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Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn?
At the height of the Cold War, the grocer Herr Dieter Koorp is living comfortably, even complacently, in the West German town of Lübeck. Then he receives a call from his estranged sister in East Germany, informing him of their father’s untimely death. His father’s last wish? To be buried in Lübeck. To carry out his father’s request, Dieter will have to drive the corpse back across the border, with risks he discovers only when he arrives in the East. A haunting story from the world’s most famous spy writer, John le Carré.Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn? was originally published in The Saturday Evening Post, January 28, 1967.Cover design by Adil Dara.
13 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 28, 1967
About the author
John Le Carré
230 books9,005 followersJohn le Carré, the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (born 19 October 1931 in Poole, Dorset, England), was an English author of espionage novels. Le Carré had resided in St Buryan, Cornwall, Great Britain, for more than 40 years, where he owned a mile of cliff close to Land's End.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 22, 2023
Charles van Buren
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Good story with a twist
Format: Kindle Edition
As is usual with an Amazon release of a short story by a well known author, most of the negative reviews are by people who did not read the description and are thus shocked to discover that they have purchased a short story. In this case the description is very clear.
This is a short story published in the January 28, 1967, Saturday Evening Post. To put this in a time perspective, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD was a best selling 1963 le Carre' novel.
The story is not a cheerful one. A dysfunctional family is seperated by the post-war division of Germany into West and East. Free on the one side and on the other ground under the heel of one of the most oppressive and hypocritical political systems man has yet devised. The prospects for a happy ending are slim.
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Good story with a twist
Format: Kindle Edition
As is usual with an Amazon release of a short story by a well known author, most of the negative reviews are by people who did not read the description and are thus shocked to discover that they have purchased a short story. In this case the description is very clear.
This is a short story published in the January 28, 1967, Saturday Evening Post. To put this in a time perspective, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD was a best selling 1963 le Carre' novel.
The story is not a cheerful one. A dysfunctional family is seperated by the post-war division of Germany into West and East. Free on the one side and on the other ground under the heel of one of the most oppressive and hypocritical political systems man has yet devised. The prospects for a happy ending are slim.
February 1, 2024
"No one is free", his wife replied, "when duty is involved."
- John Le Carré
This is a short story that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, 28 January 1967. Essentially, it tells the tale of a family split between East Germany and West Germany. The father dies and wishes to be buried in the West.
I once had a friend whose father died in Arizona and wanted to be buried 630 miles away in Pleasant Grove, UT. Flying the casket with his father was too prohibitive, and there was a lot of red tape involved with driving. So, my friend bypassed the red tape, loaded the casket with his 90-year-old father in the back of his short-bed truck and headed to Utah. He drove his father through National Forests, National Parks, and had one last, slightly irregular road trip with his father. This story felt like that, just darker. The cold war was a cold mother, er, father.
- John Le Carré
This is a short story that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, 28 January 1967. Essentially, it tells the tale of a family split between East Germany and West Germany. The father dies and wishes to be buried in the West.
I once had a friend whose father died in Arizona and wanted to be buried 630 miles away in Pleasant Grove, UT. Flying the casket with his father was too prohibitive, and there was a lot of red tape involved with driving. So, my friend bypassed the red tape, loaded the casket with his 90-year-old father in the back of his short-bed truck and headed to Utah. He drove his father through National Forests, National Parks, and had one last, slightly irregular road trip with his father. This story felt like that, just darker. The cold war was a cold mother, er, father.
November 22, 2016
This is a dark little tale that gives the reader a taste of le Carre’s writing. After reading this I know that I will be reading more of his work.
February 15, 2018
Got comfortable reading with a lot of ‘aww’ ‘wow’ ‘amazing’ until I got to the end of the book; SPOOKY!
I didn’t expect the twisted dark ending. 🤭
I didn’t expect the twisted dark ending. 🤭
July 15, 2018
Wow. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that! Like Twilight Zone vs. Poe vs. Hitchcock vs. Faulkner (à la A Rose For Emily).
