A Private Spy: The Letters of John le Carré

by John le Carré, Tim Cornwell (Editor)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Author, polyglot, soldier, spy – John le Carré wrote what he knew, and this collection of previously unpublished letters gives readers a deeper insight into the Cold War espionage that infused his work and inspired such indelible characters as George Smiley and Magnus Pym.

An archive of letters written by the late John le Carré, giving readers access to the intimate thoughts of one of the greatest writers of our time

The never-before-seen correspondance of John le Carré, one of the most important novelists of our generation, are collected in this beautiful volume. During his lifetime, le Carré wrote numerous letters to writers, spies, politicians, artists, actors and public figures. This collection is a treasure trove, revealing the late author's humour, generosity, and wit—a side of him many readers have not previously seen.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593490679
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/06/2022
Pages:	752
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.30(h) x 2.10(d)

About the Author

JOHN LE CARRÉ was born in 1931. For six decades he wrote novels that came to define our age. He published his debut novel, Call for the Dead, in 1961 while still a secret servant. His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, secured him a worldwide reputation, which was consolidated by the acclaim for his trilogy Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy, and Smiley’s People. At the end of the Cold War, le Carré widened his scope to explore an international landscape including the arms trade and the War on Terror. His memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel, was published in 2016 and the last George Smiley novel, A Legacy of Spies, appeared in 2017. Silverview is his twenty-sixth novel. John le Carré died on December 12, 2020.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Picture Credits xi

Introduction xv

Note on Tim Cornwell xlv

Note on the Text xlvii

Schooldays 1

Ski Racer 17

Oxford and Marriage 43

Eton 87

London 107

Germany 129

Wandering 165

Jane 229

South-East Asia and The Honourable Schoolboy 249

Guinness and Smiley 279

The Little Drummer Girl 315

A Perfect Spy 347

The Russia House 367

The Night Manager 421

Our Game: War in the Caucasus, and a Book Jacket 499

Russia, Cornwall and a Racehorse 529

The Tailor of Panama 553

The Constant Gardener 603

Absolute Friends 643

Our Kind of Traitor 691

A Delicate Truth 741

The Night Manager: 'The Vapour of Celebrity' 773

Trump and Brexit 797

Lockdown 853

Coda 885

Chronology 887

Acknowledgements 911

Manuscript Sources 917

Index 935

Editorial Reviews

Praise for A Private Spy:

“A Private Spy, a collection of correspondence spanning much of his [John le Carré’s] life, offers a fresh look at his brilliance.”
—New York Times

“[Le Carré’s] voluble brilliance is on display in the collection of effusive, guarded, witty, tortured, ebullient, terse, sniffy, pompous, needy, generous, phony, moving, and highly entertaining letters... each page of which reads as though it were written without a blotted word.”
—Los Angeles Review of Books

“It’s glimpses of the master novelist most readers will be eager for, and they’ll find them in his letters to family and avid readers [in A Private Spy].”
—Washington Post

“A fascinating look at one of the 20th century’s most fascinating figures.”
—CrimeReads

“Le Carré was perhaps the most thoughtful and erudite purveyor of the spy novel in the 20th century, a crackerjack storyteller who elevated the thriller to literary heights…the engrossing letters in A Private Spy—curated with great affection and care by [Tim] Cornwell, who sadly passed away in May 2022—are not unlike an exquisite bespoke suite crafted by a master.”
—BookPage

“[A Private Spy is] a portrait of the famed spy novelist via a lifetime of correspondence…Meticulously edited and expansively annotated by le Carré’s son, Cornwell, this collection lands like a biography…Le Carré’s wry modesty and cleareyed insight into human nature consistently shine through…invaluable for fans.”
—Kirkus

“Engaging, insightful, wise and gloriously witty.” 
—DecaturDaily

From the Publisher

2022-10-12
A portrait of the famed spy novelist via a lifetime of correspondence.

Meticulously edited and expansively annotated by le Carré’s son, Cornwell, this collection lands like a biography. In the introduction, Cornwell provides an outline, covering significant benchmarks in his father’s life, the brooding tenor of his final days in Cornwall in 2020, and the breadth of his correspondence. The text proceeds chronologically, but often a quote from an older le Carré adds context and piquancy. Additionally, Cornwell regularly adds biographical context. The first letter, dated 1945, is a polite correspondence with his headmaster-to-be, written when the author was 13. Adolescent love letters follow, addressed to le Carré’s “darling” Ann, Cornwell’s mother. Subsequent chapters unpack the author’s decades with the Foreign Office and transition from espionage work to his career as a journalist and, ultimately, successful novelist. The editor organizes these latter chapters around specific novels. Although Cornwell writes about his father with affection, he does not shy away from disreputable episodes—e.g., le Carré’s affair with Susan Kennaway, which led to divorce from Ann. As the letters show, literary fame brought the special challenges of being a public figure but also more stature to address political issues, which le Carré did up to the very end of his life. Brexit and the Trump presidency were key concerns. The use of correspondence to maintain lifelong relationships emerges as a major theme. The author’s many celebrity pen pals included Sir Alec Guinness, Tom Stoppard, and Stephen Fry. An added bonus are le Carré’s illustrations, peppered throughout the book. Supplemental material includes a comprehensive chronology and an appendix called Manuscript Sources, which lists chronologically all the letters and their recipients. Le Carré’s wry modesty and cleareyed insight into human nature consistently shine through.

A collection of small insights about a complex literary titan—invaluable for fans.

Kirkus Reviews

A dual-narrator approach is used to present this collection of letters from John le Carré, who is known for his iconic spy thrillers. Books weren’t the only thing le Carré produced; throughout his lifetime he consistently wrote letters—to friends, fans, family, acquaintances, and others. The dual narration works wonderfully. Florence Pugh usually serves to offer up interludes explaining a reference or person, while David Harewood narrates the letters in a comfortable yet formal tone. Fans of le Carré, or good writing in general, will enjoy this. And since the work doesn’t go too far into the weeds about plot points, nonreaders will also glean something from the letters. Overall, the author’s heartfelt words and sentiments will wash over listeners, thanks to the audiobook’s structure and narration. M.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

A dual-narrator approach is used to present this collection of letters from John le Carré, who is known for his iconic spy thrillers. Books weren’t the only thing le Carré produced; throughout his lifetime he consistently wrote letters—to friends, fans, family, acquaintances, and others. The dual narration works wonderfully. Florence Pugh usually serves to offer up interludes explaining a reference or person, while David Harewood narrates the letters in a comfortable yet formal tone. Fans of le Carré, or good writing in general, will enjoy this. And since the work doesn’t go too far into the weeds about plot points, nonreaders will also glean something from the letters. Overall, the author’s heartfelt words and sentiments will wash over listeners, thanks to the audiobook’s structure and narration. M.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile