Le Carré

Review: Tradecraft: Writers on John le Carré -- two reviews in one!

November 15, 2025 in Bookshelf, Reviews

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At times beautiful, at times cynical, at times hard-hitting, Things Seen is an endearing and accurate portrayal of a modern city.

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I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote! In substantive terms there is little difference between the two, but you may find it interesting to see what the editor altered.

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Review: Tradecraft: Writers on John le Carré -- two reviews in one!

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Review: Tradecraft: Writers on John le Carré -- two reviews in one!

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I bought this book two or three years ago, and it has given me a huge amount of pleasure.

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I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote!

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Anyone interested in the craft of writing should read this book. It’s not a primer, or dictionary, or anything of that nature. But it does exactly what it says on the tin.

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Read a lot, read fast (Updated)

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How to read a book a week.

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You could be forgiven for thinking that all that has been said, or needed to be said, about Anne Frank had already been said, given the number of books, articles and even a play that have been written about her. And yet in some ways she has never been more relevant.

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How did the English comedian Spike Milligan break through writer’s block?

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At first glance, this book's table of contents seems puzzling. Despite running to nearly 500 pages, Frank seems to be using fewer than 50 different novels to represent a hundred years of literary evolution — but appearances can be deceptive.

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