The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre

At our December 2020 meeting, members chose to remember British/Irish writer, John Le Carré’s life and work by adding to our book list, The Constant Gardener (written in 2001). Unlike his earlier novels about Cold War spies and espionage this novel centres on a global health conspiracy. At the heart of the book is a pharmaceutical company’s attempts to market to the world a flawed but potentially hugely profitable drug for the control of a viral disease which is becoming increasingly resistant to other drugs. The company chooses to test the drug secretly on the manifold poor who live in corruption-rife Kenya where the novel is set.

Some of you will remember the film which was released in 2005 and opens with the violent murder of a British career diplomat’s beautiful young wife in the desert, under potentially humiliating circumstances. While you may think, "I’ve seen the film, why bother with the book?", most members enjoyed this novel, although the pace is at times slow and measured, and at 508 pages (hard cover version) sometimes a stretch for patience.

We agreed that John Le Carre’s skill is in setting the scene and developing the story through the minds and voices of the British Foreign Office characters stationed in Kenya and in London. Most of these we found to be suitably loathsome, at times humorous, but most of all wedded to the ‘family firm’ and the flag above all other priorities. The 'constant gardener' of the title is the career British envoy, Justin Quayle, whose wife was considered a bothersome activist and who may have been carrying on an affair before her death. Justin is portrayed as a gentlemanly, kindly plodder whose passion is for the garden. However, Justin proves himself to be a ‘digger’ in more ways than one in his search for the truth behind his beloved wife’s traumatic death.

Along the way he must examine his own life and loyalties as he discovers the betrayals and coverups by his government in defence of British business interests and the great god money. He resolves to carry on his wife’s efforts to blow the whistle on the key executives behind the pharmaceutical company’s deadly drug trials, putting himself in grave danger in the process.

Parts of the book are dated now (the computer technology described brings back memories of those frustrating times) but this doesn't affect the story (the older generation’s reliance on the younger generation’s skills and prowess in the IT area remains unchanged). We felt the descriptions of the country, the circumstances of the lives of the Kenyans and those global Non Government Organisations trying to help them were done very well and remain true. The cynical plot was believable and evoked the great modern scandals of global capitalism, such as the current numerous court cases against Bayer because of years of liberal, unprotected use of glyphosate (Roundup) by customers and its apparent links to ill health. Conspiracy theorists could point to many others.

We agreed that John Le Carré tells a great story. His own loyalties by the end of the book are clear, if pessimistic. There is no happy ever after for either Justin or the world.

Who is John Le Carré?

David John Moore Cornwell (1931-2020) was better known by his pen name, John le Carré. He was a British-Irish author best known for his espionage novels. In 1950, he was called up for National Service and served in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army garrisoned in Allied-occupied Austria, working as a German language interrogator of people who crossed the Iron Curtain to the West. In 1952, he returned to England to study at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he worked covertly for the British Security Service, M15, spying on far-left groups for information about possible Soviet agents.

While an active M15 officer, he wrote his first book, Call for the Dead which was published in 1961.

In the 1960s he worked for the Secret Intelligence Service (M16), under the cover of an appointment as Second Secretary at the British Embassy at Bonn. He was later transferred to Hamburg as a political counsel and wrote his second novel, A Murder of Quality, in 1962.

His third novel, The Spy who Came in from the Cold (1963) was an international best seller and he left M16 to become a full-time author. He used the pen name John Le Carré (which means the square in French) because Foreign Office staff were not allowed to publish under their own names.

One of the key baddies in his spy novels was based on his memories of his immensely charming, but conman father, who was an associate of the British criminals, the Kray twins, and jailed for insurance fraud, later to became bankrupt. His mother left the home early on and did not meet her son again until he was 16. A Perfect Spy (1986) is said to be the most autobiographical of Le Carré's books and recalls the difficult relationship with his father which resulted in him paying for the father's funeral but not attending it.

Le Carré became disillusioned with modern Britain and Brexit in 2016 and embraced his Irish roots, becoming an Irish citizen.

He wrote 27 novels and non-fiction works, many of which have been made into television series or movies and which received numerous literary prizes. He was also awarded honorary degrees and medals.