I mentioned a while ago that I was reading “”The Pigeon Tunnel” by John le Carré – and this afternoon I finished it. It has taken me longer than usual because I had to read every single word and not zoom across whole pages to follow the gripping narrative. I finished reading it earlier today – and yes, le Carré is my all time favourite author, but good heavens – I am in awe. It is subtitled “Stories from my life” is a memoir published in 2016, and indeed it is that, but it is much much more. If you are a writer, or try to be like I do, then I urge you to read it because as well as an amazing insight into le Carré’s works, it is an incredible – I suppose you might call it a masterclass, in autobiographical writing, and writing itself. It is autobiographical, but it is more – a glimpse into the word of espionage and I guess geo-politics, which most people are unaware of, Maybe one can only get a sense of it through other media. I don’t know how I missed the publicity surrounding the publication of the book, and in fact I’ve only found out since I’ve read it, that there’s a documentary film released in 2023.
Once again, I say thank you to Wikipedia (and I do donate to it) because I have dipped into it once again.
“The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from My Life” is a memoir by British spy novelist John le Carré released on September 6, 2016. It is the only feature length work of non-fiction in his bibliography. In the memoir, le Carré recounts stories reflecting on his time in British intelligence during the Cold War, research on his novels that took him around the globe (including an encounter with Yasser Arafat in Beirut in 1982 while researching The Little Drummer Girl), and his strained relationship with his father who influenced his semi-autobiographical novel A Perfect Spy.”
The “strained relationship with his father” is well-documented in most biographical writing about him, but this book is in his own words and because of that will resonate with all those who have read his books. As well as recounting details of his life and relationships, it explains much about why and what he wrote and in parts, how he wrote. As an aspiring writer who knows they will never in the tiniest way match him, it is gripping – and by gripping I don’t mean the true stories of his fantastic and varied life, but the sheer quality of his work.
I’m going to have to read it again – but I think I need a few days of pondering and reflection!
PS my featured image is of Alec Guinness who played the part of Smiley in the TV version of “Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy”, and who is mentioned in le Carré’s book.
Lois Elsden 