John Le Carré, A Perfect Spy

LynnDianne Beene (University of New Mexico)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Gina Lyle (University of Glasgow), Graham MacPhee (University of Manchester), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1986

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel
Spy and Espionage

Resources

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“One summer afternoon in 1975”, David John Moore Cornwell’s father, Ronald (Ronnie) Thomas Archibald Cornwell, “died splendidly . . .of a colossal heart attack. . . after a life of perfect health and riotous self-indulgence” (le Carré, 1986b). David Cornwell, known more commonly as John le Carré, had a contentious relationship with his father that inspired his complex semi-autobiographical novel,

A Perfect Spy

(1986a; 1986b).

Perfect Spy

fits with le Carré’s previous novels in capitalizing on the espionage genre and by delving into the philosophical and ethical issues that mark all of his writing. The novel was the first of le Carré’s thrillers not vetted by his former employer, the British Secret Service, and the earliest one not centered on Cold War intrigues. Even…

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3929 words

Citation: Beene, LynnDianne. "A Perfect Spy". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 September 2019 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=7039, accessed 16 April 2024.]

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