Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (The Karla Trilogy #1)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 20,505 ratings · 1,724 reviews

Featuring George Smiley, thisNew York Timesbestseller is the first installment in John le Carré’s acclaimed Karla Trilogy. From the author ofA Delicate TruthandThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

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-...more

Paperback, 381 pages

Published June 7th 2011 by Penguin Books (first published 1974)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 31, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-kindle, 2012, reviewed

A few months ago a stylish looking British adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was released in theaters and I was intrigued. But I knew better. Movies are for smart people. If I had to constantly nudge my wife during Superbad to ask questions like, “so who is that guy again?” and “wait, is she the same one from before?” then I had to admit that seeing this movie would only serve to make me feel very confused and intellectually inadequate. I do better with books. Books explain things. Book...more A few months ago a stylish looking British adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was released in theaters and I was intrigued. But I knew better. Movies are for smart people. If I had to constantly nudge my wife during Superbad to ask questions like, “so who is that guy again?” and “wait, is she the same one from before?” then I had to admit that seeing this movie would only serve to make me feel very confused and intellectually inadequate. I do better with books. Books explain things. Books are for people who need a little, uh, help in the hand-holding department. So like any other self-respecting moron, I decided to read the book instead (or at least, before seeing the movie)—that way I could have everything explained to me nice, nice.

But I was duped.

When my friend asked me to go with him to see Tinker Tailor, I told him it was not possible. I explained my reasoning while he nodded agreeably, accepting my oddities without judgment. But then he said, “I think you’ll find this to be an exception to your rule. In this particular case, you’re going to want to have seen this movie before reading the book. Trust me.” What. A Freaking. Liar.

As soon as those last two words were uttered, warning bells should have gone off in my head. But I took him at his word and went to see a movie with the most convoluted plot I’d ever tried to absorb. 120 minutes later I had a raging migraine.

I now understood the lengths to which someone would go in order to have a companion at the movies. I suppose I can’t begrudge a man that small favor, and I was not entirely the worse for wear—800 mg of ibuprofen and a good night’s sleep restored my faculties wonderfully. And that’s when I decided to read the book.

John le Carré’s novel retains all the plot complexity of the movie and then some, but it is delivered in such a way that is digestible. Even though I knew the fate of Colin Firth’s character, my pulse still raced at the novel’s climax. The author opens up a world of secrets, lies, espionage, and scandal that are somewhat missing from my everyday life, but seem to be more or less commonplace in a Europe engulfed in the Cold War. Mistrust and paranoia run as naturally as snowfall in New England. I am generally very glad to have read this book despite having done so after seeing the movie.(less)

66 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 5 of 5 stars

"The suspicious black car did not follow me home. How am I supposed to maintain this level of paranoia with this level of incompetence?" Tweet from jkeeten's defunct Twitter account.

"I don't smoke but I always travel w/ a Zippo lighter in case I have to light a beautiful woman's cigarette or the wick of a Molotov cocktail." Another tweet from jkeeten's defunct Twitter account.

The British Secret Service, resembling a corporation that has suffered sagging profits, has reshuffled key players, ouste...more

49 likes · like · see review

Dec 28, 2012 Willowfaerie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: made-into-a-movie, spy, favorites

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is not my type of book. I never read stuff like this. I don’t like contemporaries (unless there are vampires or witches in them) and I rarely read mysteries. I loved the movie though (I’m a big Gary Oldman fan) so I thought what the heck, I’ll read the book. After all, it’s not really a contemporary…at least not anymore. The action takes place during the early seventies. So here I am.

First off, I have to say Le Carre writes with amazing detail. These guys aren’t like...more Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is not my type of book. I never read stuff like this. I don’t like contemporaries (unless there are vampires or witches in them) and I rarely read mysteries. I loved the movie though (I’m a big Gary Oldman fan) so I thought what the heck, I’ll read the book. After all, it’s not really a contemporary…at least not anymore. The action takes place during the early seventies. So here I am.

First off, I have to say Le Carre writes with amazing detail. These guys aren’t like regular characters. They’re like real people with complex motives, their own dialect, and little nuances that are personal to them. I got to know them, slowly, intuitively, especially since Le Carre never tells you what you should think of them or explains them. He just lets the reader develop their own opinion. You get to know everybody though dialogue and body language -- little tidbits like how someone sits down on a child’s swing set. It’s excellent!

