Leader, Green Party of Canada greenparty.ca
What book is on your bedside table?
John le Carré’s latest, The Mission Song (Penguin Canada, $14).
How did you come across the book?
My daughter gave it to me for Christmas.
Page-turner or doorstop?
Page-turner.
Would you put it on your Desert Island reading list? How long is my list?
I would rather put John le Carré on the island with me. He would be very entertaining company.
How would you describe the book in one word?
Diverting.
If you had to design a poster for the book, what would it look like?
Something conveying the different country discovered through language (the story is about a translator of improbable origins, returned to the Congo on behalf of Her Majesty). So something mysterious, with a touch of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness with light comprised of words.
What’s the main idea/theme of this book?
Typical le Carré... intrigue, trust, faith, and politics.
List three new words you learned in the book.
“Fram,” Norwegian for “onwards”... that’s it, so far!
To whom would you recommend the book?
Anyone who enjoys spy thrillers, elegant writing, and is a fan of Russia House, Constant Gardener, or any of the other 19 books by the great spy master.
What’s the paragraph re-read factor, on a scale of 1-10?
Not sure if this factor means the need to re-read because the paragraph was unclear or because it was such gorgeous writing and deserved a re-read. If the former, 0; if the latter, 8.
