I've just finished Le Carre's Silverview in which I thought he was deliberately sending up himself and his genre; but apparently not, according to the Afterword.

Have to say I find it quite difficult to remember anything about later le Carres I've read. I'm often not even sure which ones I've read.

I have a dim memory of watching the film of the Tailor of Panama. I remember enjoying it quite a lot but not what it was about. Some not so good books make good films, don't they.

It's a sort of 'Our Man in Havana' for the Clinton era, isn't it?

I've seen the film; can't remember whether I read the book as well.

Bush One era but yes, sort of.

I can see it making a good film.

I love both Monsignor Quixote and the Don Camillo stories, despite being communist and the target of most of the jokes. Favourite Greene though is The Quiet American. Reading it is like being conned out of fifty quid and being grateful, because the con was prettier than anything you could've spent the money on.

the tales of Don Camillo

A staple of Catholic book-readers, if my memory of my mother’s library borrowing serves.

I remember them as entertaining stuff (light enough for a book-curious 12 year old) but I imagine they’re all out of print now.

There was a decent tv adaptation a long time ago with Brian Blessed as the mayor.

My father, who hated Catholics and Communists with approximately equal fervour, was very vexed to find me reading a Don Camillo book.

Still available

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-World-Don-Camillo-Book-ebook/dp/B00HAMIVUC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding
=UTF8&qid=1652946330&sr=8-1

But I remember there being loads of them.

We read Don Camillo for my book club a couple of years ago - pretty throwaway imho.

This is the rubbish thread; if you want great literature, go to the senior books thread where they were discussing Dolly Parton last time I looked.

It is an injustice, yes!

I've enjoyed the original Don Camillo face with Fernandel and D C.. Such a wonderful face. I must revisit them and the books.

My father, who hated Catholics and Communists with approximately equal fervour, was very vexed to find me reading a Don Camillo book.

Ours was a socialist Catholic household, so we were fertile ground for this sort of thing.

If you liked Don Camillo, try Clochemerle.

Reading the definitely rubbish but highly entertaining Sophie Henaff's follow-up to Poulets grillés, about a brigade of misfit / washed up cops who turn out to be unexpectedly good at solving crime.

Clochemerle is, indeed, great fun.

Just read Bad Actors, Mick Herrons latest Slough House spy thriller. Pretty good - he keeps churning them out and keeps them interesting. The TV series on Apple tv was also excellent.

Laurence Durrell's White Eagles over Serbia. An easy read, though a bit clunky - it's not like his more literary fiction, but a rattling-along thriller set in the mountains of Serbia. A bit of an old-fashioned Buchanesque curiosity.

I am also reading an Elizabeth George Inspector Lynley book. I had no idea they were such doorstoppers, I'm on p.450 and barely halfway. That's why I was reading the Durrell - I needed a break.

That's what I love about the Inspector Linley books, that they're holding out for a nicely long time. Am also in the middle of one. Once you're past the 70% mark, I'm always starting to feel sad that it might be over too soon.