That’s not to say it wasn’t disorienting though. At first I felt like I had started a new job. I'm meeting all these new people, there are new rules, and there’s a whole new work lingo I have to learn. I was a bit lost at first, trying to keep track of names and figure out what people were saying (especially since I’m not a Brit.) There are so many characters, and no one can be cataloged in a nice neat box. To my surprise though, this sense of confusion actually made me pay closer attention. I loved being just thrown in there. I do believe it hit me on a deeper level too since I dreamed about this book. :D

Were the characters likable? Yes and no. I liked Smiley a lot, but I would hate to work with him. He’s too tight-lipped and ruthless. You’d never know where you’d stand with him. He’s also waaay too observant, looking for everyone’s weaknesses. It was great being inside his head though. You can tell he unnerves people. That’s why so many people take a certain glee in telling him his wife is sleeping with someone else. They want to needle him.

The other characters were great too. Percy is a worm. Jim is tragic and compelling. I couldn’t stand Bill. I thought Ricky was a hoot, even though he’s an ass. As you can see, I definitely had an opinion about everybody.

Of course, all these different motives and dynamics make the book seem strangely complicated, yet the story is simple. There’s a mole in the secret service which has made everyone paranoid, and George Smiley is trying to lure him out and trap him. There are a lot of mind games.

This brings me to the part of the book though, which I think was lacking. There’s not much suspense. Maybe if I hadn’t seen the movie, I would have been more curious to find out who the mole was, but I don’t think that’s it. I think the lack of action and danger made this a somewhat dry read. I would have never finished it if I hadn’t seen the movie. The beginning is slow. And while yes there are conversations and confrontations that are dynamic and thrilling, not much happens. That’s why I knocked a star.

On the whole though, I’m very much impressed. Le Carre is a great writer. I want to read Smiley’s People because I’ve heard it’s even better than this book. I’m curious to see how George traps Karla, and I’d love to spend some more time in Smiley’s astute and clever brain.

(less)

17 likes · like · see review

Aug 11, 2008 Patrick Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Patrick by: Robert Newman and Marshall Presnick

Shelves: spy-thrillers

I had read The Spy Who Came In From the Cold on my honeymoon in Paris, and I remember liking it, but not rushing out to get more Le Carre. Well, now I'm going to rush out to get more Le Carre.

I didn't give this five stars because it was a touch slow to get moving. I think if I'd just been able to focus a little more, I would've been into the plot faster. Le Carre has this ability to make every character a mystery. So much is withheld from the reader, and yet the characters are fascinating. I t...more

22 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2012 Bennard rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

from The Book Hooligan

“It’s the age-old question. Who can spy on the spies?” – Oliver Lacon

During my childhood days, me and my family were avid watchers of James Bond films. From time to time, my father would rent a VHS or a DVD (depending on which actor is portraying James Bond) and we would all sit in front of the television and watch the world of espionage that Ian Fleming (and Hollywood producers) has created with all the slick gadgetry, the action sequences, and the notorious womanizing. It...more from The Book Hooligan

“It’s the age-old question. Who can spy on the spies?” – Oliver Lacon

During my childhood days, me and my family were avid watchers of James Bond films. From time to time, my father would rent a VHS or a DVD (depending on which actor is portraying James Bond) and we would all sit in front of the television and watch the world of espionage that Ian Fleming (and Hollywood producers) has created with all the slick gadgetry, the action sequences, and the notorious womanizing. It comes as no surprise then that my view of the world of espionage and the spies themselves were heavily influenced by the James Bond anthology of films.

Fast forward, a decade and some odd years later, I saw the trailer for the movie version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and I was intrigued due to my love for two things: Spy films and Gary Oldman. I then made a mental note that I will watch Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy when it comes out and I began scouring the web for production details and a brief synopsis. Thanks to the wonders of the web and the immense intellectual monstrosity that is Wikipedia, I learned that the movie was based from a book of John le Carré. I bought the book, began reading, and, a few pages in, I was instantly hooked.

The novel tells the Cold War-era story of George Smiley, a retired spymaster who was whisked from joblessness to the world that he left in order to investigate a mole within the Circus, Britain’s premiere intelligence agency. Using only his wits and a few of his trusted colleagues, he investigates the past of all the top brass of the Circus in order to deduce who is the traitor. What follows is an atmospheric game of cat and mouse and plain ol’ cerebral spy work. It may sound unexciting but the tense writing of le Carré will keep you at the edge of your proverbial seat while flipping the pages like a madman.

