john le carré
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Literary Rim Shots: A Chat with John Grisham
John Grisham discusses his advice for young writers, the literary mafia, and why he finally wrote a (literal) beach read.
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What to Read When You Are Surrounded by Spies
Here, in one handy list, are a few of our favorite spy novels. Watch your back!
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The Unfolding of a Hidden Design
Plot has lost its prestige. Fighting against what he perceives as a changing of values in the modern novel, John Mullan writes an ode to plot, from the masterworks of Dickens and le Carré to the serialized TV dramas we…
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Tinker, Tailor, Novelist, Spy
It is not so surprising that so many writers have worked in intelligence. Writers create plots; spies uncover them. In a sense, all writers function like spies—observing the people around them, studying character types, becoming flies-on-the-wall for the purpose of…
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The Rumpus Interview with Viet Thanh Nguyen
Author Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses his debut novel, The Sympathizer, new ways of looking at the Vietnam War, and how to blend important ideas with entertainment.
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Richard Santos: The Last Book I Loved, A Perfect Spy
I wanted a genre book. You know, just a quick zip through something exciting, and heavy on plot and action—maybe not so deep with all that poeticism and character development stuff. My first mistake was picking a book by one…