Most recent reads. Coincidentally, both books centred around Russians and the themes of crime, bolting, repentance and salvation. Dostoevsky’s tone was sombre, but I find the story optimistic; while Le Carre’s was springy but his tale was a grim one. It’s only now that I realise these are two contrasting yet relevant works, and I did not purposefully read them just because. 

Our Kind of Traitor was about a criminal seeking sanctuary as a normal citizen while facing inevitable punishment, whereas C&P was, as many know, about a normal citizen seeking punishment while continuously being ‘offered’ salvation (somehow). And I’m not sure if it’s the state of our world now that, when in C&P’s era things seemed blah but not without promise, in this era, like in Le Carre’s tale, everything seems so full of promise but in truth we knew better. I only hope I’m wrong, which I might very well be.