Comparison Between Call for the Dead by John le Carre and City of Glass by Paul Auster

Written by Elliot Broome

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Call from the Dead is a quick, clever and exciting read. In the book the contemplative cuckold George Smiley steadily pursues a case as the audience pieces together the facts to form a larger picture which is tied together in the end, with enough room for a sequel - a classic spy novel. 

City of Glass on the other hand, does the opposite. Written 25 years later, Paul Auster completely deconstructs the mystery genre. Similarly presented as a fast paced thriller, Daniel Quinn, a spy novelist, is sent into a case through a misdialed phone call. Masquerading as a private investigator, Quinn finds himself in a story utterly unlike his Lecarre-esque writings. Things get only more and more confusing as random events lead to nowhere, slowly driving Quinn insane. 

Call of the Dead teaches us that there are no coincidences, while City of Glass projects a world ruled by chance. The two are both absolutely worth a read, especially back to back.

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