Leave it on the shelf (The Constant Gardener - John Le Carre)

Member Name: poet831

Product:	The Constant Gardener - John Le Carre
Date:	19/04/09 (22 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Describes Africa pretty well

Disadvantages: Slow, boring . . .

I usually like John le Carré 's books but I found "The Constant Gardener" to be rather boring, and in fact abandoned it halfway through. The book centres around Justin Quayle, a member of the British High Commission in Nairobi, whose wife, Tessa, is murdered. He begins to investigate the humanitarian causes that she lived (and may have been killed) for. There is the scandal of her close relationship with a native African - was there an affair? Is the photo of her holding a coloured baby, her baby?
I've read other reviews where they tell of Justin finding himself trailing a shadowy multinational of the pharmaceutical kind, who is apparently selling a TB drug to the Africans and it seems there is something wrong with this drug. Sadly, I never made it that far. I felt the cat and mouse game that le Carré is usually so good at, was lost in the slow moving boredom that encompasses this book. I must say, I expected far more from it, and it is not usual for me to give up on a book, especially if I've made it half way. Unfortunately, I could not force myself to carry on with it.

Other le Carré fans may enjoy it, but for me, it just never got interesting.

Summary: Leave it on the shelf