This is why Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is not your typical spy story filled with black and white characters, glamour, and kinetic action. Instead, the book is about the study of characters that are all morally ambiguous and a spy service that does not have the pageantry and martini bars of Bond’s world. There are no slick Aston Martins, no state-of-the-art gadgets, and no recreational fornication. John le Carre has created a spy world where instead of fistfights, we have verbal swordplay; instead of sexy Bond girls, we have the formidable Connie Sachs; instead of the flamboyant Blofeld, we have the faceless Karla; and instead of the young and suave James Bond, we have the old and intelligent George Smiley.

What I liked about the book were its characters and the dynamics between them. The interactions between them are very well-written. The narrative, although confusing at times, is very rewarding for readers who pay close attention and are not bothered by multiple readings of a paragraph. The flashbacks are interwoven nicely with the narrative and the way le Carre has humanized his characters proves that he is much a master of character development as he is a master of storytelling.

All in all, I would recommend this book for both fans and non-fans of the genre as this is truly a work of a master. John le Carre has given us the realistic side of espionage. The side which is ugly; which shows that not even your friends can be trusted; that alliances can be an illusion to hide the perfect spy; and that heroism can be found in the mind of an old man filled with regret.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 08, 2012 Jonfaith rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like George Smiley. Maybe I should note that Smiley looks nothing like Gary Oldman. Maybe I shouldn't think about cinema, the way Operation Testify was shifted from Brno to Budapest. Maybe i should just think about George Smiley. It is probable that I prefer Smiley to the novels of John Le Carre. There is much of the flawed in our protagonist. I like him. Tinker begins with verve. The novel proceeds half concealed. There is a deliberate reticence within the progression: there are glimpses and...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2012 El rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eastern-central-european-lit, late20th-centurylit, wanderlust

Apparently I'm turning into a really shitty reader.

This is the first Le Carré I've read, and whatever, I think I expected a little more James Bond than, well, George Smiley - a name which every single time was mentioned (which was quite a lot) always made me think of his muppet-brother, Guy Smiley. Picturing George as a human and not a muppet made the reading more difficult than I had intended. (See first note about becoming a really shitty reader.)

And in my current mood I wanted some violence....more

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2012 Thomas Briggs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is on my short list of yearly re-reads. It now feels as though the spy world LeCarre constructs is merely the scaffolding for an unsparing examination of human betrayal in its many forms. Romantic, marital, parental, institutional and governmental structures all corrode from the vanity and ambition of the protagonists. Characters tenuously holding on to their probity are the ones most used and discarded.

I find the character of Jim Prideaux most intriguing, though his inner life remain...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2012 Anachronist rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A quote to give you some idea what you are dealing with:

“'It is the perfect fix: you see that, don't you, Toby, really?' Smiley remarked in a quiet, rather distant way. 'Assuming it is a fix. It makes everyone wrong who's right: Connie Sachs, Jerry Westerby... Jim Prideaux... even Control. Silences the doubters before they've even spoken out... the permutations are infinite, once you've brought off the basic lie. Moscow Centre must be allowed to think she has an important Circus source; Whiteha...more

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Alice X. Zhang rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Picked this up because of the recent film, which was already grim and complicated enough to require multiple viewings. The book is even more complex (actually makes the movie seem over-simplified, which I didn't think was possible)... le Carre is definitely a master of his genre. Although Tinker Tailor's world is fictional it somehow manages to be almost overly, suffocatingly realistic, an espionage tale that has absolutely none of the flashy glamour that characterizes a lot of modern spy storie...more

7 likes · like · see review

Oct 27, 2011 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Veterans of Britain's secret service refer to MI6 as the Circus, and when Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy opens, our hero George Smiley has been kicked out of the show. So Smiley has not retired with dignity, but rather has been ousted for backing a jaded horse. The head of Circus, a spy so skilled that people only knew him as "Control," went out in a blaze of tragedy, and Smiley's career was one of the casualties.

Unknown to most, Control was trying to find a mole. He failed and the Circus has been re...more Veterans of Britain's secret service refer to MI6 as the Circus, and when Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy opens, our hero George Smiley has been kicked out of the show. So Smiley has not retired with dignity, but rather has been ousted for backing a jaded horse. The head of Circus, a spy so skilled that people only knew him as "Control," went out in a blaze of tragedy, and Smiley's career was one of the casualties.

