing findings and specializing in one area allowed Leonardo’s mind to more freely wander and discover, allowing his imagination, creativity, and genius to flourish.

Isaacson does a great job of providing a case for Leonardo’s genius, and his humanity. The final section providing life lessons from Leonardo that we can consider for ourselves in the 21st century is a great conclusion. This is an absorbing biography of a fascinating individual

Well done!

Overall: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Book Review – Exit West – Mohsin Hamid

Book Review – Exit West – Mohsin Hamid

Facts:

Book: Exit West
Author: Mohsin Hamid
Genre: Fiction
Year of Release: 2017
Read 231-page paperback edition in December 2018.

Book Description:

In this timely novel, magical realism and fantasy seamlessly crosses reality for people fleeing the war and violence of their homelands. Our two principle characters, Saeed and Nadia, are in a troubled, unnamed country, but have begun a tentative series of dates, getting to know each other. Life and work goes on in this place, despite the violence and fighting.

One day, terror breaks out, and they are forced to scrape by and survive. Eventually, they begin to hear about people escaping for other, safer places to live. Some by regular means of transportation, on foot or by boat. But in other cases through magical doors that take people far away.

So begins their journey as they try and make an escape for a safer place to live. The adventure, both during and after, will be sure to change them.

Book Review:

This is Hamid’s fourth novel, and he has returned with strength and imagination in this enjoyable and incredible book.

Exploring such critical and timely themes as immigration, refugees, and how we treat people different from ourselves, Hamid has done an exceptional job weaving these concepts into a readable narative of two people that we care about.

Hamid has a very sparing style, not wasting a lot of verbage. This is again a short novel, similar to other books he has written, and yet it packs a punch. It almost leaves us wanting, curious of details left out, and as the reader we are able to then perhaps imagine some of those ourselves. The fact that the reader wants to do this is a sign of success in the novel.

The two main characters are complicated and interesting. The differences between Saeed and Nadia are fascinating to read and think about, yet what draws them together is also something to dwell on.

The plot is fast-paced and vibrant, with well-described settings throughout and a great balance of practical 21st-century fiction with a touch of fantasy and magical realism thrown in to add overall mystery. It creates a unique novel, but the issues and characters are real.

Overall, this is a great novel and one worth reading. It forces the reader to learn, and more importantly, to think about the importance of acceptance and diversity, which are so critical in these days we live in.

Well done!

Overall: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Book Review – The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016 – Edited by Karen Joy Fowler and John Joseph Adams

Book Review – The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016 – Edited by Karen Joy Fowler and John Joseph Adams

Facts:

Book: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016
Author: Edited by Karen Joy Fowler and John Joseph Adams
Genre: Short Stories – Science Fiction and Fantasy
Year of Release: 2016
Read 293-page paperback edition in December 2018.

Book Description:

This collection of short stories from a variety of North American authors is a sampling of the finest in science fiction and fantasy creativity for 2016. From dystopian to utopian, from bleek to pleasant, from science fiction to fantasy, this is an inspiring and thought-provoking collection from a diverse array of authors.

Book Review:

This collection of science fiction and fantasy stories has something for everyone. Although there is great diversity in terms of author and in terms of themes and plots, there is also some smart consistency that editors Fowler and Adams have developed. The majority of the stories feel very relevant in the 2016 time-era, which feels very politically unstable and with a general lack of comfort and security with where the human species is going these days. Fowler and Adams have done a nice job selecting stories that, while diverse, often play on these themes and make us think.

Every reader is different, and there are bound to be a few stories in each collection that do not speak strongly to you. There was no exception here, with a few stories not particularly enjoying or interesting

That being said, there are several stories that deserve a shout-out in this review:

• Interesting Facts (science fiction, by Adam Johnson) had a great reflection on the realities of cancer in the 21st century.
• The Mushroom Queen (fantasy, by Liz Ziemska) was extremely creative and both fascinating and frightening in an odd way.
• The Duniazat Jinni (fantasy, by Salman Rushdie) involved a fun exploration of a jinni dating.
• Things you can Buy for a Penny (fantasy, by Will Kaufman) about a frightening, magical man at the bottom of a well.
• Rat Catchers Yellow (science fiction, by Charlie Jane Anders) about cats, futuristic gaming, and managing dementia, another modern theme in our ever-aging population.
• The Heat of Us (fantasy, by Sam J. Miller) exploring LGBT* themes.
• And finally, The Great Silence (fantasy, by Ted Chiang) that was stylistically different and fun

As seen above, there is a nice array of science fiction and fanatsy short stories that could be called “stand outs” and that explore relevant, modern, thoughtful themes through the themes of these genres

Whether new to these genres, or someone who already enjoys them, this is a great collection of short stories to be enjoyed and think about.

Overall: 4 stars out of 5 stars