The Mission Song [Hardcover]

It's easy to think of translators as robots. Words of one language go in and those of another language come out. In the middle, however, there resides a human being with intellect, feelings and beliefs. Bruno Salvador, "Salvo", insists that there are "translators" and there are "interpreters". The latter, he contends, has to think fast and detect the nuances of speech from both sides of a bi-lingual conversation. Mistaking the one for the other leads to loss of essence in what's being conveyed. In this tale, Le Carre, who's clearly lost nothing in the passage of years, demonstrates with eloquent skill, the differences in the two terms and what can result when mistakes are made in using a competent interpreter as a mere translator.

Bruno, the product of an African mission school, is also the product of an errant priest. He's developed a dual identity - he's trying to become a realistic element of British society, while his knowledge of African culture remains deeply imbued in his thinking. It's the perfect situation for an interpreter properly used. One user, British Intelligence takes him up for his talents in a special task. He's to act almost as a "front" when warring African leaders confer with a newly rising messianic figure. Whisked off to a remote location in the British Isles, he is thrown into a tangle of intrigue. Drawing on a store of knowledge about African conditions, Le Carre weaves threads of personal self-interest and corporate machinations to produce a grim image of how imperialism works in the 21st Century. That the focus of the story is the situation in the ravaged Congo makes the picture immeasurably poignant.

Salvo's domestic situation adds additional complications, since he's married to a beautiful, British Establishment journalist, but in love with a Congolese nurse. As with so many Africans in Britain, Hannah hasn't shed her roots by passing through the processes of the British Immigration service. Britons don't hyphenate as is the practice in the US, and identity remains a murky burden. Anything that might alleviate conditions at home might well lead to a mass return. Hannah kindles in Salvo a desire to return to the Congo, fuelled by the slights both have endured in the racist society of Britain. Salvo has been referred to as a "zebra" neither black nor white. There's a chance to end both tribal strife and neo-colonialism. But the circumstances in the Congo can be manipulated to corporate advantage, as the creation of the Syndicate that hires Salvo displays. Manipulation is the key to divide and rule - except rule is less important here than profit. Hannah's hopes and Salvo's desire to support them are stacked against powerful forces.

Le Carre has always written of matters of concern. Although always depicting his characters with skill and precision, he leads them into events beyond their control or their ken. We are never in doubt of the reality of characters like Salvo or Hannah, but they must fulfill the sometimes-bizarre roles he makes them play. They must respond to challenges most of us would find overwhelming, but he grants them the strength to soldier on, even when the odds seem stacked against them. Moral issues are never easy, but Le Carre keeps them at the forefront of his work. Maintaining that level of intensity would erode a lesser writer, but Le Carre, even after all these years, is clearly equal to the task. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Bruno Salvador, the narrator and protagonist of THE MISSION SONG, is an interpreter, fluent in numerous African languages, who usually works for hospitals or corporations in London. But on a special freelance job, he learns of a plot to overthrow the government in the Eastern Congo. Salvo believes that this plot, which is driven by Western greed and enabled by corrupt African politicians and warlords, will only produce more anarchy and death in this region. Further, he is outraged by the venality of this scheme, which rips off the area's beleaguered African citizens. In this seamless and exciting novel, Le Carre shows Salvo, a naïve idealist, courageously maneuvering to defeat this scheme.

THE MISSION SONG is a fun and involving read with the careerist Salvo facing a corrupt, ruthless, and nameless syndicate that has both the will and know-how to obliterate him. As is common in Le Carre's recent novels, a question posed by this protagonist is: Can the actions of a brave idealistic amateur make a difference?

Over the years, I've read many Le Carre novels. At their best, these feature rich irony, surprising plots, and sardonic humor. While THE MISSION SONG is strong in these qualities, it also does two things very well that reviewers often overlook in Le Carre.

First, Le Carre is terrific when he writes about meetings. Meetings, as we all know, lack narrative drive and are frequently aggravating, diffuse, and time wasting. But in Le Carre, a meeting is a riveting plot point in which the pace is taut and the interaction is fascinating on many levels. This special talent brings Le Carre inside modern experience like few contemporary writers.

Second, Le Carre is a considerate narrator who creates moments when characters, without breaking the flow, summarize the plot. In THE MISSION SONG, this keeps a complex story from becoming vague. Yes, this is hand-holding for lazy readers. But this is also Le Carre's adjustment to readers like me, who have time to read only a few chapters every day and need plot summaries to re-enter the story.

Thanks for everything, John.

Salvador is more than you would expect from a typical Le Carre character. He is more sympathetic and has the charming ability to remain slightly flawed. I liked him immensley. So will you. However it is true to say that Africa also plays a major role in this intriguing story and if you didn't know much about the dark continent at the beginning of the book, you certainly will by the time you come to the end. Thankfully, not so convoluted as his previous yarns. Much easier on the brain, but unmistakably, still Le Carre.