Switzerland in the Life and Works of . . . John le Carré (1931-2020)

Authors

Matthias Lerf, SonntagsZeitung/Tages-Anzeiger
Richard Hacken, Translator, Annotator, Brigham Young UniversityFollow

Keywords

Switzerland, British authors, spy novels

Abstract

John le Carré lived at the southwestern tip of England in Cornwall while his masterful spy novels take place all around the world. Yet he always emphasized that Switzerland was his second home, and he spoke excellent German. During an interview in Bern’s Hotel Bellevue in 2010, on which this article is based, he even sprinkled in a few dialect phrases. He said he speaks “es bitzeli” [a bit of] Bernese German, but in general he avoided it, since it would call forth a torrent of words in response that he could not handle. In other matters as well, the writer proved himself to be a devotee of the country.

Recommended Citation

Lerf, Matthias and Hacken,, Richard Translator, Annotator (2021) "Switzerland in the Life and Works of . . . John le Carré (1931-2020)," Swiss American Historical Society Review: Vol. 57: No. 2, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sahs_review/vol57/iss2/2