Unknown to most, Control was trying to find a mole. He failed and the Circus has been reorganized. Now, however, one of the Circus's spies surfaces with a suspicious tale of betrayal. In Hong Kong, he has heard rumors of a mole placed right at the top of the Circus. So who watches the watchmen?

George Smiley does.

As far as spies go, George Smiley is as far removed from James Bond and Jason Bourne as we can imagine. For one thing, George is over the hill. For another, George's wife, Ann, has cheated on him many times. In fact, one character that slept with Ann explains that he just joined the "queue." George Smiley is a man whose most distinguishing feature may well be his glasses.

Which is another way of saying that we're invited to consider what's going on inside of Smiley's head -- and he's a master spy, so consider carefully. I quite like the way that le Carre illustrates Smiley's inner world. One early description of Smiley, who is struggling not to rot in his retirement, caught my eye:

He would set up as a mild eccentric, discursive, withdrawn, but possessing one or two lovable habits such as muttering to himself while he bumbled along pavements. Out of date, perhaps, but who wasn’t these days? Out of date, but loyal to his own time. At a certain moment, after all, every man chooses: will he go forward, will he go back? There was nothing dishonorable in not being blown about by every little modern wind. Better to have worth, to entrench, to be an oak of one’s own generation

Well said, though this is a message that 21st century readers might struggle to understand. "'Not being blown about by every little modern wind?' Huh?"

In many ways, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has the feel of a novel that was written in a past age. Its atmosphere is dominated by the bitter paranoia of the Cold War, spies rely on tapes with tape in them to record incriminating evidence, and files are made out of printed paper that was typed by a human being using a typewriter. This is a world in which the English Empire still exists within the living memory of England's citizens, as opposed to dusty archives of post-colonial libraries.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is not a novel for readers seeking the action-adventurer. Instead, this is a book for readers interested in an unusual spy novel. Le Carre discusses aging, betrayal, and resilience, as opposed to coming of age, vengeance, and persistence.(less)

13 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2012 Ted rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remember that when I read this (and the other Karla novels) years ago, I ripped through them to the detriment of my understanding of all the twists and turns of the plot. So although I enjoyed them immensely, when I was all finished (and even during the reading) I felt somewhat confused about what story le Carre had actually told.

So a couple years ago I watched (Netflix) the BBC adaptation of the books with Alec Guinness. Again, I enjoyed it no end, but while the 7 hour condensation of the sto...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 22, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great read...in the end.

Ok, this one was interesting as it threw up lots of double-edged characters and a system of espionage firmly planted back in the dark ages when technology was unheard of and a rigid secret service, heavily staffed and regimented, took charge of British secret service activities. These inner working alone meant that despite strict protocol, it was entirely possible that a mole existed within the top ranks.

I found the character of George Smiley completely fascinating. I rem...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 20, 2011 José-contemplates-Saturn's Aurora added it

Shelves: british-lit

A book of 1974.With an enlightening 1991 Introduction on Carré's characters vis-a-vis himself; that is,many similarities perceived between Carré and Philby,Kim...regarding the father ("dictatorial") figure;though Carré never went Philby's way. Also mentioned Carré's sympathy for George Blake: another KGB traitor,but of Jewish and Dutch descent. Revealing: Carré's reflections on the word "mole": his? ...well,no. Maybe coined by Francis Bacon, back in 1641 in "Histoire of the King Henry the Sevent...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 25, 2011 Charon added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

It took me more than half of the book to get a rough idea of what is going on (by that I don't mean the overall plot of course, that is pretty straight forward).

Only then did I start to understand how people are connected and why certain things are important enough to be investigated. After that the book got pretty interesting actually and I finished the last half within a day.

The major problem with the first half of the book is probably my inexperience with the genre in general. I read very l...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 11, 2013 Feliks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers, my-library

For quite some time, this was one of the most amazing successes in the genre of espionage fiction. It reined supreme. The reading public had never seen anything quite like it. Everyone knew John Le Carre was a spy writer and that he was quite good. Everyone--absolutely everyone--was aware of the landmark, the milestone which he had already achieved some years previously: 'The Spy Who came in From the Cold'. No one --I think--expected him to equal that triumph; no one expected him to follow that...more For quite some time, this was one of the most amazing successes in the genre of espionage fiction. It reined supreme. The reading public had never seen anything quite like it. Everyone knew John Le Carre was a spy writer and that he was quite good. Everyone--absolutely everyone--was aware of the landmark, the milestone which he had already achieved some years previously: 'The Spy Who came in From the Cold'. No one --I think--expected him to equal that triumph; no one expected him to follow that book with anything else as noteworthy. 'Cold' really made the genre impeccable; it brought espionage up to the caliber of any fiction being written anywhere in the British-speaking world. It was a tremendous feat.