December 29, 2020
Classic Tale of Father-Son Hypocrisy
John le Carré's unsurpassed storytelling skills again provide unique perspectives into life's many complexities. In some ways this 1967 tale irreverently reveals some of the author's own ambiguous feelings for his own father (who died in 1975) and the many ways his father had persistently created financial and social problems for his son through his own deceit, fraud, and charming chicanery, while always expecting his son to come to his rescue irrespective of how embarrassing or inconvenient for his son.
This short story satire tells us much about multigenerational conflicts of expectations and selfishness by both son and father, each with conflicting goals. The storyline reveals the flawed characters and the true intentions of their schemes and motivations.
The ironic twists to the short plotline explores the darker natures of human thoughts and actions, suggesting the stark realities of less-than-perfect expressions of family devotion and respect.
Entertaining, thought-provoking, and insightful, le Carré again tells us much about ourselves and our own inconsistencies.
Well done! A worthwhile short read from an amazing author.
John le Carré's unsurpassed storytelling skills again provide unique perspectives into life's many complexities. In some ways this 1967 tale irreverently reveals some of the author's own ambiguous feelings for his own father (who died in 1975) and the many ways his father had persistently created financial and social problems for his son through his own deceit, fraud, and charming chicanery, while always expecting his son to come to his rescue irrespective of how embarrassing or inconvenient for his son.
This short story satire tells us much about multigenerational conflicts of expectations and selfishness by both son and father, each with conflicting goals. The storyline reveals the flawed characters and the true intentions of their schemes and motivations.
The ironic twists to the short plotline explores the darker natures of human thoughts and actions, suggesting the stark realities of less-than-perfect expressions of family devotion and respect.
Entertaining, thought-provoking, and insightful, le Carré again tells us much about ourselves and our own inconsistencies.
Well done! A worthwhile short read from an amazing author.
January 31, 2018
A Wonderful Short
A short but very poignant story about overcoming one's past and a decision made as the anger is revived. Seeking, needing, finally gaining self respect drives Deiter to a sad course of action to maintain his façade. A perfect read for those with time limits.
A short but very poignant story about overcoming one's past and a decision made as the anger is revived. Seeking, needing, finally gaining self respect drives Deiter to a sad course of action to maintain his façade. A perfect read for those with time limits.
November 1, 2017
A very short story about a family split across East and West Germany, written in 1967 and now free for me on Kindle Unlimited
March 8, 2018
Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn? is a short story by one of the masters of espionage fiction, John le Carre. When I see the name, I know the writing will be excellent. The content will be great by itself, but it is the combination of content and the writer’s art that will make it superior. John le Carre is one of the “go to” writers when a reader wants to be sure of quality entertainment that provokes thought. This story appeared in the Saturday Evening Post on January 28, 1967. I acquired this digital copy from Amazon Singles Classics.
In this short story le Carre, although British, captures the heart and soul of a stereotypical German. There is the love for order, a sense that things must happen in a correct sequence. With Herr Koorp we find a character that has survived WWII and ended up in West Germany where he became a successful and well-respected businessman. His family home, however, is in East Germany. That is where his father resides. In the West, Koorp is a man of influence. He was not a person to be trifled with, not the person who would appreciate a joke if he perceived he was the one being made fun of.
One day Herr Koorp receives a message that his father in East Germany has died. His last wish was to be buried in the west. How will Herr Koorp respond to this request? Bureaucratically, the paperwork is almost impossible. Koorp would like to ignore the whole thing but his wife points out how his status in the community will rise if he fulfills his father’s last wish. What will Koorp do?
To know that, read this excellent short story. Note how le Carre reveals hints and invites the reader to make assumptions. The reader will never know until the last paragraph what happens. Then the reader will puzzle long after about the true influences that brought about the result. I gave this five stars on Amazon. This short story sells for USD 099.
In this short story le Carre, although British, captures the heart and soul of a stereotypical German. There is the love for order, a sense that things must happen in a correct sequence. With Herr Koorp we find a character that has survived WWII and ended up in West Germany where he became a successful and well-respected businessman. His family home, however, is in East Germany. That is where his father resides. In the West, Koorp is a man of influence. He was not a person to be trifled with, not the person who would appreciate a joke if he perceived he was the one being made fun of.
