THE BRITISH SPY LITERATURE AND THE WAR DISCOURSE

The paper aims to demonstrate the relation of the British spy literature with the war literature at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century having as a basis the thematic categorization of the novels published by John Buchan and Rudyard Kipling. The arguments which come in favour of this approach are related to the presence of a model of spy actions of a state against another and a gallery of heroes involved. Even though commonly labeled as "invasion literature" Buchan's series of novels (39 Steps, Greenmantle, Mr. Standfast) can be related to forms of counterpropaganda delivered through literary means. In Kipling's novel Kim the "Great Game" is coined as a special term to describe the British and Russian spy actions in the Indies, a special term used to emphasize "the necessity" of having a spy as a perfect actor capable of performing as many roles as needed.