John le Carré's 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 recent novels include The Tailor of Panama, The Constant Gardener and Absolute Friends. He died Dec. 12, 2020, at age 89 in Cornwall, England.
As with every other John Le Carre novel, I have read this at least twice before, and I keep coming back.
Drawing on Le Carres own first hand experience of the spy world, this is a...
more
As with every other John Le Carre novel, I have read this at least twice before, and I keep coming back.
Drawing on Le Carres own first hand experience of the spy world, this is a dark sombre story set in Berlin in the East Germany of the cold war sixties.
Don’t expect a happy ending, Le Carre rarely deals in happy endings, but if you want haunting atmosphere and drama from a master story teller, this is it.
Some books I can drop after the first two paragraphs, others I’m hooked for life.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read this book as well as its sibling, Smiley’s Peopl...
more
Some books I can drop after the first two paragraphs, others I’m hooked for life.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read this book as well as its sibling, Smiley’s People.
It starts off in a private school with young Roach (a new boy). Foisted off by his absent parents, he sees the world much as Le Carre might have done in his early childhood - as a watcher.
What follows is a masterpiece of Le Carre storytelling.
In one unforgettable scene, as Smiley debriefs Ricki Tarr in Lacon’s ugly Victorian pile, dawn finally breaks to the sound of Lacon’s daughter playing outside. She falls off her horse and is comforted by her mother, and in a brilliant switch of POV, we see the scene viewed through her tearful eyes - completely brilliant.
Also, the excellent 1970’s BBC production is available on DVD - get it.
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