Spy Novels

[Kurben]

I have been reading my share of spy stories through the years and i think (dont know if this is like sayings bad words in church or not) but i think John Le Carre is horribly overrated. A lot of his books i have found to be longish and boring. Some exceptions from that rule that really are good but mostly.... no good! The best spy novels i have read are written by Anthony Price. Never became as famous as Carre which is terribly unfair. Our Man in Camelot, The Labyrinth Makers, Other Paths to Glory are just a few good ones.

But thats my opinion.what are yours, if you have any on the subject?

But i expect somehow you will managed to digress this thread to bacon too.......

 

[doowopgirl]

Not really into spy novels. One of the very few genres I could never get into. I find them so complicated I end up going back and saying ?? a lot.

 

[prufrock21]

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is one of my favorites. Otherwise, I'm an Ian Fleming fan.

 

[skimom2]

I really liked Follett's Eye of the Needle and some of Frederick Forsyth's (particularly The Day of the Jackyl and The Fourth Protocol) books. I'm not a huge mystery/spy reader, so the stories have to have good characters and not be too convoluted, or I lose interest. I like some Tom Clancy, too.

 

[Jules3155]

I have been reading my share of spy stories through the years and i think (dont know if this is like sayings bad words in church or not) but i think John Le Carre is horribly overrated. A lot of his books i have found to be longish and boring. Some exceptions from that rule that really are good but mostly.... no good! The best spy novels i have read are written by Anthony Price. Never became as famous as Carre which is terribly unfair. Our Man in Camelot, The Labyrinth Makers, Other Paths to Glory are just a few good ones.

But thats my opinion.what are yours, if you have any on the subject?

But i expect somehow you will managed to digress this thread to bacon too.......

I recently read a John Le Carre book. I was so impressed with it that I can't even remember the title... I agree with you wholeheartedly.

 

[Kurben]

I really liked Follett's Eye of the Needle and some of Frederick Forsyth's (particularly The Day of the Jackyl and The Fourth Protocol) books. I'm not a huge mystery/spy reader, so the stories have to have good characters and not be too convoluted, or I lose interest. I like some Tom Clancy, too.

I can agree on Follett and Forsyth and the titles you named but they are, to me, exceptions. Just like le Carre. Follett never reached the heights of the Needle again and i only started to read him again because his switch to historical fiction which i approve of. Forsyth jackal was good and then a couple of ok and then he had run dry. Clancy i actually liked some of the first Jack Ryan books But they, to me, are more of action books than spy novels. The spy thing is more of an excuse for action than anything else. I never considered them as Spy novels. The thing you must say in carres favour was that he took spies seriously. I dont think Clancy does

 

[muskrat]

Basically Mike Hammer with a passport.

 

[blunthead]

Bacon.