In this episode we look at A Small Town in Germany, the novel that comes midway between John le Carré’s breakout success – The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – and the novel that solidified his place as one of the world’s best spy novelists – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

I’m joined to discuss the novel by espionage author James Wolff.

We discuss how this novel is much darker than other le Carré work, whether le Carré hates all the characters he’s writing about and just how many interrogations can you squeeze into one novel? Plus, is Alan Turner really a spy?

All that and much more in this episode.

Read James’ writing for the website Crime Reads here. Included is his article “Can contemporary spy novels ever live up to the Cold War classics?”

John le Carré speaks with Martin Muggeridge for Intimations program in 1966.

James Wolff’s website – https://jameswolffauthor.com/

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

Essay Music by Dream-Protocol from Pixabay

We talk with one of the foremost collectors of John le Carré novels, Steven Ritterman, whose collection of pristine le Carré editions numbers over 300 items. We learn about the Haycroft-Queen list, rare signed editions, and Steve’s undercover mission to meet le Carré himself. 

All that plus talk on champagne toasts with Otto Penzler, meeting Eric Ambler, literal juggling balls, and a little Silverview talk from a couple of le Carré collectors.

Show Notes:

The Mysterious Bookshop – https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/ 

Profile of Otto Penzler – https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/otto-penzler-mystery-bookstore 

The Otto Penzler Espionage Auction – https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/auction-catalogs/THE-PENZLER-COLLECTION-OF-ESPIONAGE?saleno=2209&viewby=Lot_asc 

How to spot a true US first of The Spy Who – https://spywrite.com/2015/12/22/collecting-the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold-by-john-le-carre/ 

In episode 14 of Spybrary Jeff talked with Shane about book collecting tips – https://spybrary.com/collecting-spy-books/ 

Spy Write Book Collecting tips – 

Part One – https://spywrite.com/2017/08/16/on-book-collecting-part-one/

Part Two – https://spywrite.com/2017/09/29/on-book-collecting-part-two/ 

Interact with Steven and other spy fans on the Spybrary Facebook discussion group – https://www.spybrary.com/facebook 

Jeff Quest – Spy Write – https://spywrite.com/ 

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Spywrite 

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

Find Part One Here.

In this episode we continue to take a deep dive into the intricacies of one of John le Carré’s most unjustly overlooked novels – The Looking-Glass War.

I’m again joined by critic and author Jeremy Duns. We talk class and Britain’s role in the world, how the book could be adapted for television, and Jeff’s tin hatted theory connecting this novel to The Night Manager1?!

All that and much more in this episode.

Read Jeremy’s Times article for free here.

John le Carré speaks with Martin Muggeridge for Intimations program in 1966.

Le Carré’s Landscape by Tod Hoffman

More on Mick Herron’s Slow Horses books here.

Jeremy’s twitter – @JeremyDuns

Jeremy’s Website – Jeremy-Duns.com

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

In this episode we take a deep dive into the intricacies of one of John le Carré’s most unjustly overlooked novels – The Looking-Glass War.

I’m joined by critic and author Jeremy Duns. We talk about weird relationships, how the book is a proto-Slow Horses, and get the first ever comparison of le Carré and the band Nirvana?!?

All that and much more in this episode.

Read Jeremy’s Times article for free here.

John le Carré speaks with Martin Muggeridge for Intimations program in 1966.

Le Carré’s Landscape by Tod Hoffman

More on Mick Herron’s Slow Horses books here.

Jeremy’s twitter – @JeremyDuns

Jeremy’s Website – Jeremy-Duns.com

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

In this episode I speak to Laura Marsh about her essay on le Carré and Silverview in the February 10th edition of The New York Review of Books.

Laura is currently the literary editor at the The New Republic and previously wrote for and was an editor at The New York Review of Books. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Dissent, Bookforum, The Times Literary Supplement and Literary Review.

We talk Chunk Smith, elastic waistbands, le Carrê’s abilities as a writer and more. You won’t want to miss it.

Laura’s essay – The Nonconformist

Laura’s Twitter – @lmlauramarsh

Laura’s Podcast – The Politics of Everything

The New Republic – https://newrepublic.com/

Find more podcasts like this in the Novel group of podcasts – Novel.Network

In this episode we explore what happens when you get a whole gaggle of Cold War spy novelists together in one room.

This is an adaption of an earlier piece that can be found here with links to various sources. Also there is a photo of the attendees.

Find more podcasts like this in the Novel group of podcasts – Novel.Network

In the final episode of this four part look at Silverview Matthew Bradford and I continue to discuss John le Carré’s final complete novel.

We discuss the climatic conclusion of Silverview!

We also talk about where Silverview fits among le Carré’s work and some talk on collecting the book.

All that and much more in this episode.

Matthew’s twitter – @doubleosection

Matthew’s Website – Double O Section

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

In Part three of this four part look at Silverview Matthew Bradford and I continue to discuss John le Carré’s final complete novel. In this third part we explore the plot and espionage in the novel.

We discuss the way betrayal is different in this novel, what’s up with Edward’s creepy obsession with basements, and did le Carré consider Edward a hacker?

Plus we talk about how Silverview is the culmination of le Carré’s love of the fax machine.

All that and much more in this episode.

History of the Fax – Wikipedia

Matthew’s twitter – @doubleosection

Matthew’s Website – Double O Section

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

In Part two of this four part look at Silverview Matthew Bradford and I continue to discuss John le Carré’s final complete novel. In our second part we talk about the settings of the novel.

We discuss le Carré success in capturing life in a coastal town, the connection between W.G. Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn and Silverview, and why East Anglia loves it’s abandoned airfields.

Plus we talk about when le Carré shifted from Circus to Service and the most awkward dinner party ever. All that and much more in this episode.

East Anglia – Wiki link

W.G. Sebald – Wiki link

Patience – A documentary on W.G. Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn – Youtube link

House Nietzsche – Villa Silberblick

Matthew’s twitter – @doubleosection

Matthew’s Website – Double O Section

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite

In Part one of this four part look at Silverview I welcome back Matthew Bradford to discuss John le Carré’s final complete novel. In our first part we talk about the main characters in this novel.

We discuss surprise over the speedy release of the novel, how this novel revisits many of le Carré’s favorite character archetypes and whether his character names are a bit too on the nose.

Plus we talk how much of this novel is drawn from life, how well drawn his female characters are this time around and do the book’s spy couple steal the show? All that and much more in this episode.

Spybrary’s discussion of Agent Running in the Field – https://spybrary.com/agent-running-in-the-fiel/

Matthew’s twitter – @doubleosection

Matthew’s Website – Double O Section

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite