What do You think about The Mission Song (2006)?
My basic take on 'The Mission Song' is similar to Alvy's old joke in Annie Hall:"um... two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of 'em says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know; and such small portions." Well, that's essentially how I feel about this book. Actually, wait no, I don't think 'The Mission Song' was terrible. I thought parts of it were actually brilliant and the potential for brilliance was huge. I loved the idea of Bruno Salvador, the interpreter, caught between two worlds. There JUST wasn't enough of THAT part. The plot was fairly simple and straightforward. Not bad, but again, only a tease, a taunt of le Carré brilliance wrapped in an average le Carré just makes me sad.It also suffers from being proximately sat next to (or nearly next to) The Constant Gardener; yes, two le Carré's African twin sisters: one brilliant (The Constant Gardner), and one that only has the hint of brilliance (The Mission Song). One just pales in comparison to the other, and will perpetually be overshadowed by her better looking, more talented colonial twin. Speaking of Colonialism, le Carré just wasn't pissed enough in this novel. I kind of like it when his anger is turned up to 11. The anger was here, but it was diffuse and subtle and romantic and sometimes a bit misdirected (to me). He merely twirled the narrative knife instead of shiving and shanking.
—Darwin8u
Bruno Salvador, the main character and narrative voice of this novel, is a mixed race British citizen born in the Congo, but now living in England. His superior skills as an interpreter bring him to the attention of British Intelligence, who call on him to attend a secret meeting between Congolese warlords and the representatives of European financiers. The meeting unfolds like a stud poker tournament, each player weighing his hand against the cards he can see and the actions of the other players. Salvador, through his linguistic talent, deals the cards and gets occasional glimpses of the various players hold cards. What he sees goes against his conscience, as well as that of his new-found lover and makes him take actions that change the course of his life.I thought this was a well done, thoughtful spy novel. A worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys this genre.
—Jim
I found this to be one of the most successful of LeCarre's post-Cold War novels. His sense of outrage over conditions in Africa mirrors those of The Constant Gardener. The characters are compelling, and utterly believable.As I was reading this book, I jotted down a list of phrases that caught my fancy. LeCarre's writing style is one of the best of any modern writer. Rather than review the plot of the novel, I thought I would share some of the language of the book. Here is my list:"...[he] rakes the table with his wild, exophthalmic gaze...""...my needle-sharp ear...""...our corrupt government of loquacious fat cats...""UN headquarters in Bukara is a pig's breakfast...""...hands trailing like silk scarves against the clear blue sky...""...the vengeful glint in his wine-dark eyes is inextinguishable...""...the equatorial rain pounding like elephant's feet...""...viewed my continued presence among them as a festering affront.""...had I been allowed to continue along this solitary and ambivalent path.""...to glide without hiatus from one language to another..."""...lilting intimacies of the African voice with its myriad shades and variations...""His purposes, inflamed by adoration...""...tendering a hand-rolled cigarette...""...the Congolese-flavoured Swahili of our childhoods with its playful mix of joy and innuendo...""...the in-out hum of a wonky table fan...""...my second-hand shoes hacking at my ankle bones...""...the see-saw whine of fax machines...""...abandoned without scruple to your fate..."What is not to love with writing like this? Highly recommended.
—Maureen
