Cheap The Little Drummer Girl (Book) (John le Carre) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of The Little Drummer Girl

Very Good
A masterpeice written by a master. As an Israelian I had special interest in this book, and I really liked it. The plot is thrilling and fun to read and the book is very well written. Yet, the most important thing about this book is, in my opinion, that it reflects the reality in the middle-east: A cycle of old hates and old revenges. No one can remember who started it, and it doesn't really matters. There are no bad guys or good guys because the whole concept of justice doesn't exist anymore. Everybody knows they are angry about something, that they are revenging something, however, does it really matters? Does it right? Does anyone really remember why it all started? This book is recommended as a good thriller and a thought provoking book.

---

A disappointment
This book is a complex exploration of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, that manages to look at both sides of the story. While nominally based in an Israeli viewpoint, I think that Le Carre makes the Palestinians (at least those not directly bombing people) the more sympathetic of the two. That said, the story is a little dated, but was probably right on the line when it was written.

Israeli agent Kurtz is determined to catch the Palestinian mastermind behind a dedicated bombing campaign that is claiming Jewish targets throughout the world. To do this, he calls in a sometime operative called Becker, who is to recruit an English actress, Charlie (still with me?) Through an intricate web of deception and fabrication Charlie 'becomes' the girlfriend of Michel, the brother of the man they are attempting to catch. Charlie must live in a delicately balanced world of the real and unreal if she is to complete her task alive.

Warning - this paragraph has spoilers.
Le Carre starts off with a fantastic premise, and he does manage to keep an amazingly labyrinthine plot together. Some sections, such as the descriptions of the Palestinian refugee camps, are believably and sympathetically written. But there are also some major flaws - the main one being the romance between Charlie and Becker (or Joseph as she calls him). Why did Le Carre throw this in?? It is totally unbelievable and unnecessary. Actually, the whole character of Charlie just doesn't ring true - or perhaps it is just that she is such a brat that you end up spending the book being annoyed with her rather than admiring her.

I am going to give Le Carre another chance, but sadly this book was a disappointment.

---

haunting
This is absolutely one of the best books I have ever read and over the years still stands out as one of my all-time favorites. I became a fan of Le Carre after the Smiley books, but this one - a non-Smiley work- is my favorite. I first read this nearly 20 years ago while in college - one other reviewer here noted that she sympathized more with the Charlie character when she was in her 20s than in her 30s, and I think that may be because when you're young you tend to be more radical and more open to and moved by the fact that atrocities are committed daily in other countries. However I disagree that Charlie is less likeable with time. I read this book again after the tragic bombing of the World Trade Center towers, and now in my late 30s no longer relate to the radical Charlie's political stances- but a shared belief system is not required to enjoy this book or to understand why Charlie became an agent for the Israelis. In fact that is what makes this book so extraordinary- why would a radical young woman who is anti-Zionist do that? At the heart of it is a need for acceptance, a cause, and a love story. Her actions run counter to her pre-espionage political activities, and the void those filled and that the agent runner supplants is at the heart of this book and probably many real life espionage stories.
At any rate, this is a beautifully crafted novel of espionage that shows both sides of the tortuous unresolved Middle East conflict, beautifully illustrating these while introducing you to some unforgettable characters. Charlie while central, is not as strong a character than the characters of Gadi and Kurtz, who are the book's anchors. The characters and setting linger with you long after you have finished this book- in my case, years- I never forgot this book. I have always been disappointed by Le Carre's works since then as his dialogue and ability to flesh out both characters and story seem less evident in more recent works. But this book stands among his best and is well worth reading- again and again.