Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
A George Smiley Novel
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4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of A Legacy of Spies.
The man he knew as "Control" is dead, and the young Turks who forced him out now run the Circus. But George Smiley isn't quite ready for retirement—especially when a pretty, would-be defector surfaces with a shocking accusation: a Soviet mole has penetrated the highest level of British Intelligence. Relying only on his wits and a small, loyal cadre, Smiley recognizes the hand of Karla—his Moscow Centre nemesis—and sets a trap to catch the traitor.
The Oscar-nominated feature film adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and features Gary Oldman as Smiley, Academy Award winner Colin Firth (The King's Speech), and Tom Hardy (Inception).
With an introduction by the author.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This Cold War classic is one of the great spy novels…and among the most authentic. John le Carré based this compelling cat-and-mouse game on his own experiences in the British intelligence service during the ’60s. After a humiliating demotion, le Carré’s unlikely hero, George Smiley, is given a chance at redemption—if he can uncover a Russian mole. Scrupulous and fair but lethally cunning, Smiley deliberately lacks the flashiness of James Bond, a character le Carré thought reflected badly on British intelligence. Treating even minor characters and villains with humanity and nuance, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy has a depth most espionage thrillers lack.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Packaged to tie in with the recent film version of this masterful spy thriller, the audio edition benefits from strong narration from Michael Jayston, an actor who appeared in the 1979 BBC television adaptation of le Carr 's complex novel. The twisting plot, boiled down, focuses on retired British spymaster George Smiley, who's called back to duty to find a traitor among the "gang of four" now heading England's secret service. In the miniseries, Jayston portrayed Smiley's right-hand man, Peter Guillam. In this audio edition, he easily slips back into the loyal, dedicated Guillam, while also doing justice to the book's cast of characters. His spot-on portrayal of Smiley admirably includes both of the protagonist's sides: his quietly brilliant professionalism and his personal self-doubt and fecklessness. Jayston's characterizations are invariably effective, from gruff, lonely, and broken ex-spy Jim Prideaux to the high-flying, arrogant members of the "gang of four." Two moments Smiley's subtle questioning of a former teammate, once famous for her now-fading memory, and the exciting, highly suspenseful exposure of the Russian spy are particular standouts. Jayston matches both perfectly, as well as all those in between. A Penguin paperback.
Customer Reviews
See AllIn a word, a masterpiece
This work is to the Bond books what Titian is to a comic strip. Flat out the finest "spy novel" ever. Complex, rich, thorough, in plotting, prose and point. Simply superb.
Wonderful
The plot is simple - uncover the Soviet agent in British Intelligence - but the story is complex.
It’s written by an ex-spy (real name David Cornwall) and it shows. There is a wealth of detail and a level of complexity that requires the reader’s full attention to follow along.
Best thriller of the 20th Century
The movie and the TV series are good, but nothing original. It make one weep for all the intelligence wasted in the Cold War, all the promise buried in paranoia, all those betrayals of every ideal fought for since 1939 in Europe.