And then there were a few years which went by and Le Carre comes up with this amazing book. People were perhaps only vaguely aware that his books were a continuing series; with an established set of re-appearing characters. They didn't know what he was really capable of until this hit the market; and then everyone got it. It suddenly became clear really, what a spy novel could do; what a spy novel could encompass. Le Carre--in really a masterful, quiet, devoted manner--really crafted something special here. For the first time (I believe) readers were treated to something quite new.

'Tinker, Tailor' describes the dramatic peak of a narrative premise which Le Carre started writing more than ten, or fifteen years prior; when he created the Smiley character; when he created some of the other figures in the 'Circus'. The plot in 'Tinker' reaches backwards in time and brings forward those people, and a host of crucial little fragments; allusions; faint little forgotten story elements from across a series of all of Le Carre's previous novels--and he makes new use of them as the complex foreground for a new mystery which Smiley must solve. So there's this wonderful redolence from seeing familiar names mentioned; from seeing earlier events replayed and re-analyzed; remembering back; evaluating character actions and gestures from books you last read perhaps five years earlier...really its an investigation which the reader can participate in on a personal level; purely from having read all those previous Le Carre outings.

No other author had the creativity to provided this sense of 'shared history' for readers; the shared-history which Smiley must also sift through as he goes about his discouraging task [researching the history of his friendships and colleagues and his marriage] and that history is one we know well and care about fondly, if we've been reading Le Carre at all. We share in Smiley's urgent, private hunt for that suspected, hidden figure, the alleged Soviet mole who--if he exists--has manipulated Smiley's life and his career for years; we share in this plot with an eagerness such as few stories of any kind you can discover in British lit, can invoke.

Le Carre brought this out previously, somewhat in 'the Spy Who', because 'the trial' of poor Alec Leamas in East Germany hinged on a scrap of circumstance mentioned in 'Call for the Dead'--the infamous trip by Mundt--but here, in 'Tinker' this back-pedaling is exercised even more vigorously. Its a novel of self-scrutiny. See, the quality which makes Le Carre's 'mole' stories so great (and Le Carre is the master of such storytelling) is that the elusive quarry is not 'one of them'--not some wily, slippery foreigner in some distant land which our agents must go out and destroy in 'James Bond fashion'. Instead the evildoer, the enemy, the culprit in 'Tinker' is 'one of us', one of the members of the establishment. And in order to unmask that infiltrator you have to--and Le Carre does--ruminate upon whole swathes of British culture and society (or as much as you can do, within the confines of a thriller). This is why great espionage writing is so rewarding. It forces self-reflection; forces you to gaze at your own society to spot the falsity.

Perhaps only in Charles Dickens' works--where, impassioned characters and their schemes cross lengthy intervals and lifetimes--or in the Sherlock Holmes stories (where Watson describes the history of Holmes and Moriarty) does such a 'feeling' agenda, appear. Le Carre's brilliant technique radiated a new depth to the traditional spy story in a way that pays faith entirely to itself and its genre. The resulting novel is a savory reading experience which satisfies fully well on its own, but--as the capstone to the career of the man who wrote 'In from the Cold'--well, its really just astonishing.
(less)

2 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2012 Kaph rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1000-books, london-town, game-is-afoot, g1000-crime

Verdict: A densely twisty-turny tale where office politics are indistinguishable from international espionage.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should confess I went into this book considerably biased in its favour. If you ever want me to read and approve of your work, the most sure-fire way of achieving this, as I’m sure J. K. Rowling is now aware, is to arrange for Gary Oldman to appear in the cinematic adaptation. I’m in love with him, you see. There are those that scoff and sneer, but ea...more Verdict: A densely twisty-turny tale where office politics are indistinguishable from international espionage.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should confess I went into this book considerably biased in its favour. If you ever want me to read and approve of your work, the most sure-fire way of achieving this, as I’m sure J. K. Rowling is now aware, is to arrange for Gary Oldman to appear in the cinematic adaptation. I’m in love with him, you see. There are those that scoff and sneer, but each to their own, I say. What we have is special.

