Betsy, it wasn't the arranged marriage. It was the slap. I think that sort of self-righteous attitude (See? I told you I would do it!) would have made the master of the house progressively more difficult to live with. I wished to do great damage to him with that poker. In a proactive, this is going to be more trouble to you than it's worth sort of way. So I guess it's a good thing the author had a more pliant woman in that scene, one who was willing to put up with a little wedding night domestic violence.

... I don't remember curious circumstances regarding the conception of Ripsie's firstborn. Borowis?

Thanks, Suela. I actually have read--and loved--the middle book. And started the first. It was just so daunting a beginning I couldn't really get a running start on it. Plus, I think my attention span has shortened. It's all that web-surfing and instant gratification, I tell you! But I will assay it once more, once I pull up my socks.

OK, hivemind: a colleague's asked me for book recommendations, and while I can cover several genres, spy novels ain't one of them. So I figured (since I'm reading The Wisdom of Crowds ) that all of us are smarter than no single member, I'd ask all of us. What are the key spy novels to read?

(edited in order to use actual English grammar)

What are the key spy novels to read?

Anything that says "John le Carre" on the spine.

And I'm a fan of the original Bond novels, rather than the shlocky movies; in the books, Bond always gets his heart broken and rarely gets the girl.

Some of Nevill Shute's are spy-ish, though I think he's better known as a war author.

Robert Ludlum. If your rec-recipient is into spoofs at all, "The Road to Omaha" is downright hysterical. What's the other Road book, "Road to Gandolfo"? Omaha is better.

For straight up Ludlum, "Parsival Mosaic." Twisted spy plotlines and a romance that made me smile.

Alan Furst appears to be gaining ground on Le Carre for intensely-realistic spy novels. I read Night Soldiers, and thought it was brilliant. Very well written, complicated characters, great intrigue.

Also The Bourne Identity, which made it to the movies in a much changed version; and anything by Helen MacInnes, wonderful stories, though older. Spy novels were my first adult love.

If your friend likes romance, more than a couple of the hot selling romance novelists have written some pretty intriguing spy type novels. I'm trying to remember one of my favorites, but the author keeps escaping me.

Ooo, good (taking notes). I should read Le Carre at some point. I gave Ludlum a shot back in junior high and hated him, but maybe worth a try again, so I'll use this as an excuse to get recommendations for myself as well. I should break out of my all sci-fi/fantasy/horror menu.

Adding it to the previous conversation, I've always been a little embarrassed to admit liking McKinley, but both The Blue Sword and Hero/Crown really stuck with me. I did the Erin thing of re-reading them a few years ago and mostly noting how much I'd matured. But I still like them.

I know I've really liked some Le Guin short stories, but I tend to read anthologies at one go, and never remember the titles of the stories, or even who wrote what. Left Hand and Dispossessed aren't long though, if you can count novellas.

Mustn't forget Furst, or MacInnes, who is splendid. Ludlum I have to be very much in the mood for.

Who wrote A Dandy in Aspic? The movie remains my favourite spy movie, to this day. (edit: Derek Marlowe.)