Finished the Karla trilogy!
Mar. 3rd, 2012 01:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
petronia1) Hilariously enough it actually is structured like a season of Sherlock. By halfway through book 3 characters start to mention Reichenbach sarcastically, which makes perfect sense BECAUSE SWITZERLAND. I would say something about the Father Brown stories but ok get real JLC is ripping off Chesterton like 40% of the time anyway.
2) JLC clearly thinking "I will never revisit this theatre EVER AGAIN" as he wrote this, because it's just this succession of greatest-hit scene retreads and fan-favorite character cameos. (I have this feeling the author is unnervingly good at pinpointing the way fans think XD; eg. the rumours about Jerry and Luke at the end of book 2.) Really he wanted to write a version of this ending for his first book, but he wasn't good enough at the time - there wasn't enough build-up, which is hardly the issue here.
3) I actually sort of feel like the Smiley-Ann relationship makes sense in the end? As in, they are both ppl who on a fundamental level just do what they want and fuck the rest, but Ann is the only one who realizes this, so she does what she wants for the both of them. (Smiley figures it out in book 3 when he GOES ROGUE for like two weeks, only not really because he knew the Circus was tailing him. Suspect most readers at this juncture were wondering how he'd managed to not go rogue earlier in the series.) Actually what is sad is Lacon's wife leaves him, and he's like GEORGE YOU MUST ADVISE ME, YOU ARE THE CLEAR EXPERT ON ERRANT WIVES. Which, LOL, but on the other hand Ann does keep coming back. To this dude who is just as liable to place their house off-limits when she tries, due to inexplicable national security reasons. Also the Bill/Ann thing really got to him, sadly, because it was crossing the streams.
4) Ostrakova: surprisingly amazing??? Then again JLC is pretty good at writing older ladies, it's just that JLC is a believer in the sexy/crazy correlation graph, so all his young attractive women are crazy for no apparent good reason. Mind you, there is also a breakthrough in this book, because Alexandra is crazy for what I would consider to be quite good reasons. XD;; Thus - I suppose - leading into The Little Drummer Girl, which has a female protagonist who is a bit like Lizzie out of book 2 except competent, and not any crazier than Jerry Westerby. Which is not saying a whole lot.
2) JLC clearly thinking "I will never revisit this theatre EVER AGAIN" as he wrote this, because it's just this succession of greatest-hit scene retreads and fan-favorite character cameos. (I have this feeling the author is unnervingly good at pinpointing the way fans think XD; eg. the rumours about Jerry and Luke at the end of book 2.) Really he wanted to write a version of this ending for his first book, but he wasn't good enough at the time - there wasn't enough build-up, which is hardly the issue here.
3) I actually sort of feel like the Smiley-Ann relationship makes sense in the end? As in, they are both ppl who on a fundamental level just do what they want and fuck the rest, but Ann is the only one who realizes this, so she does what she wants for the both of them. (Smiley figures it out in book 3 when he GOES ROGUE for like two weeks, only not really because he knew the Circus was tailing him. Suspect most readers at this juncture were wondering how he'd managed to not go rogue earlier in the series.) Actually what is sad is Lacon's wife leaves him, and he's like GEORGE YOU MUST ADVISE ME, YOU ARE THE CLEAR EXPERT ON ERRANT WIVES. Which, LOL, but on the other hand Ann does keep coming back. To this dude who is just as liable to place their house off-limits when she tries, due to inexplicable national security reasons. Also the Bill/Ann thing really got to him, sadly, because it was crossing the streams.
4) Ostrakova: surprisingly amazing??? Then again JLC is pretty good at writing older ladies, it's just that JLC is a believer in the sexy/crazy correlation graph, so all his young attractive women are crazy for no apparent good reason. Mind you, there is also a breakthrough in this book, because Alexandra is crazy for what I would consider to be quite good reasons. XD;; Thus - I suppose - leading into The Little Drummer Girl, which has a female protagonist who is a bit like Lizzie out of book 2 except competent, and not any crazier than Jerry Westerby. Which is not saying a whole lot.
no subject
Date: 2012-03-10 08:16 pm (UTC)Afraid I've not been following TTSS, but after that one bond fic with Judi Dench as M, I liked the idea of a spy movie about her enough to think you might too.
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Date: 2012-03-10 10:19 pm (UTC)