The naive and sentimental lover

When first published, The Naīve and Sentimental Lover came as a bolt from the blue -- an abrupt departure for the world's grandmaster of spy thrillers. Nearly thirty years later, an increasing number of le Carré fans have come to applaud his versatility, and treasure this tale for the qualities they have discerned in all his novels: a constant pulse of humor, great humanity, and a page-turning way of storytelling. Le Carré's hero is Aldo Cassidy, "the naīve and sentimental lover," a tycoon caught frantically between two astonishing loves. Trapped with him are Shamus, a wild artist who carouses by day or night, and Helen, the artist's nakedly alluring wife. Who will wind up with whom is only one of the mysteries in a world founded upon spontaneity and feeling.