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Robert Littell

The Defection of A. J. Lewinter: A Novel of Duplicity Hardcover – November 15, 2002

by Robert Littell (Author)

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A.J. LeWinter is an American scientist, for years an insignificant cog in America’s complex defense machinery. While at an academic conference in Tokyo, LeWinter contacts the KGB station chief and says he wants to defect. He tantalizes the Russians with U.S. military secrets he claims to possess, but is his defection genuine? Neither the Russians nor the Americans are sure, and LeWinter is swept up in a terrifying political chess match of deceit and treachery. Deft and dazzlingly plotted, this is the book that introduced Robert Littell―the opening shot of a brilliant career.

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The Overlook Press
Publication date

November 15, 2002
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

5 x 1 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

1585673471
ISBN-13

978-1585673476
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The reissue of this 1973 Cold War gem comes on the heels of Littell's recent hardcover thriller The Company. Set in the early 1970s, the spy thriller-cum-black comedy begins when A.J. Lewinter, an eccentric American engineer specializing in nose cones for ballistic missiles, decides to defect to the Soviet Union. Such a high-level defection is unprecedented, and each side suspects the other of something fishy. A hilarious contest ensues as they try to outconnive each other. On the American side is a coldly libidinous intelligence agent named Diamond (when a mistress asks him what he would have done if she hadn't passed a security background check, he says, "I would have taken you to bed-but I wouldn't have talked to you"). His KGB analogue is the nervous Pogodin (self-described as "one-quarter Marxist, one-quarter humanist, and one-half bureaucrat"), who knows too well the consequences of any mistake. The book paints a bleak view of both sides of the Cold War divide: the socialist dream has given way to a police state plagued by chronic food shortages and ruled by an elite oligarchy that gets the few decent cars and apartments in Moscow, while on democracy's home front, race riots and antiwar protests multiply. Concise, smart and funny, this novel turns Cold War spy cliches on their head. Though the ambiguous ending no longer terrifies, this book still packs a punch and seems prescient to boot. Those who only know Littell's more recent works should enjoy this fast, fun trip into the past.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A brilliantly clever story, emphasizing the nuances of absurdity, menace, and violence inherent in security operations...lively, energetic, easy to read." -- Julian Symonds, The Independent

"Littell deserves his comparisons with Deighton and LeCarré." -- The Times, London

"Robert Littell writes smart, sharp thrillers. The Once and Future Spy may be his smartest and sharpest to date...What raises this book above Littell's excellent average is its range of marvelous characters...Plots as feline and style as dashing as Littell's are rare in the spy genre." -- The Observer, London

"The Once and Future Spy is, if anything, even better than Robert Littell's previous thrillers. It is intriguing, funny, quirky, challenging, and above all, diverting. Get it and read it." -- Robert Elegant

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Overlook Press; Reissue edition (November 15, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1585673471
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1585673476
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,675,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #11,834 in Espionage Thrillers (Books)
- #38,249 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #86,364 in Literary Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
37 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		53%
4 star		18%
3 star		24%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		5%

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Top reviews from the United States

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olingerstories

Top-Notch Cold War Tale

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2010

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A brillant farce on one level, a superb commentary on the ascent of absurdity in the intelligence community of the 1960s on another level, Littell's THE DEFECTION OF A.J. LEWINTER combines that rare package this side of Grahame Greene of being both fun to read and enlightening. A defector to the USSR, A.J. Lewinter may be a simpleton who may or may not have anything of value to share with the Russians. Is this the greatest defection the USA ever had? No one knows. But, careers are on the line (more so than the truth) and the working assumption is always to assume the worst. The plot revolves around who will win this mad battle where "sure indications" are typically the most unsure.

2 people found this helpful

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Richard Martin Trank

Excellent Read!

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2015

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To be honest, until the TV series "Legends", which I've been binge-watching, I wasn't aware of Robert Littell. My loss! This, his first novel, was a masterful read and I can't wait to read more of his books. My only complaint has nothing to do with Mr. Littell. There were more typos in this book than any other I recall reading. I hope the publisher attends to this. It's an insult to some great writing.

One person found this helpful

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zorba

Spies Versus Spies

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2006

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This book shows the depths of paranoia spies can become immersed in. A guy tries to defect to the Russians. Is he for real? The Russians don't know, the Americans don't know. Littell deftly describes how each side tries to nudge the other side into believing that Lewinter is or isn't a plant. It can get quite confusing as they play out their ping pong game of espionage. While the thesis of the book is original and interesting, the book itself is, in my mind, not very compelling. Littell's best work was "The Company". In my estimation, his other efforts fall well short of that masterpiece.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Worth a read...

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2010

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This is a readable, interesting, intelligent book on spying and spycraft. The other reviews describe the book well.

My only issue with it is that it is brief, more like a novella or a long short story than a novel. It lacks density and texture. It's best to read on a coast-to-coast flight. It makes sense that the author has movie and television experience.

One person found this helpful

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Howard. Bluth

Great Book (as usual)

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2016

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This is another of his incredible books, well written, great plot, marvelous characters, and even a plot twist at the end. A great read!

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PTL

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2017

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Terrific plot. Suspenseful.

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Kindle Customer

Entertaining first novel!

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2007

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I had read Littell's "The Company" (epic CIA tome) and loved it, and also greatly enjoyed "AJ Lewinter"...different time duration, more intimate look at a few specific characters, but definitely worth the read! If you've enjoyed Littell's other books, this one does not disappoint!

2 people found this helpful

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Michelyne Chavez

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2015

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Good spy novel for those wanting to know more about the Cold War and the emergence of spy novels!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Will not recommend to a friend

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2014

Verified Purchase

I recently read Legends by Robert Littell so I had high expectations. This did not live up to my epectations, it picked up in the second half but the ending was rather disappointing. Will not recommend to a friend. I do recommend Legends however.

Per

A huge disapointment if you have read The Company.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2021

Verified Purchase

Published in 1973. Apparently before Littell had matured as a writer. Language and plot very primitive.

Officer Dibble

East v West chess game

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2010

Verified Purchase

Lewinter plans his defection to the Russians via the Tokyo Embassy but the shambolic affair leaves him convinced he had 'ended up on the set of a Hitchcock film'. Is Lewinter an eccentric minor USA academic with delusions of grandeur or is he the crucial factor in swinging the whole Cold War in favour of the East? Does he possess vital missile trajectory codes or does he possess nothing more harmful than hay fever pills? No one is sure on either side and a battle of 'duplicity' ensues.

Both the heart of the novel, and its main drawback, is the bluff, double bluff, triple bluff ...ad infinitum. After a while the reader loses interest in who is bluffing who and the whole thing appears as pointless as the Mutual Assured Destruction from the missiles themselves.

Mr Littell uses the extended 'chess' metaphor, even extending to chapter headings of 'Gambit' and 'Passed Pawn', to describe the East/West battle of wits. No doubt this owes a lot to the Spassky/Fischer battle a year prior to publication in 1972.

Lewinter himself is a vaguely comic character and a 'pawn' in the overall story. Got the message that the espionage was just as pointless as the arms race itself. Lewinter is also a bit of an early eco-warrior given his real love of 'waste disposal'. To Mr Littell's credit he is even-handed between the devilment of both sides. Worth a read but not one to linger in the memory.

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