The Pigeon Tunnel

Stories from My Life

De: John le Carré

Narrado por: John le Carré

The New York Times best-selling memoir from John le Carré, the legendary author of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and The Night Manager, now an Emmy-nominated television series starring Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie.

From his years serving in British Intelligence during the Cold War, to a career as a writer that took him from war-torn Cambodia to Beirut on the cusp of the 1982 Israeli invasion to Russia before and after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, le Carré has always written from the heart of modern times. In this, his first memoir, le Carré is as funny as he is incisive, reading into the events he witnesses the same moral ambiguity with which he imbues his novels.

Whether he's writing about the parrot at a Beirut hotel that could perfectly mimic machine gun fire or the opening bars of Beethoven’s Fifth; visiting Rwanda’s museums of the unburied dead in the aftermath of the genocide; celebrating New Year’s Eve 1982 with Yasser Arafat and his high command; interviewing a German woman terrorist in her desert prison in the Negev; listening to the wisdoms of the great physicist, dissident, and Nobel Prize winner Andrei Sakharov; meeting with two former heads of the KGB; watching Alec Guinness prepare for his role as George Smiley in the legendary BBC TV adaptations of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley’s People; or describing the female aid worker who inspired the main character in The Constant Gardener, le Carré endows each happening with vividness and humor, now making us laugh out loud, now inviting us to think anew about events and people we believed we understood.

Best of all, le Carré gives us a glimpse of a writer’s journey over more than six decades, and his own hunt for the human spark that has given so much life and heart to his fictional characters.

©2016 John le Carré (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

One of the NP99: National Post’s best books of 2016

“Recounted with the storytelling élan of a master raconteur—by turns dramatic and funny, charming, tart and melancholy.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“An illuminating, self-effacing and pleasurable inquiry into le Carré’s creative process, offering globe-spanning thrills of a different, but no less captivating kind than those associated with the novels.”—USA Today

“[Le Carré] is a polished raconteur, with an actor’s protean self-presentation, gifts of pace and timing, aptitude for entrances and exits.”—Wall Street Journal

I would read anything by John le Carre.

Better still, this excellent book of family reminiscences, chance meetings, and profiles of notable men and women is by David Cornwall himself.

Intensely interesting

He keeps you interested through the entire read. Excellent narration and he does very well with the accents and characters. A well lived life.

The absolute best

I've read all LeCarre's novels and this tops every one of them. Can't wait to listen again!

Extraordinary...

An extraordinary life told by an incredibly talented storyteller. The surprise was what a talented mimic and actor the author is. It's an incredibly compelling account of history, both on the global and the individual scale

A MOST TALENTED MAN

If you have never read the work of John Le Carre (David Cornwall) this book of remembrances will make you want to. If you are familiar with his work then this book is a treasure you will want to return to many times. The rare and exciting treat is that it is read by the author himself, who has the vocal talent and impact of a professional actor. Don't hesitate. Read (listen to) this book now!

Simply the best.

One of the most literate writers of our day. Don't miss this one. A much more honest autobiography than most. He also doesn't write faster than he can think like so many today.

Fascinating

Well written. These vignettes related to his life experiences and novels are at least as compelling as his books.

Absolutely charming

The author narrates reminiscences from his own life and writings, tales both curious and ludicrous. With humility, insight, and humour, he tells stories of his travels on research, working with movie directors, and people who mistakenly think he knows all about the world of spying. A delightful listen.

Must read for Le Carre fans

The book is outstanding but if you’re looking for a chronological biography, this is not for you. Le Carre instead does a deep dive into to duplicity shared by spies and authors. I loved the chapters that provided insight into the real people who influenced his fictional characters. With his artful prose, he shares his memories of actors, world leaders, and literary figures. His stories include meetings with Arafat, with Richard Burton, and Alec Guinness. Le Carre provides his own narration. This is a compelling book.

Sparkling

A must listen, read by Le Carre himself. Not a false note. If you’ve seen the movie, it’s even better.