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A review by drifterontherun
The Tailor of Panama by John le Carré
2.0
I'm a fan of a good title, even if it is ripped straight from Shakespeare. Venice's Merchant, Florence's Enchantress, and now Panama's Tailor. There's just something about calling your book "The (someone) of (somewhere)" that I find romantic in a way. It's the preposition that does it. "The Tailor from Panama" doesn't sound nearly as appealing. But "The Tailor OF Panama"? Oh yes, I'd like to know more about him! It's the idea of belonging, the thought of being "of" a place rather than "from" it. Indeed, that's the nicest thing I can say about this novel - that the author was wise to steal from Shakespeare. Even if it was a tricky, deceptive thing to do.
Why? Because this "Tailor" is nothing to write home about. He ought to stick to ... well, tailoring! Anything other than moonlighting as a struggling fictional character. He's an absolute bore! Which leads me to believe that either Panama is an incredibly boring place with dreadfully boring tailors - why else then should this Mr. Pendel be dubbed "The Tailor OF Panama", as if he were so special - or else le Carre lied.
2 things.
1. I suppose it wouldn't be a stretch for an author famous for writing about spies and deception to lie in the title of his book (especially because the Tailor in question is a liar).
2. No, I won't write give this English writer the respect he apparently feels he is due by giving the accent mark to the final vowel in his pen name. Sorry John, but for wasting my time trying to actually finish this thing, I feel you simply don't deserve it. Maybe if I read and like a book by you, I'll give it back. We'll have to see if I give you that second chance.
And no, I didn't. Finish this I mean. I made it about two-thirds of the way in, saw I had clearly stuck with this thing for too long and then promptly deleted my e-book copy of it.
Sure, I gave it the extra star because I actually did like the opening scene in the Tailor's shop - that made it seem as if something interesting might happen - but ultimately I would have been better off reading about a mundane day in an actual tailor's shop.
A spy thriller without any thrills? Forget thrills. There is no tension. At all. Every English professor I ever had drilled into me this one thing: that without tension, you have no story. Ummm, have you read this Professor Lott? Deaver? Gordon? Apparently not ...
Though on second thought, they might be right. There is no story here. I mean that in the sense that nothing happens. There's that Tailor fellow. Then there's an English spy.
Stop. I know what you're thinking, and it's not James Bond. This is the antithesis of Bond. By which I mean Boring. Very Boring.
Don't let the title deceive you. This isn't "The Tailor of Panama", it's "The Tailor from Omaha".
Why? Because this "Tailor" is nothing to write home about. He ought to stick to ... well, tailoring! Anything other than moonlighting as a struggling fictional character. He's an absolute bore! Which leads me to believe that either Panama is an incredibly boring place with dreadfully boring tailors - why else then should this Mr. Pendel be dubbed "The Tailor OF Panama", as if he were so special - or else le Carre lied.
2 things.
1. I suppose it wouldn't be a stretch for an author famous for writing about spies and deception to lie in the title of his book (especially because the Tailor in question is a liar).
2. No, I won't write give this English writer the respect he apparently feels he is due by giving the accent mark to the final vowel in his pen name. Sorry John, but for wasting my time trying to actually finish this thing, I feel you simply don't deserve it. Maybe if I read and like a book by you, I'll give it back. We'll have to see if I give you that second chance.
And no, I didn't. Finish this I mean. I made it about two-thirds of the way in, saw I had clearly stuck with this thing for too long and then promptly deleted my e-book copy of it.
Sure, I gave it the extra star because I actually did like the opening scene in the Tailor's shop - that made it seem as if something interesting might happen - but ultimately I would have been better off reading about a mundane day in an actual tailor's shop.
A spy thriller without any thrills? Forget thrills. There is no tension. At all. Every English professor I ever had drilled into me this one thing: that without tension, you have no story. Ummm, have you read this Professor Lott? Deaver? Gordon? Apparently not ...
Though on second thought, they might be right. There is no story here. I mean that in the sense that nothing happens. There's that Tailor fellow. Then there's an English spy.
Stop. I know what you're thinking, and it's not James Bond. This is the antithesis of Bond. By which I mean Boring. Very Boring.
Don't let the title deceive you. This isn't "The Tailor of Panama", it's "The Tailor from Omaha".