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Originally Posted by Victoria
Sorry for the long diatribe. I worked within a completely different sphere, but which has similar risk management protocols and procedures. So this book just happened to grab me I guess. I won’t make a habit of ranting  |
Rant away! I think this was a fascinating perspective. It makes sense to me, too, insofar as Kit and Jeb were concerned. For Kit, who had prided himself on his part in the operation, as the finest moment in his career, it meant a radical shifting of gears and he had to acknowledge both that he was seen as a buffoon, got played, and then was shunted away to keep him quiet, all without his realizing it. His pride was hurt at least as much as he was guilty over his part in the deaths. (And what was it, really. His was a totally extraneous presence; he reminded me a bit of the autobiographical story told by Lillian Hellman which was filmed as
Julia, where there were so many operatives within range that Hellman as smuggler didn't seem to serve a purpose. )
Jeb was played, too, but he knew it. He had no way back without taking the deal and his resentment at being in that position was probably as big a factor for him as the deaths.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Victoria
I agree. I stopped thinking of it as a novel - more like an autobiography that’s partially fictionalized in order to stay within the law. I thought he was watching a carefully constructed, century old, international system between Western allies being pulled to the ground, and was trying to blow a careful whistle.
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Blowing a whistle, but also with perfect safety. No life on the line. Still, that's one thing we need artists for; they educate and change minds.