THE LOOKING GLASS WAR

If you want to know why le Carré’s Cold War spy novels have become classics, all you need do is listen to this superb audio dramatization from the BBC. The stodgy British espionage agency, “the Department,” nearly dormant and jealous of the more modern and dynamic “Circus,” attempts to revive its stature by sending an operative into East Germany to investigate rumors of an arms build-up. The bumbling, craven motives of the Department/Circus rivalry crash heavily on the back of the idealistic Polish-born operative, stranding him behind the Iron Curtain. The adaptation and performances are resonant and exciting. This kind of stimulating adult mind-fodder is all too rare in contemporary audio drama. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2010]