In any case, the Tinker, Tailor movie was firmly in my camp on this matter. For a few glorious weeks it was if my subconscious had taken control of London media and adverts. There were Gary Oldman interviews in the Metro, his face on the cover of Shortlist, and tube adverts proclaiming ‘Gary Oldman is superb’. “Yes.” I would say to myself with a smile, “Yes he is.”

While I revelled in the publicity, I actually held off actually seeing the film due to conflagration of small reasons. I am poor. I prefer to read the book first. My Immortal Beloved grew jealous and refused to accompany me. Around the time I started smoking and drinking I began to find sitting in a cinema doing neither to be a bit of a trying experience. Nevertheless, it was firmly enshrined in my ‘to-do’ list and when, a few weeks ago, I ran across a copy of Tinker, Tailor with Gary’s beautiful face emblazoned across the cover I pounced like a ninja. When the cashier at the Waterstones offered me a promotional Tinker, Tailor bookmark I took it as confirmation that both God and Gary loved me.

Now, about the book. LeCarre is dense. Not as in stupid but as in intense, compact, heavy. He talks to you as one spy to another. Don’t try and tell him you’re not with MI5, he flat-out does not care. He will keep using fancy espionage words and talking about people you’ve never heard of as if you had dinner last week at their house and then let your hair down in the hot tub and nothing really happened but it could have, if you know what I mean. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ve trudged through enough nautical books to know if you keep reading about mizzens, fo’casles and decks of poop they eventually gain context and meaning and you feel like a cleverer person. That’s how it turned out with Tinker, Tailor. Go on, ask me about lamplighters or honey traps, I got it all.

Basically, this is a slow read, not because it’s boring, but because you have to read close so you don’t miss anything. It’s all very meta of LaCarre, making the reader act as spy. I meant to finish the book then watch the movie but in the end I broke. The siren call of the cast (I would have been hard pressed to resist Gary on his own, but with a cast also containing Mr. Darcy and Sherlock Holmes I never stood a chance) proved too much about halfway through the book. In retrospect this was probably a good way to go about it. I had read enough to know generally who people were and what was going on in the film (which is, if anything, more confusing than the book), and it also cleared a few things up for me. Prior to watching the movie I had been under the impression that Control and Jim were the same person. Whoop.

I loved the film, how could I not, but if the movie is better than the book then you’ve failed as an author. This is a slow burning spy story and I think the movie, in trying to sex it up just a bit lost a key feature of the narrative; the surreal corporate atmosphere. I loved the sense, in the novel, that MI5 is a corporation like any other with office politics, sign-in sheets, shifts, rotas and falsified sickies only with homeland security riding on the back of it all. Incidentally, if you ever find yourself in command of any number of spies do not take ‘girlfriend troubles’ as an excuse for calling in absent. It is always a lie. You’ll know they’re having actual girlfriend troubles when they show up to work. Just a little tip from LeCarre to me to you.

So there you have it. I’m not really a spy book person but this was a very literary spy book, lovely to read. Smiley always made me smile, he was just so English; a sort of bad-ass version of Drop the Dead Donkey’s George Dent. A handful of characters never made it into the movie which is a shame. One of the most interesting aspects of this was getting a peek at everyone’s background, what their life was prior to being recruited and what it becomes after leaving. It was always fun to meet more spies. Finally the end was an eloquent whisper of a bang, in keeping with the rest of the book but effective nonetheless. LeCarre did not let Gary down; a solid 4.

#27
Title Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John leCarre
When February 2012
Why Gary Oldman was on the cover
Rating 4(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 31, 2011 Jeremy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Don't know how to classify this brilliant book, my first reading of Le Carre.

Anthony Lane, in a recent New Yorker, wrote a review of the new film version of 'Tinker, Tailor,' that provided a sketch of Le Carre's career and the other George Smiley novels. I was surprised to hear Lane praise Le Carre's writing and decided to read 'Tinker, Tailor' before the movie comes out (which looks fantastic - directed by the guy that made 'Let the Right One In,' one of my favorite movies in the past few year...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 04, 2012 Kirstine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SPIES! ESPIONAGE! TREASON! DECEIT AND CORRUPTION!
Oh, how I love spy novels. No, actually I have never read a lot of them, and this was the first one in many years. With the new movie out I wanted to read the book before I watched it. Yes, I'm one of those people.

This book is excellent. The spy-lingo and code had me thoroughly confused for the first 100-150 pages (which may seem like a lot, but kind of wasn't), but after that it eased up a bit and everything started making sense. There was still...more SPIES! ESPIONAGE! TREASON! DECEIT AND CORRUPTION!
Oh, how I love spy novels. No, actually I have never read a lot of them, and this was the first one in many years. With the new movie out I wanted to read the book before I watched it. Yes, I'm one of those people.

