Jack Lamb’s Series
Jack Lamb’s Series
Mick Herron
Anyone who has not seen AppleTv’s Slow Horses has a treat waiting for them (well, two, with the second season coming out on December 2!). And if the genre intrigues you, here is the good news: Slow Horses is based on Mick Herron’s series, currently at 9 books and 2 novellas. The series pays a tribute to John Le Carré and his espionage novels, while being ironic and a bit irreverent of secret services and the ideology that there is a higher good, and those working to reach it are justified in breaking the rules.
“Slow Horses” is a nickname for MI5 agents, those who messed up in their career one way or another and end up being relegated to Slough House, run by Jackson Lamb. Even though they are technically part of the queen’s secret service, they do not conduct any official operations, and spend their days repeating pointless tasks. Until a series of events gets them involved into a major plot: fighting with Russian agents; combating US extremists; defending the country from North Korean fanatics.
In many ways, the plot serves the purpose of setting things in motion - the overarching narrative is that of Jackson Lamb, his nemesis Diana Taverner (who we see climb the ladder of success within MI5, all the way to first desk, through intrigues, lies, and deception), and the vicissitudes and disappointment of a group of humans who would otherwise have no reason to end up together. Lamb is the figure of nostalgia par excellence, a survivor of the Cold War who worked under cover. Diana Taverner is both a recognition and a mockery of our leaders, who vow to keep their countries safe at all cost and think they are sacrificing their lives for a greater good - if only they were not greedy for power and selfish like the rest of humanity.
It is often said that Herron is no Le Carré. Well, I do not think he even tries to be. Le Carré’s writing is dry, perfectly tuned to the misery that the Cold War brought at the personal level, and the trauma that it entailed. Herron, as mentioned, makes more fun of the entire business. He has found the perfect formula: an irreverent main character who can say all that he wants (his jokes are borderline homophobic, misogynist, racist, sexist) but to which most is forgiven because it is clear that he cares for his fellow humans; easy plots that move quickly; and entertaining dialogues. The machine reveals itself - if you, like me, binge-read the series over a summer, around book seven or eight you will find yourself anticipating Lamb’s lines. Still, there are some impressive acts of writing, such as the overture that closes Slough House, narrating the ending of each character. And a good deal of imagination, which keeps each book entertaining.
Mick Herron
Anyone who has not seen AppleTv’s Slow Horses has a treat waiting for them (well, two, with the second season coming out on December 2!). And if the genre intrigues you, here is the good news: Slow Horses is based on Mick Herron’s series, currently at 9 books and 2 novellas. The series pays a tribute to John Le Carré and his espionage novels, while being ironic and a bit irreverent of secret services and the ideology that there is a higher good, and those working to reach it are justified in breaking the rules.
“Slow Horses” is a nickname for MI5 agents, those who messed up in their career one way or another and end up being relegated to Slough House, run by Jackson Lamb. Even though they are technically part of the queen’s secret service, they do not conduct any official operations, and spend their days repeating pointless tasks. Until a series of events gets them involved into a major plot: fighting with Russian agents; combating US extremists; defending the country from North Korean fanatics.
In many ways, the plot serves the purpose of setting things in motion - the overarching narrative is that of Jackson Lamb, his nemesis Diana Taverner (who we see climb the ladder of success within MI5, all the way to first desk, through intrigues, lies, and deception), and the vicissitudes and disappointment of a group of humans who would otherwise have no reason to end up together. Lamb is the figure of nostalgia par excellence, a survivor of the Cold War who worked under cover. Diana Taverner is both a recognition and a mockery of our leaders, who vow to keep their countries safe at all cost and think they are sacrificing their lives for a greater good - if only they were not greedy for power and selfish like the rest of humanity.
It is often said that Herron is no Le Carré. Well, I do not think he even tries to be. Le Carré’s writing is dry, perfectly tuned to the misery that the Cold War brought at the personal level, and the trauma that it entailed. Herron, as mentioned, makes more fun of the entire business. He has found the perfect formula: an irreverent main character who can say all that he wants (his jokes are borderline homophobic, misogynist, racist, sexist) but to which most is forgiven because it is clear that he cares for his fellow humans; easy plots that move quickly; and entertaining dialogues. The machine reveals itself - if you, like me, binge-read the series over a summer, around book seven or eight you will find yourself anticipating Lamb’s lines. Still, there are some impressive acts of writing, such as the overture that closes Slough House, narrating the ending of each character. And a good deal of imagination, which keeps each book entertaining.