The Art of Indirection in British Espionage Fiction

Download or read book The Art of Indirection in British Espionage Fiction written by Robert Lance Snyder and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2011-07-25 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In contrast to the classical detective story, the spy novel tends to be considered a suspect, somewhat subversive genre. While previous studies have focused on its historical, thematic, and ideological dimensions, this critical work examines British espionage fiction's unique narrative form, which is typically elliptical, oblique, and recursive. Featured works include eighteen novels by Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, Len Deighton, John le Carre, Stella Rimington, and Charles Cumming, most of which exemplify the existential or serious spy thriller. Half of these texts pertain to the Cold War era and the other half to its aftermath in the so-called "Age of Terrorism."