> Burnside's sacrifice of his personal happiness and comfort was a *choice*,
> not a requirement of his job. Other members of the service (Willy comes to
> mind) and others who also have responsibility for the safety of the UK
> (Wellingham) seem to have comfortable personal lives while still doing
> their jobs. Burnside rather has drawn himself into his job so far that he
> deprives himself of some parts of his humanity. Burnside chose to ruin his
> own life, and as a result, I can't see his behavior as heroic; so many of
> the obsticles he must overcome in his journey have been put there by himself.
I've already posted, but I'll be happy to agree with the above. I do admire Neil when he's fighting for his
Sandbaggers against governmental cowardice. I know I would grant him
more leeway if he wasn't so right wing, but even a character I found more
politically sympathetic I would despise for something like the Alan
Denson episode.
For those who haven't posted before but would like to read some
good spy novels, John Le Carre is the acknowledged master (though his
newer books aren't as good) - the Smiley books: Tinker, Tailor and
Smiley's People are both superb, also The Spy Who Came in From the Cold,
and The Honorable Schoolboy. I liked Little Drummer Girl, also. And
there is an American writer, Charles McCarry, who also does interesting
complex spy novels.
Gayle