The enduring novel by one of our greatest storytellers.
George Smiley, who is a troubled man of infinite compassion, is also a single-mindedly ruthless adversary as a spy.
The scene which he enters is a Cold War landscape of moles and lamplighters, scalp-hunters and pavement artists, where men are turned, burned or bought for stock. Smiley's mission is to catch a Moscow Centre mole burrowed thirty years deep into the Circus itself.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
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Review
'A great thriller, the best le Carré has written'
(Spectator )
'A stunning story'
(Wall Street Journal )'John le Carré is the great master of the spy story . . . the constant flow of emotion lifts him above most novelists now practising.'
(Financial Times )About the Author
John le Carré was born in 1931. His third novel, THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, secured him a wide reputation which was consolidated by the acclaim for his trilogy TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, THE HONOURABLE SCHOOLBOY and SMILEY'S PEOPLE. His other novels include THE CONSTANT GARDENER, A MOST WANTED MAN and OUR KIND OF TRAITOR.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
85 of 87 people found the following review helpful
By J. E. Parry
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a great change in pace against normal spy books. There are no wiz bangs and gorgeous women. It just revolves around old fashioned atmosphere and storytelling.
We follow the expolits of George Smiley, one of the Cold War's heroes, as he is tasked with finding a Soviet mole imbedded within MI6. He was ousted in a shake-up following the overthrow, and demise, of the previous "Control" of MI6 - another name for James Bond's M.
He is outside the current regime that the mole is part of and his search is therefore reliant on old fashioned techniques of infiltarion and intelligence gathering.
I hadn't read this in about 20 years but was swept back into Smiley's world. Le Carre has a reputation for outstanding work and this is one of his best.
I won't give the game away as I hate plot spoilers. If you want to read an authentic Cold War spy story then this is for you.
We follow the expolits of George Smiley, one of the Cold War's heroes, as he is tasked with finding a Soviet mole imbedded within MI6. He was ousted in a shake-up following the overthrow, and demise, of the previous "Control" of MI6 - another name for James Bond's M.
He is outside the current regime that the mole is part of and his search is therefore reliant on old fashioned techniques of infiltarion and intelligence gathering.
I hadn't read this in about 20 years but was swept back into Smiley's world. Le Carre has a reputation for outstanding work and this is one of his best.
I won't give the game away as I hate plot spoilers. If you want to read an authentic Cold War spy story then this is for you.
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
By Donaldo
Format:Paperback
This is probably the finest of Le Carre's novels. His great creation, George Smiley, is repsonsible for finding a Soviet mole in the heirarchy of British Intelligence which has done immeasureable damage for decades. George is the most unlikely hero - ponderous, old, shy, retiring, but posessed of enormous compassion and iron will. This who-dunnit story plays against a general background of betrayal - the betrayal of the mole against the British state, the betrayal of the agents run by the mole, the betrayal of Smiley's wife's infidelity, the general betrayal of idealism in the Circus to the mundane self-serving ends of its leaders.
And then there is the setting - Britain in all its drab, mundane 1960's/70's glory. Drab colours, poor food, rain soaked days, steamed up car windows, snobbery and poverty. And the dialogue is second to none. So world weary, so wise. And the intelligence world rings true in this book too, it feels realistic, it feels about right. The moral ambiguity is embraced by Le Carre. Though there are heroes and villians in this book, the boundaries are fairly blurred.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not only is this probably Le Carre's best work, but I'd rate it as one of the best novels of the 1970s. It perfectly captures the feeling of Britain's post-war decline and nostalgia for a greater time. It is a beautifully written, highly convincing story of the hunt for a high-ranking mole in the British Secret Service, with the effect of this on the memorable central characters (not least unlikely hero George Smiley) subtly portrayed. A gripping, immensely satisfying Cold-War thriller. And a great novel.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just a fabulous read!
I downloaded this on holiday after reading an article on JLC and realsied it had been so long since I had read this book. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Cheryl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Slow paced but brillant
Reading John le Carre is an art, but worth the trouble. He weaves the story on so many levels and draws you into the plot, almost without you realising it. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Mrs
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ever dependable...
I've read most of Le Carre's books in order of publication, but this was one that I happened to miss until recently. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Malcolm Stark
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book review
Watched the series on television some time ago and also watched the recent movie version. Both of which were great and stayed very close to the book, however there is no substitute... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Michael G
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent.
Simon Russell Beale as pearless again as Smiley in the story from this series which must again have been difficult to adapt because there are so many other versions knocking around... Read more
Published 23 days ago by Stuart Burns
5.0 out of 5 stars
A second reading after many years.
Again as reading a book after some years it is interesting to note the things you remembered and the different take you have with the passage of time.
Published 1 month ago by Mary Campbell-Brown
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well written
Well written, chilling and full of suspense. Old-fashioned ruthless spy thriller, trust no-one.
But are these things still going on?
But are these things still going on?
Published 1 month ago by Mabs
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb spy novel
Le Carre's is both a superior literary stylist and a superb storyteller.His characters and settings all have the air of credibility. We might know a George Smiley, or think we do. Read more
Published 1 month ago by os
3.0 out of 5 stars
Difficult slow reading.
i was disappointed after "spywho came in from cold" -this had little plot was slow , confusing not knowing if it was in past tense or present for parts of it -got... Read more
Published 1 month ago by trevor j watton
4.0 out of 5 stars
Political thriller
Having just finished reading Owen Bennett-Jones' fantastic debut novel, TARGET BRITAIN:a political thriller, I came back to read some of the classics in the genre. A gripping read.
Published 1 month ago by Mathilde Marron
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