The Spy and The Traitor by Ben Macintyre prompted a lot of discussion. The story evoked a sense of connectedness to the world of John le Carré among our members and provided us with an insight into the role of Maggie Thatcher and others in the détente to the Cold War.
Although the book offered an interesting look inside the mind of a very brilliant man, the text was found repetitious at times and containing possibly unnecessary detail. Some members found the abundance of characters introduced during the first few chapters mind-numbing. Nonetheless for the most part it was thought to have a quick pace, like a yarn, with quite an exciting end. The chapters were noted to have an episodic quality, like a TV series. There was criticism of the placement of the pictures that revealed the outcome of the flight from Russia before the episode was finished. The participation of the diplomats in the escape and its details were considered awesome.
Most members had not heard of Oleg Gordievsky and were intrigued by his story and the role he played in the Cold War. They enjoyed the detail about the spy game and felt the book captured quite well the moral fogginess and the “wilderness of mirrors” enveloping espionage. They found the exploration of the motivation for espionage interesting and the scope of espionage activities remarkable. One member who had a spy in her family was captivated by the reveal of a spy’s life that the book provided. There was appreciation for the human cost paid by spies/traitors.
For the most part the book was considered well researched and well written. The genre was discussed and the labels of narrative nonfiction, and fluid yarn tossed about. The glimpse of the “Deep State” that the novel provided was considered disturbing and provoked reflection on the current role of espionage and other spy activities in modern life.
PS One member recommended another book by the author Agent Sonya.
Our rating:
