Our book group choice for March 2022 is Call for the Dead by John le Carré. This classic novels deftly navigate readers through the intricate shadow worlds of international espionage with unsurpassed skill and knowledge.
The novel opens with George Smiley, a senior officer in British intelligence, being summoned to his office by Control, the head of the Circus. Control has received an anonymous letter accusing Samuel Fennan, a Foreign Office official, of being a communist sympathizer. Smiley is tasked with interviewing Fennan and determining whether the letter is credible.
Smiley meets with Fennan and finds him to be a mild-mannered and unassuming man. Fennan denies any involvement with communism, and Smiley is inclined to believe him. However, there are some troubling aspects to Fennan’s story. For example, he has recently been involved in a number of suspicious activities, such as meeting with known communists and visiting East Germany.
Smiley is unable to make a definitive judgment about Fennan’s guilt or innocence. However, he is troubled by the case, and he begins to suspect that something more sinister is at play.
A few days later, Fennan is found dead in his office. A suicide note is found at the scene, but Smiley is not convinced that Fennan took his own life. He believes that Fennan was murdered, and he sets out to find out who killed him and why.
Smiley’s investigation leads him to a number of dark and dangerous places. He encounters a corrupt police inspector, a ruthless East German spymaster, and a beautiful woman who may be working for the other side.
As Smiley gets closer to the truth, he finds himself in increasing danger. He is threatened, followed, and even attacked. However, he refuses to give up, and he eventually uncovers the truth about Fennan’s death.
Call for the Dead is a classic spy novel, and it is widely regarded as one of le Carré’s best works. The novel is notable for its realistic portrayal of the world of espionage, and for its complex and morally ambiguous characters.
Smiley is a complex and fascinating character. He is a brilliant intelligence officer, but he is also a deeply flawed man. He is haunted by his past, and he is struggling to come to terms with the fact that the world is not a just place.
The novel’s other characters are also complex and well-developed. Fennan is a sympathetic character who is ultimately betrayed by his own idealism. The East German spymaster, Mundt, is a ruthless and cunning man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
Discussion Questions
- Is this your first experience of the spy world of Le Carre? If not, how did other forms of his stories influence your view of the book?
- What do you think about Smiley as a hero character?
- What did you think about the side characters – major (e.g Peter Gwilliam) and minor (e.g the theatre people)?
- Do you think the post-war backdrop was necessary to the story?
- Is this a spy novel or a detective novel?
- What is your opinion of Dieter as the villain?
- What did you think of the first chapter ‘A brief history of Smiley’ and Chapter 17, the case notes write up – did this type of character/plot summary work in the story?
- This was Le Carre’s first novel, published in 1962. Has it stood the test of time and how does it compare to his other books?
- To whom, if anyone, would you recommend the book?
Individual Ratings
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