間諜小說大師勒卡雷銳利切入當代社會的矚目新作!
動盪的年代,沒有人是孤獨的。
奈特(Nat)是英國秘密智囊團的臥底老手,執業超過二十五年。如今四十七歲的他面臨退休。回到倫敦陪伴默默地忍受一切的老婆布魯(Prue)。但莫斯科當局蠢蠢欲動,組織希望他回鍋,繼續幫忙,給了他一個新任務:接手「避難所」(Haven),一個藏身在廢棄倫敦配電所間諜們的秘密組織。團隊中的亮點僅有俄羅斯部門的美麗法蘭絲(Florence),以及代號奧森(Orson),親普丁的烏克蘭寡頭政治家。一個祕密團隊,風起雲湧,暗地裡各自盤算。
奈特不僅僅是間諜,私下對羽毛球有近乎狂熱的情感,每週一晚上他在球場上揮灑汗水,他的球友艾德(Ed Shannon),只有他年紀的一半,艾德反對英國脫歐、厭惡川普,還有他無良的媒體工作內容。艾德的牢騷與奈特的祕密工作,激盪出無與倫比的火花與生活反思。而看似平凡的艾德,將會把一夥人全部拖下水,陷入難以想像的災難中……。
勒卡雷透過書寫,讓讀者一窺當代政治詭譎的氛圍,完整重現川普上任以來的政治版圖變化。透過豐富的情感渲染與真實的科學理論,呈現當代複雜的人性面貌。不僅僅是間諜與線民間的故事,更牽涉國家與私人情感的驚悚交叉。
小說直接描述屬於我們的時代,不失幽默,讓讀者讚嘆又心碎的大師作品。(文/博客來編譯)
“[Le Carré’s] novels are so brilliant because they’re emotionally and psychologically absolutely true, but of course they’re novels.” —New York Times Book Review
A new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author John le Carré
Nat, a 47 year-old veteran of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, believes his years as an agent runner are over. He is back in London with his wife, the long-suffering Prue. But with the growing threat from Moscow Centre, the office has one more job for him. Nat is to take over The Haven, a defunct substation of London General with a rag-tag band of spies. The only bright light on the team is young Florence, who has her eye on Russia Department and a Ukrainian oligarch with a finger in the Russia pie.
Nat is not only a spy, he is a passionate badminton player. His regular Monday evening opponent is half his age: the introspective and solitary Ed. Ed hates Brexit, hates Trump and hates his job at some soulless media agency. And it is Ed, of all unlikely people, who will take Prue, Florence and Nat himself down the path of political anger that will ensnare them all. Agent Running in the Field is a chilling portrait of our time, now heartbreaking, now darkly humorous, told to us with unflagging tension by the greatest chronicler of our age.