"Berlin Game"
Book 7 of "Cloak & Dagger"
Published: 1983
Plot: The novel follows Bernard Samson, a weary MI6 intelligence officer, as he’s pulled back into the field when a high‑level British mole threatens to collapse their entire East German network. Samson is sent to Berlin—his old turf—to salvage what he can, only to discover the betrayal may be far closer to home than anyone wants to admit. The novel unfolds as a tight, paranoid race against time, with Samson navigating both Cold War politics and the fractures in his own life.
Trivia: In the preface to the reprint edition, Deighton notes that the novel is told in the highly subjective voice of the character of Bernard Samson, an unreliable narrator "who is inclined to complain and exaggerate so that we have to interpret the world around him". The author adds that "Readers who take Bernard’s words are missing a lot of the intended content".
Disclaimer: I meant to send this back in April, but my life grew quite busy. I wanted to send along the group’s thoughts on Berlin Game. Hope you enjoy the surprise/delayed newsletter!
Okay, we started out with another spirited discussion regarding whether or not readers saw the ending coming. The group was split! Some admitted the reveal was shocking to them, while the other half said they saw it coming from a mile away. Personally, I was surprised. I thought maybe I should have caught it once I finished, but hindsight is always 20/20.
The group reader really liked how “matter of fact” characters are in the novel. There wasn’t a lot of lofty language or acerbic wit. The characters were talking straight forward (or as straight forward as spies can speak).
The action and plot kept the readers really engaged. They were invested in Brahms 4 and his fate (and of course, his true allegiance). One reader even said, “Put down the James Patterson and read Len Deighton!” The group really liked him, and said they would gladly read the rest of the trilogy.
Sorry this discussion isn’t longer—I am cribbing from my half-written notes from over 2 months ago. But I did want to send this out. We do have one other discussion to summarize and then I’ll send out some updates for the Fall’s book club.
I’ll send out the last discussion soon. Hope you’re reading something good!
Until next time,
E.
If you would like to read Berlin Game, here are some links: