Saturday, January 30, 2010

Ten of the best pairs of glasses in literature

For the Guardian, John Mullan named ten of the best pairs of glasses in literature.

One novel on the list:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

Contrary to expectations born of Alec Guinness's wonderful embodiment, the master spy George Smiley of Le Carré's novels is a short, fat man in ill-chosen clothes. One feature, however, is constant in both books and TV adaptations: his thick glasses. He has a habit of cleaning these with the thick end of his tie, a habitual prelude to some laser-like interrogative.
Read about another pair of glasses on Mullan's list.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is one of Stella Rimington's six best books; Peter Millar includes it among John le Carré's best books.

--Marshal Zeringue