06.23.08
Interesting and prescient novel
As you know, I’m reading Charles McCarry’s Paul Christopher novels. These are espionage novels of a high order—McCarry worked for the CIA. They are also more than that. The reading sequence, as we now know, is this:
- The Miernik Dossier (1973)
- The Secret Lovers (1977)
- The Tears of Autumn (1974)
- The Better Angels (1979) (Christopher family)
- The Last Supper (1983)
- The Bride of the Wilderness (1988 ) (historical novel concerning the Christopher family)
- Second Sight (1991)
- Shelley’s Heart (1995) (Christopher family)
- Old Boys (2004)
- Christopher’s Ghosts (2007)
I recommended The Tears of Autumn to anyone interested in JFK assassination conspiracy theories. I just tonight finished The Better Angels, which does not fall into the regular sequence and, I believe, can be read outside the series, and I want to recommend it highly to anyone interested in current politics. Notice the publication date: almost 30 years ago. But when you read it, you will, I think, be amazed. I don’t like to spoil things by imparting too much information, but do go to the effort of reading this book and thinking about associations that may occur to you. At the link are used copies, but unfortunately the list does not include any terribly inexpensive used copies. Indeed, you might as well buy it new at Amazon.com if your library system has no copy.
For best results, I recommend that you read the book this summer.
