The Little Drummer Girl - John le Carré

The Little Drummer Girl

By John le Carré

  • Release Date: 1991-06-01
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4
4
From 162 Ratings

Description

From the New York Times bestselling author of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, SpyOur 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.

Reviews

  • Simply the best ...

    5
    By SpyReader58
    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)
  • Trust No One

    5
    By Scott's take on things
    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.
  • The Little Drummer Girl

    5
    By Philspade
    An astonishingly gripping read; begins cautiously and builds into a schizophrenic morality play. Hard to put down.