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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
action aplenty with something for the brain and heart too, 7 Jun 2001
By A Customer
For readers new to le Carre(and there can't be many)this is the third of what has become known as the "karla series".The previous two being "tinker,tailor,soldier, spy" and the herioc and romantic "honorable schoolboy"(highly reccomended too).The third sees much of the same cast collected again.You meet clever and dodgy Toby Esterhazy,the valient and niave Peter Guillam,a forgoten Russian General, an intelligence pimp,a collection of 2 dimensional whitehall twits as a foil,and as always a most humane cast of extras.The most humane being the conscience wracked George Smiley himself.As for villians you have the afformentioned whitehall boys, a convincing KGB thug and a villian of Moriaty proportion in Karla;Smileys foe for many years.The plot?Smiley is brought back once again from retirement to fight against his old enemy.A fight both personal and patriotic.It is the height of the cold war,his brief is strictly unofficial and he calls in favours and friends as his allies(thus the title).The locations?Paris,the bleakest Germany you have ever met,a sumptious Switzerland and of course grey,beaurocratic London.The drama?Betrayal.Le Carre's constant theme.Of wives,country,friendships and finally of the morality that has sustained Smiley through the long years of the cold war. Its a great read.Le Carre at his peak(though the semi autobiographical "a perfect spy" deserves a mention).If you haven't read the two others you can read this one alone. Wonder aloud afterwards how Deighton and co. can hold their head up in public.Le Carre is another world of thriller writers.I recomend you read all three but this one is one of the best you will ever read.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The British spy novel at it's very best., 18 Mar 2001
By A Customer
To my mind "Smiley's people" is the quint-essentially English spy novel. It has a fascinating many-stranded story that slowly builds into something special.The story focuses on George Smiley (The main character from "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy") as he tries to track down his old nemesis - the Russian spy-master Karla. But we meet many interesting characters, and visit many diverse locations on the way. In this book, we are as far removed from James Bond fantasy as it's possible to get. (Think of be-spectacled men in grey suits drinking tea and pouring over dusty old Whitehall files - and you'll have more of the right idea). Does this mean that it's dull and boring then? Far from it:- It is a brilliantly written mixture of detective investigation, espionage, and character study which builds slowly but surely to a wonderfully understated yet perfect conclusion. If you're a fan of the genre (or even just of a good book) - don't miss it. Mph.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A complex story told in a clear way! Vive le Carre, 4 Jan 2003
The final book in the Smiley Versus Karla cycle is told in a clear, entertaining way with a surperb cast and top notch BBC production value.The story: George Smiley is called out of retirement to investigate the death of one of "the Circus's" former agents- right in there own back yard! This one murder starts a ball rolling that can only end with the capture of Karla, the KGB demon, or the utter disgrace of George Smiley. Bernard Hepton returns as Smiley, and I'd settle for no less! Hepton brings to radio's Smiley everything that Sir Alec Guiness brought to the television version. The quality I've always admired about Smiley is the way he is willing to help the very people who have betrayed him throughout his life- which seems to be everyone at one time or another. Hepton is able to portray this quality combined with the wonderful dignity that an honorable man would have. The dramatisation is admirably handled by Rene Basilico. John Fawcett Wilson handles the production with great skill as well. SMILEY'S PEOPLE is a complex story that has been told in an approachable, entertaining way. Let us hope that all of John le Carre's books will be adapted someday.
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