One day Herr Koorp receives a message that his father in East Germany has died. His last wish was to be buried in the west. How will Herr Koorp respond to this request? Bureaucratically, the paperwork is almost impossible. Koorp would like to ignore the whole thing but his wife points out how his status in the community will rise if he fulfills his father’s last wish. What will Koorp do?
To know that, read this excellent short story. Note how le Carre reveals hints and invites the reader to make assumptions. The reader will never know until the last paragraph what happens. Then the reader will puzzle long after about the true influences that brought about the result. I gave this five stars on Amazon. This short story sells for USD 099.
September 15, 2020
John le Carré is one of my favorite authors, maybe my most favorite. I read this short story many years ago and came across it again on Goodreads by accident and decided to reread it. Having lived thru the Cold War in Europe and having visited both East and West Berlin during the 1990's both before and during the Fall of The Berlin Wall, this well-written and tongue-in-cheek thriller was a pleasure to return to. The spooky twist at the end made me smile - how typical of this author to hint that a chubby, complacent grocer was a murderer? Or was he? It proves again that the most ordinary of people can surprise us.
This review was written by Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy.
This review was written by Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy.
July 9, 2024
An emotional short story. Considering the difficult relationship Dietrich had with his family and the complex feelings he carried, the unexpected ending was just as sad as the idea of the father’s death but somehow a sort of personal revenge. Really good read.
May 26, 2017
How can rate such a short story!!!
August 29, 2017
Sweet and Simple
A fairly well-written short story that captures the reader's attention with a well placed twist. Overall, this story is wonderful.
A fairly well-written short story that captures the reader's attention with a well placed twist. Overall, this story is wonderful.
October 7, 2017
A blackly humorous short story. I believe the main character in this story commits the perfect crime almost by accident!
November 7, 2020
Conto que se passa na Alemanha dividida pela Guerra Fria. Uma família dividida pela fronteira e ambições mesquinhas e ideológicas que muito lembram os nossos tempos extremos. Final dark.
February 17, 2021
Well written. Perfect for the Cold War.
June 11, 2021
A story sure to give you goosebumps - not for the suspense, but for the sheer boldness of it.
December 29, 2021
An interesting short story set in cold war era Germany.
January 23, 2022
dark
An unexpected and dark short story that I will not forget for a while. Worth the time to read without doubt.
An unexpected and dark short story that I will not forget for a while. Worth the time to read without doubt.
February 8, 2022
Tight little cold war tale from the late 60s that's pre Tinker Tailor. Darkly funny. Hints at the great writer LeCarre became.
July 28, 2022
I love the concise and thought-provoking writing style. The plot twist was springled in earlier in the story, which I love. Definitely worth the second read.
January 7, 2023
rounded up from 2.5⭐️
August 22, 2023
Not what I Thought
Very interesting plot twists in this short story. It was well written and based on post war time and the two Germanys.
Very interesting plot twists in this short story. It was well written and based on post war time and the two Germanys.
March 20, 2024
a dark lil story, kinda reminds me of Raymond Carvers style
April 5, 2024
U dare not.
June 10, 2024
John le Carré had daddy issues, pass it on.
September 13, 2024
"No one is free when duty is involved."
to
"Did you know he was dying?"
"Of course"
"Did he?"
to the ending......
dark, indeed 👁👄👁
to
"Did you know he was dying?"
"Of course"
"Did he?"
to the ending......
dark, indeed 👁👄👁
October 1, 2024
An interesting short read with a morning cup of tea. I enjoy the author's style of writing, and enjoyed that the pacing of this short story didn't feel like a rush to add too much to too little.
October 4, 2016
Morbidly Hilarious !
LeCture, the master, gives us an hilarious journey into the pompous and rigid mind of a post-war West German Burger. Some may say it's sick satire, and, maybe so, but funny all the same.
LeCture, the master, gives us an hilarious journey into the pompous and rigid mind of a post-war West German Burger. Some may say it's sick satire, and, maybe so, but funny all the same.
May 14, 2023
Nice, dark, and twisty.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews