[books 2011] Tim Powers

[inulro]

9. Declare by Tim Powers

Tim Powers takes on the spy novel. I've read a few of his books so I thought I knew what to expect, but I was wrong. The usual Tim Powers brand of magic users (good guys have to be earthed, bad guys can't touch the ground) isn't a feature. It's best described as an homage to John Le Carre with supernatural elements. It's also nothing whatsoever like Stross' Laundry series (another supernatural espionage series doing the rounds at the moment).

It's huge, and in places as confusing as a Le Carre novel[1], but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

As a bonus (or not, depending on your level of compulsiveness), there's an Afterword that explains how the book suggested itself to Powers, with a huge reading list on Cold War espionage, Kim Philby, and the Empty Quarter of Arabia. I haven't read any le Carre since high school, and maybe it's time that I rectified that.

[1] Probably stupidity on my part, but there's always parts in spy novels that I just don't follow.

Comments

[human-racer.livejournal.com]

I love LeCarre, espcially after seeing Alec Guiness as Smiley, Sian Phillips as Ann and Beryl Reid as Connie. I've just finished 'Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy' and it's superb, although I think my favourites are still his earlier, less dense work like 'A Mrder of Quality' or 'A Small Town in Germany'.