This book is excellent. The spy-lingo and code had me thoroughly confused for the first 100-150 pages (which may seem like a lot, but kind of wasn't), but after that it eased up a bit and everything started making sense. There was still a lot of me going back and forth in chapters, checking up on names and who's who and what's that and didn't I see that before, and perhaps that should have bothered me, but I actually found it rather fun.
It's my experience that if a thriller doesn't confuse you from the start, then you might as well put it down and leave it. The fun is in the game, in the chase, in everything coming together and finally painting the bigger picture, solving the riddle you've been struggling with for 400 pages.

When done right you understand how the genre got its name; it's thrilling. No other word covers it quite the same. And this novel is such a prime example of a thriller when it's at its best. Of course it has the advantage of an extraordinary leading man, or perhaps that's just my personal opinion. In any case I love the character of Mr. Smiley, and will definitely be purchasing the other two books in this Karla 'series'. I became quite fond of Guillam too, and even Tarr, on occasion.
But I won't talk about that, mention too much with books like this and you find yourself spoiling the whole thing.

Brilliant, intelligent writing, and thrilling to an end, without losing its almost noir-esque atmosphere. Which is to say, it's not an action book, it's a book for the brain, and you'll need to keep your head straight if you want to keep up. If you do that you might also notices that the book isn't so much about finding the mole in particular, but is as much a portrait of characters, of strengths, weaknesses, idealism, loyalty and the never-ending lust for power.

I absolutely recommend it. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2010 Dan Kearns rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: espionage-and-intrigue

The ending was so deeply satisfying, intellectually and morally, that it's a book where you feel it affect your soul. In other circumstances it might have been a 5star for me, but I was listening after having read the wikipedia entry on Le Carre. It would have been wonderful if it had just mentioned that it was a meditation on Kim Philby as I hadn't picked that up yet. But, dammit, it revealed who was to be the Philby character!!

Yet, even with the twist gone, it was a fantastic read. Partly bec...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 29, 2008 Katie Abbott Harris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first in John LeCarre's Karla trilogy, this is considered to be the best espionage novel written. The superbly conceived mystery follows George Smiley, a retired British spy, in his quest to discover a mole within the Circus (British Intelligence Headquarters). "Tinker, Tailor, etc." is wording taken from a nursery rhyme that refers to the four men who have taken over the Circus, all of which are prime suspects in the case. The plot shows more similarities to an Agatha Christie novel than to...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2008 Derrick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oft billed as the "anti-Ian Flemming," John Le Carre inverts all the typical trappings of the spy-thriller: in place of the handsome, gadget-happy g-man we're given a sacked, middle-aged cuckold whose attention to detail and intellectual virtuosity quietly derail Moscow Central's invisible vise-grip on the Circus.

Note that "quietly," as the tension here is all cerebral, the violence and spectacle off-stage, and the stakes themselves, though no less dire than the fate of the world, are entirely i...more

13 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, buddy-read, read-in-2013

My first - and last - le Carre. It was far too boys-and-their-toys for me and I was completely confused from start to finish. That said, I was strangely hooked and did quite like it; I just don’t think I could put my poor head through another one!

Thanks for holding my hand, Jemidar; sorry for being a big girl's blouse ;-p

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2008 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kate by: Krissa

Shelves: borrowed, fiction, gbr_ire_cmnwlth, 1945-2000

First off, I understand that Tinker Tailor is a spy novel, and that Le Carre obviously wanted to achieve a certain effect appropriate to the genre, and to keep everything "realistic." But it was jargon-y to a fault, and in keeping its audience as in the dark as its protagonist, it succeeded too well.

Furthermore, its characters never spoke the way they were described - it was always "'could you pass the tea please, that's a boy,' he shouted furiously." And about 95% of the book is written in past...more

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 10, 2007 Dan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: spy thriller fans

Smiley is as close to being the perfect fictional character as can be. LeCarre' breathes life into him with painstaking attention to detail. Smiley is a complex individual, brilliant and deeply flawed but honorable and admirable. If George were a real human being, I think I'd like to have him as a friend.

This novel is a tour-de-force in writing and a textbook example of the cold war genre but it is also a study in human nature as well. LeCarre' is what I imagine to be an author's author.

