Interesting also to note that Bourne Identity was published in 1980, and was made into a film only in 2002, 20 years later! Robert Ludlum weaved complex plots in his novels, but that should not have been a problem for major film companies.
#Best spy novels of all time full#
A more enterprising major film company would have the script widely differing from the novel plot itself which the author might not like-perhaps one of the reasons for it not being seen at the wide screen as a full film. The Clerkenwell Films, a relatively modest London-centric outfit might be hesitating about the commercial end of the venture. The film, even when it is made even now could only depict the Cold War game played in Berlin Sector some 3 decades ago, and wonder how it might interest the viewers today. Intrigued in those days about the Cold War which was set in the Berlin Sector as well as reading The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, I was curious to know more about the Berlin Wall, and entry into East Berlin, which materialised into a visit when an opportunity to attend an academic conference came up in 1982.Īs for the comment:“That may be because since the announcement two years ago, and to the frustration of readers, there's been no smoke arising from camp Clerkenwell about when they're going to actually get around to filming the bloomin' thing”, I can only express my surprise that like the above 2 novels: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and From Russia with Love, it was not made into a film sooner then. I liked Berlin Game as a novel when it was published in 1983, as I had already been to East Germany to attend an academic conference in Dresden. These two were made into films within 5 years of their publication.
As for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, there was wide publicity when it was about to be published, as an interesting Cold War thriller, and hence was a must buy for those of us initiated into the spy game involving Soviets at that time. When, From Russia with Love novel was published in 1957 in hardback, I could not afford it as I was a mere student getting into the university, and did buy it when the paperback came out. Looking at the DT list, I can pick out 3 other novels besides Berlin Game: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, From Russia with Love, and Bourne Identity, which were all best sellers as novels then,and all of them were made into very successful films.
What other novels could, or should, be included? That may be because since the announcement two years ago, and to the frustration of readers, there's been no smoke arising from camp Clerkenwell about when they're going to actually get around to filming the bloomin' thing. Pointing towards the lack of detailed research which can often be shown in articles like this, Kerridge makes no reference to the recent rights sale to Clerkenwell Films of the rights to Berlin Game and the other eight novels in the series. This was always only a throwaway remark from the director in one interview, but it seems to have gained traction over time. Interestingly, Kerridge, when discussing Berlin Game, makes reference to an old story/rumour from about eight years ago that director Quentin Tarantino was going to make a film of the series. Just like 83.2% of all Berlin Game reviews, Kerridge makes reference to the "sardonic and disillusioned" character of spy Bernard Samson as one of the reasons for the books inclusion. If I had to make a choice, the scale of this book - which, he writes, " is a feast of plotting which out-le-Carré's-le-Carré" - makes it the superior choice, certainly in comparison to the other great spy novels on the list. Harry Palmer), Kerridge selects Berlin Game, and here I agree with him. Rather than plumping for one of the five unnamed spy novels (i.e. Pleasingly, Deighton's contribution to the genre is acknowledged, but not in the way you might think. However, he includes some surprising inclusions as well as obvious choices.
In last weekend's (30 July) Daily Telegraph, journalist Jake Kerridge picks out his top twenty greatest spy novels of all time.Īs is always the case with lists, it's a source of debate and discussion rather than a definitive, unchallengeable statement of fact.
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