Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thiefIn the mid-1970s, while travelling on the slowest train in the world from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, I recall reading a substantial chunk of John Le Carre's espionage novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Even the names of the chief characters were intriguing -- George Smiley, Toby Esterhase, Percy Alleline (codename Merlin). A few years later the BBC produced a compelling TV mini-series starring Sir Alec Guinness who was masterful as always. For anyone who hasn't read Le Carre novels, he is well worth a try. However, the Le Carre books demanded commitment and patience, something I didn't always possess.

Source: Bangkok Post December 19, 2020 22:52 UTC