Similar to a lot of series that have an overarching plot, Len Deighton keeps having to invent new ways to rework the chessboard.
Does it always work plot-wise? I’m not sure.
Do I enjoy reading it? Hell yeah I do.
I’m not sure why I land with the Samson series so closely. I concede that Le Carré writes circles around Deighton in terms of espionage tales. And yet, I just love the characters Deighton creates; the ones who have come back to these tales time-and-time again. I know they’re gonna wind up in the same place more-or-less at the end of the novel, save one (the fate of which I’m not spoiling). But I love reading how they get there.
I also love Deighton’s reverence for Cold War era Berlin, but the city itself, not the spy zoo that emerged from there. I don’t know if he spent real time there but he seems to care about the broken-yet-beautiful city and that really shines in each of his books. I get excited every time Bernie is sent off from Britain to Berlin…even if the consequences are sometimes disastrous.
Mostly, I just love Bernie. I’m going through the Smiley books now and again, while Le Carré has no peer, I get kind of annoyed with the pity-our-good-friend-George tone. George the cuckolded husband serving Britain the cuckolded ex-empire, trying to remain relevant as America and Russia jockey for power. Bernie has a relatability to his person, even if he too can lean a little hard on the Woe is Me. It makes me feel invested in his experience.
I got this second hand but remarkably, all three trilogies are back in print. What a gift for a new generation. Get these books.