Book Name : Agent Running In The Field

Author : John Le Carre 

What is it about : Our veteran secret service agent, Nat, approaching middle-age and sensing the passing of time, was posted back to London after his many foreign adventures. Nat was put in charge of the Haven, a derelict old house in Camden Town packed with a rag-tag of would-be spooks who would require his expert guidance of navigating the London Centre bureaucratic traps and jumping over budgetary hurdles as well as honing them the black art of spying and other operational trade craft. In came Ed Shannon, a dashing and gangly twenty-something who would turn Nat's life upside-down, but not before beating him in the game of badminton and over a few post-match beers, talking the serious talks over Brexit and the current "We Come First" US administration. Ed's a Europhile and his passion and actions would eventually lead him and Nat into a quagmire of national dimensions.

Some thoughts after having read the book : All Le Carre's treasured hallmarks were on display - the trays of whisky (and soda fountains) over clandestine secret meetings with all parties having sober(!) dialogues after their frequent, respective "long pull from the glasses"; the brilliant operational setup of smoking out the traitor from within; the long dark pilgrimage to find old partners-in-crime from the distant past; and the all-so-relevant perspectives of the post-Brexit toxic atmosphere of the western world. Alas, this was no vintage Le Carre - too jovial, jolly and commercial, read more like a Jeffery Archer paperback; there was actually no PLOT, just a mega-co-incidence too implausible to contemplate and basically a lot of hoo-ha for nothing at the end. Sorry if I had to spoil it for you here, but here's a glimpse : Ed REALLY ONLY wanted a game of badminton when he sought out Nat; Ed REALLY had NO IDEA they were from sister organisations; Ed REALLY had NO CLUE he married a secret agent who was Nat's protege. I mean, honestly, man !

Would I recommend this book to you : There were flashes of brilliance from one of my favourite authors, but this book fell way way short of his darkest, poignant best. The part where the "service" set up surveillance eavesdropping on Ed's fall in grace was the best part of the book, breathtaking ! Else, I would take out an earlier Le Carre book to find out how great an author he really could be. And by the way, for those not initiated - Nat was no George Smiley - keep that in mind, then may be you could read the book with less expectations.

Coronado

Book Name : Coronado

Author : Dennis Lehane

What is it about : Murder, suspense and mystery aplenty in these short stories, all set in American small towns where seemingly town folks took matters into their own hands. The jewel in the crown amongst these stories - the hunt for a missing diamond by a conman father and his just-got-out-of-jail son; ICU detailed a man on the run from suspected government agents and ended up a regular in a hospital complex, visiting cafeteria, greeting patients and nurses (think Tom Hanks in the film : The Terminal); the improbable tale of a town employing dog shooters in a bid to rid itself of strays in order to build a friendly theme park, ending the story with the murder of a promiscuous woman. By the way, Coronado was a fictional small town often mentioned by the characters in the Diamond chase mentioned earlier.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The author tried experimenting with styles and plots and I would applaud such efforts as the stories came off resonating with menace from the many colorful, if frightening characters and the themes of small town "hapnings" provided an extra layer of intrigue where law and order seemed light years away and the events inevitably spiraling out of control. Worth mentioning - the subtle writers' art of "highlighting facts by glaring omission" was skillfully deployed in these stories; or was it - things had better be kept unsaid.

Would I recommend this book to you : I made an exception for this author and took this book out from the local library, as I had not been living in such places and so it was difficult for me to relate and feel the authenticity and resonance of these locales and scenes of crime and passions. But this author depicted the scenes with enough flare and subtlety for me to have a good glimpse into the inner workings of the big lives and events in small town America. Go read !

The Trial

 Book Name : The Trial

Author : Franz Kafka

What is it about : Waiting for his tea and breakfast one casual morning, Josef K. was visited by a few officials telling him of an offence which Josef K. neither committed nor could have the faintest idea about and he was summoned to face "the court". Thus set forward a drama played out in various settings - his bank, the advocate's office and a cathedral where he was briefed to some extent the hypocrisy which surrounded the judicial system. Our man Josef K. was made speechless and confused right off the bat from the start of the book and still confused when he met his dismal end.

Some thoughts after having read the book : The author cramped so much conversation and so little action in so few scenes, it's just amazing how great author could still convey the fear, despair and brutality of a supposedly innocent man faced against a corrupted, bureaucratic and illogical legal powerhouse. The ending was abrupt and heart-breaking when Josef K. failed to inch forward, backwards or sideways amonst the people of "the system". Well worth a mention was the role played by the "advocates" who were supposedly there to assist victims such as Josef K. but in actual fact, these advocates were part of the machinery.

Would I recommend this book to you : Containing just a few scenes in the book, perhaps not more than ten such settings and the author managed to convey, portray and dissect the drama, psychology and disbelief experienced by Josef K, our confused and head-scratching victim. Ideal material for Drama classes with in-depth dialogues - for those not into Drama, this book could well be a bore.