From: Paul Schroeder
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books
Subject: Re: MAMista
Date: 14 Aug 92 14:39:16 GMT
Organization: BNR

In article <1696@aviary.Stars.Reston.Unisys.COM>
dmarshal@Stars.Reston.Unisys.COM ( Paramax) writes:
>I just finished reading Len Deighton's MAMista, and I'm curious about
>what others thought.
>
>I thought that reading it was a general waste of my time, particularly
>so after I finished it.
>
>Are Deighton's other books like this?  I would be inclined NOT to read any of
>his other books, but I would do so if anyone can tell me that his other books
>are not like MAMista.
>-- 
>                                           Dave Marshall
>                                           dmarshal@stars.reston.unisys.com
>

I've read many of Len Deighton's books and have found him to be a very variable
writer.  Deighton's early classic spy novels _The Ipcress File_, _Horse Under
Water_, _Funeral in Berlin_, An Expensive Place to Die_, and _Billion Dollar
Brain_ are excellent (though not of equal quality), and it is these upon which
his reputation lies.

After writing the five spy novels, Deighton ventured into other territory with
_Close Up_ (about the film industry), _Only When I Larf_ (a crime spoof),
_Declarations of War_ (short stories about WWII), and _Bomber_ (a
highly-regarded novel about The Battle of Britain);  I have not read any of
these four books.

Next, Deighton returned to spy fiction with mixed success in terms of quality. 
_Spy Story_ was fairly good though not up to the earlier spy books; 
_Yesterday's Spy_ was unremarkable, and _Catch a Falling Spy_ (_Twinkle,
Twinkle Little Spy_ in the UK) was very weak.  I was ready to give up on
Deighton after the latter but then came _SS-GB_, an alternative history
describing a German-occupied England following Germany's victory in WWII.  This
novel received a front-page review in _the New York Times Book Review_. 
_SS-GB_ was quite good though not as good as some of the reviews led me to
believe.  Deighton's next novel, _XPD_, was terrible and I was ready to write
him off again.

The next group of Deighton's works centered around the character Bernard
Samson, a British secret agent.  The Samson books comprise two trilogies: 
_Berlin Game_/_Mexico Set_/_London Match_ or _Game, Set and Match_, and _Spy
Hook_/_Spy Line_/_Spy Sinker_ or _Hook, Line, and Sinker_.  In between the
trilogies was an historical novel, _Winter_, with some character links to the
trilogies.  I enjoyed the trilogies primarily because of the characters, the
internal politics within the spy agency, and the descriptions of Berlin. 
Deighton knows Germany and especially Berlin very well, and many of his novels
have a German or Berlin connection.  While the Samson books were enjoyable,
they did not approach his first five spy books.  I have not read _Winter_, nor
have I read MAMista because of the largely negative reviews.  Also, Deighton's
latest, _City of Gold_ (a WWII novel), has received extremely negative reviews.
 With the demise of the Cold War, Deighton seems to be searching for niche.

Years ago, Deighton was often mentioned in the same breath with John le Carre. 
To do so today would be ludicrous as le Carre has grown to a novelist of major
importance IMHO.  At this time IMHO, Deighton is more aptly grouped with
thriller writers like Frederick Forsyth, Ken Follett, Craig Thomas, and Jack
Higgins.