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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Coronet Books)
 
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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Coronet Books) (Paperback)

by John Le Carre (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
Price: £6.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Coronet; New edition edition (19 April 1990)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0340513071
  • ISBN-13: 978-0340513071
  • Product Dimensions: 18.1 x 11.1 x 1.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 41,723 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #22 in  Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Authors, A-Z > L > Le Carre, John > Complete List

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Product Description

Review
'He is an exceptionally good reader' -- Guardian 'The best spy story I have ever read' -- Graham Greene --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Guardian
'He is an exceptionally good reader' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Coronet Books)
86% buy the item featured on this page:
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Coronet Books) 4.3 out of 5 stars (23)
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Customer Reviews

23 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An all time classic not just for spy novels, 22 Oct 2001
By A Customer
The minute you read the first chapters set on tbe cobbled streets of Berlin you will be hooked. The book is Le Carre's most infectious the characterisation is perfect mostly due to Leamas the main and one of the best protagonists in any novel. Put all doubts aside and Read it!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Classic Cold War Spy Novel, 19 Mar 2004
By Geoff Chilton (Lincolnshire) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Paperback)
This book has a ring of authenticity about it. The seedier side of London and Berlin is beautifully described. There are no Bond-like gadgets, car chases or roof-top pursuits, yet I found this to be one of the best novels of the genre I have ever read; more gripping, and in some places faster-paced, than a lot of action-based thrillers. The plot is revealed rather like an onion - sections of skin peeled back to reveal another and yet another. The character of Alec Leamas remains elusive throughout and at the end I felt I still didn't know him; he is secretive, like the Service he works for. Despite this I never felt cheated or disappointed. This is a great read, indeed nothing less than a modern classic.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Calculated Cold War thriller, 25 Nov 2003
By Viddy (Ilford, Essex United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Paperback)
John le Carre's 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold' is a precise, calculating thriller following the exploits of a British spy carrying out his final mission for Her Majesty's Secret Service. Written at the height of the Cold War, the book gives an accurate insight into espionage during the 1950s and 60s.

The story is always interesting and everything le Carre describes is for a purpose, some of which is not immediately apparent at the time but makes sense later. The writer paints the scenes he describes with clarity and distinction, and the characters are very believable. The plot itself is a carefully planned one and allows the reader to constantly come up with ideas about what may be happening before blowing them away when you think you have solved.

The fact that the book was written in the early 1960s means that some sections are quite politically incorrect. However at all times this gives an authentic edge to the story, as it accurately describes people of that day and age. The level of thought and detail le Carre has put into the book is impressive.

Overall, this is one of the best spy novels I have read. Although there is little in the way of Bond-style action, the psychological twists and turns in it makes for a more genuine, tense story. If you are looking for an alternative to contemporary Tom Clancy-style tech-spy-thrillers, le Carre's works are a must-read.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping stuff
I recall reading this at school and how it stood out from everything else. I just read it again as a 35 year old and it really does stand up as a classic of it's kind. Read more
Published 10 days ago by G-man

5.0 out of 5 stars a masterclass in thriller writing
Somehow i've managed to avoid reading le Carre - although i seem to remember reading The Russia House and being fairly unimpressed. Read more
Published 14 days ago by P. Perry

5.0 out of 5 stars Can the means justify the end when the end in itself is of dubious value?
The novels of John le Carré, of which The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is one of the best, not only contain blistering plots and precisely crafted characterisation but... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Trevor Coote

3.0 out of 5 stars Classic Le Carre
A cleverly written spy thriller which manages to be exciting whilst still realistic. There's nothing glamorous about the life of the spy in a Le Carre novel. Read more
Published 4 months ago by BookWorm

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever
Although I read this a while ago now I would say it is a thoroughly enjoyable read with a world weary main character and a fantastic plot that twists and turns and keeps you... Read more
Published 9 months ago by S. Dusting

2.0 out of 5 stars This book by John Le Carre was a bit slow in starting
This book by John Le Carre was a bit slow in starting but then the plot quickened and as I read I thought I was on the journey. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Andy Capp

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling...
I've read many John Le Carre novels, and this one is of the same high quality that I have come to expect from this world class story teller. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Sarah Gooding

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning spy story
This is a stunning spy story about the human cost of the Cold War that practically invented a genre. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mr. S. Harris

5.0 out of 5 stars THE DEFINITE COLD WAR SPY STORY
JOHN LeCARRE is not just a spy-story narrator, he is a GREAT writer! His prose is tight, imaginative and beautiful. His imagery is majestic. Read more
Published 17 months ago by NeuroSplicer

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard boiled
This is the definitive spy story... this is the one everyone else post-Fleming aspires to.. and it's so much harder than Bond... Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2007 by Steve Walton

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