The Little Drummer Girl
A Novel
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4.1 • 164 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Our Kind of Traitor; now a miniseries on AMC starring Alexander Skarsgard, Michael Shannon, and Florence Pugh.
"You want to catch the lion, first you tether the goat."
On holiday in Mykonos, Charlie wants only sunny days and a brief escape from England’s bourgeois dreariness. Then a handsome stranger lures the aspiring actress away from her pals—but his intentions are far from romantic. Joseph is an Israeli intelligence officer, and Charlie has been wooed to flush out the leader of a Palestinian terrorist group responsible for a string of deadly bombings. Still uncertain of her own allegiances, she debuts in the role of a lifetime as a double agent in the “theatre of the real.”
Haunting and deeply atmospheric, John le Carré’s The Little Drummer Girl is a virtuoso performance and a powerful examination of morality and justice.
With an introduction by the author.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Maestro of espionage John le Carré turns his attention away from the Cold War in this irresistible thriller, which abandons the gray backdrops of the Soviet bloc for the cacophonous color of the Middle East. During an inflection point in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, bohemian English actress Charlie is recruited to help Israeli intelligence catch a Palestinian terrorist, becoming a double agent in the “theatre of the real.” In the process, Charlie falls for an Israeli operative who is also playing a part. Le Carré loves exploring deception, in geopolitics and in love; the scenery may change, but his brilliance as a spy thriller author remains a constant.
Customer Reviews
Simply the best ...
Our beloved John le Carre told us all we ever needed to know about Israel-Palestine, even as far back as the late ‘70s. And little has changed, though everything has changed. AND he continues to give his loyal fans as much about Germany and the Cold War and British society and (subtly, but sporadically) the destructive role of US policy here and there to keep even the non-Israel/Palestine crowd riveted. But if none of that interests you, put all of what I just wrote aside and read this book as much for the ending pages as for everything else in it. It is perhaps my favorite ending of all his books that I’ve read (17 so far)
Not what I expected
I was really looking forward to reading this book - I normally really enjoy LeCarr. But for some reason, it took me a long time to finish. It seemed to drag on needlessly in certain sections, and truthfully, I never expected the pseudo Hollywood ending. Additionally, this may have been odd timing for reading this one, given the current war between Israel and Hamas. It was a bit difficult to swallow in some ways. Also, I felt there was more of a story in Litvak that never got told completely. The writing of course was good, it is LeCarr, but it was much slower and predictable than he normally is.
Trust No One
A terrific book about the Israeli — Palestinian conflict told through the experiences of Charlie, the little drummer girl. She has no real stake in the conflict but her own youthful indiscretions and hypocrisy, indelicately exposed, makes her an easy pawn in a chess game of terror and revenge. As an actress, Charlie completely inhabitants her role as Michael’s lover and disciple, and Le Carre brilliantly captures that transformation process. Charlie is one of many complex and fully developed characters. The deeds are tragic, hope is bleak, and lives are sacrificed for questionable reason.