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The English Spy,
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Sarah
I just read this without having read any of the previous books. The story obviously references many past events and characters, but the author always gives context so you know what's going on. I never felt lost..
Bev
Yes, you have to read the books in order. I agree with Claudia, you'll lose some of the interactions between characters that bring them to where they are in The English Spy. Start with the Kill Artist and you're off on some great adventures with Gabriel Allon and friends.
Claudia
Yes! You should read in order. This one, especially, reflects back, with characters and settings, on nearly all the books. You would be lost with references to characters from other books, I think.
Bill Wilson
Absolutely. I also wish Silva would find a way to avoid a lot of the repetition of descriptions of people, events, etc. It's almost as if each book has 15-20% lifted almost verbatim from earlier books. I understand that some of it is needed for character development, but otherwise, it's becoming a bit of a drag on the story. LeCarre managed to pull it off a lot more subtly in the Smiley trilogy, and it added to the enjoyment of the books without getting overly repetitious.
Martin
You definitely should. The plots in each book are all different of course but without the background and subplots of Garbiel, Gabriel's loved ones, the staff at the Office etc you will not get the full picture.
Maria Carmo
I am reading them in order and found that very helpful in order to understand all the characters and the way in which they develop.
Wdmoor
No. Sure, some references will be lost, but Mr. Silva is such a talented writer that each book in the Gabriel Allon canon stands by itself.
Woodstock Pickett
I don't think you have to, but as Bev and Claudia pointed out, there are recurring characters and some of the inter relationships make more sense if you read in order. And some events from the very beginning of the series resonate throughout all the following books and certain decisions make more sense if you fully understand the reasoning of the character(s). Some of the issues with some of the baddies in the various books come to enigmatic conclusions and Silva picks up these threads in later books. So reading in order helps.
Mike
I wouldn't say you have to. The stories stand up pretty well on their own, but there are a lot of recurring characters.
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