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Karla and Cambridge Spies
Feb. 11th, 2004 11:42 amI honestly do wonder, without wishing to be morbid, how I reached this present pass. So far as I can remember of my youth, I chose the secret road because it seemed to lead straightest and furthest towards my country's goal. The enemy in those days was someone we could point at and read about in the papers. Today all I know is that I have learnt to interpret the whole of life in terms of conspiracy. There is a sword I have lived by and as I look round me now, I see it is the sword I shall die by as well. These people terrify me but I am one of them. If they stab me at the back then at least it is the judgment of my peers."
John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy (1977)
I'm rereading the Karla cycle -- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Honourable Schoolboy; and, Smiley's People -- as I continue my current bout of obsession with the world of espionage (and yes I do have these rather regularly, why o you ask?). Of course, I claim its all research for a game, but the truth is I love this world of moral ambiguity. Probably reflects on me as a person, not necessarily in the best of ways. I think I'd fail (and fall badly, probably dead) as a Le Carre protagonist.
Been watching Cambridge Spies, we finished the third part last night. Wow, these guys liked sex. So far an excellent portrayal of the period, really gets me into it. A little more spying, and we're being set up for the fall in a nice way. B curious to see how they handle Burges and MacLean's "escape". I just want to slap the actor who is portraying Blunt around though. One of the weaknesses of the show is its treatment of time, covering 20+ years in a miniseries is difficult, and they tend to gloss over stuff I wish they had time to explore.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
peaseblossom asked last night why folks always focus on Philby, to which I still don't have a good answer. And I like how they are portraying Angleton, almost makes sense of some of Angleton's later obsessions.
John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy (1977)
I'm rereading the Karla cycle -- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Honourable Schoolboy; and, Smiley's People -- as I continue my current bout of obsession with the world of espionage (and yes I do have these rather regularly, why o you ask?). Of course, I claim its all research for a game, but the truth is I love this world of moral ambiguity. Probably reflects on me as a person, not necessarily in the best of ways. I think I'd fail (and fall badly, probably dead) as a Le Carre protagonist.
Been watching Cambridge Spies, we finished the third part last night. Wow, these guys liked sex. So far an excellent portrayal of the period, really gets me into it. A little more spying, and we're being set up for the fall in a nice way. B curious to see how they handle Burges and MacLean's "escape". I just want to slap the actor who is portraying Blunt around though. One of the weaknesses of the show is its treatment of time, covering 20+ years in a miniseries is difficult, and they tend to gloss over stuff I wish they had time to explore.
peaseblossom asked last night why folks always focus on Philby, to which I still don't have a good answer. And I like how they are portraying Angleton, almost makes sense of some of Angleton's later obsessions.
