The Russia House, by John Le Carré

[essentialsaltes]

 Kind of interesting for being written in the time of Gorbachev and glasnost and perestroika. Not long before the Soviet Union collapsed. But as a story, I found it kind of a let-down. The first two-thirds is kind of a jumble of bits and pieces, and while the last third holds together better, it's on some pretty inevitable rails that take us to the end. While Le Carré is often... arid... this one sinks into the sin of being boring.

While I'm usually a stalwart on the side of book in book vs. film, I admit I'm curious to see the 1990 film with Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer. I expect a screenplay that cuts some of the fat and crap off could make for a better story.