THE LOOKING GLASS WAR (George Smiley #4) by John Le Carré ⭐⭐⭐

I like to give a book the benefit of the doubt. I like to think some reads are just bad timing. For whatever reason, this book was one of those. It was probably the wrong Le Carré to start with anyway. I expected the master of spy novels, and ended up reading a manual on bureaucracy and outdated espionage tactics. I found out after I finished that this isn’t a stand alone novel like I thought…it’s actually the fourth in the world-famous George Smiley series, focusing more on the blunt reality of its changing world rather than the more thrilling parts found in the previous installments. I have faith the rest of the Le Carré collection will be an upgrade from here.

It did have its moments — the best authors are the best for a reason. Le Carré unleashed his own experiences and opinions on the aging British foreign office here, an inside look at an agency grasping for relevancy, unable to outgrow its stale and stubborn leadership. I loved the humanity of the “youthful” thirty-four year-old Avery, and the heart-racing tragedy of the Leiser character. Passages of incredible prose tie the good pieces together and provide a respite from the duller parts. If his other novels are a better balance, then I don’t think timing will be an issue.

I wonder if this book would read better if done in its proper order, even if it’s said the Smiley series can be read however you want. I’m not sure how uplifting any spy novel can be, but this one was especially depressing. I don’t think there’s a single happy moment for any character the entire run, now that I think about it. A particularly hard read as the gloom of Seattle winter sets in. Still, Le Carré’s words flow across the page at times like smoke spilling from a pipe, a layering lull that tells you there’s more to this man’s skill than this one novel lets on.