If you d...more

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 20, 2008 danny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spystuff, fiction

I've read and re-read this probably half a dozen times. Absolutely the finest most textured espionage novel EVER written (including Le Carre's other espionage masterpiece "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold"). Honestly, you need a scorecard to keep the characters and plot line straight. Loosely based on the British spy scandals of the 50s/60s/70s. Too damned good to put down or read once. FYI the BBC television mini-series (starring Sir Alec Guiness) faithfully follows the plot line. Good times t...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2007 gaby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spy

And thus began what would be a year and a half-long obsession with George Smiley and his British Circus. Having now read every last book in which Smiley is even cursorily mentioned, I can say steadfast that this is Le Carre's masterwork. It is a warm, immersive book. It draws you in like a warm sweater, and keeps you suspended weightless and happy in its alternate world. I literally read this book three times in a row before moving on to the next in the trilogy (The Honourable Schoolboy). It is...more

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 14, 2007 Jeremiah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spyfi

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is not only le Carre's masterpiece, not only perhaps the greatest spy novel ever written, but it is also a great work of serious fiction. Few works of fiction examine so many types of betrayal: of country, of friends, of lovers, of ideals. In none of the espionage master's other works are so many layers of meaning revealed, all inseparable from a highly entertaining cat-and-mouse adventure yarn. The story of supposedly retired spy George Smiley's efforts to ferret ou...more

9 likes · like · see review

Aug 08, 2007 Christian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: espionage, fiction

This book was written to be a counter point to the James Bond films. Instead of rocket packs and laser wrist watches, it is a realistic portrayal of espionage, middle aged bureaucrats in dusty ministry offices. The tone is melancholic and philosophical. I first come across Le Carre in discussions in my ethics in government course. The main character, George Smiley, is portrayed as a moral man struggling within an amoral environment, with and against selfish, men. A bit dry, but for me its got to...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2013 Durdles rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers

The problem I have with John Le Carre novels is that he expects his readers to be as intelligent as he is and to pick up shades of hidden or double meaning during dialogue in which every careful pause and phrase is used by one character to test out another and suspicion is mutual. This can confuse a reader (me) who prefers it when people don't talk in riddles and leave things unsaid. The only thing I was (fairly) sure of was that Smiley is the good guy (having read some of his previous adventure...more The problem I have with John Le Carre novels is that he expects his readers to be as intelligent as he is and to pick up shades of hidden or double meaning during dialogue in which every careful pause and phrase is used by one character to test out another and suspicion is mutual. This can confuse a reader (me) who prefers it when people don't talk in riddles and leave things unsaid. The only thing I was (fairly) sure of was that Smiley is the good guy (having read some of his previous adventures and also knowing that Smiley's People is a sequel) and that everybody else is probably or possibly not. There is no real distinction between the Russians and the British, both of whose Secret Services know pretty much all there is to know about each other and swap staff members on a regular and informal basis as if they're on work experience so that no one really knows who is on whose side but at least they agree that neither trusts the Americans. This confusing state of affairs resolves itself nicely when TTSS is available on unabridged audio-book read by the superb Michael Jayston. His reading of the story allows the characters to live as distinct and memorable individuals and all of Smiley's doubts and careful questioning are illuminated. He gives Smiley the same voice as Alec Guinness did on TV in the 1970's which is reassuring and the other characters all inhabit three dimensions and speak with recognisable accents. My favourite bits of this were not to found in the spying. (It's not really about spying actually, Toby, but about male relationships and trust). I thought the first chapter which introduces Jim Prideaux to Bill Roach was a joy, as was the episode in which Peter Guillam is grilled by Alleline and the others at Cambridge Circus. The ability of Le Carre accurately to portray those seated around the table and Peter's awareness of each's subtle reaction to his discomforture as he glances at them is a master-class in clarity and brevity. Oh, and listen to his alcoholic and maudlin Connie. Brilliant!
You need only to allow the wonderful descriptive prose to wash over you as the tension builds. I was pleased to find that I had guessed who the Mole was and suspect that Smiley also knew early on. In fact, a whole deal of trouble could have been avoided had Control asked Smiley (or Karla who definitely knew) who he thought it was from the start. And thanks to the Daily Telegraph for this free download.(less)

1 like · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
looking for great spy novel suggestions-	117	115	May 20, 2013 10:27am
The Celia Kelly Series	1	3	May 13, 2013 06:48pm
Readering Group: Apr 2013 - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy	3	5	Mar 28, 2013 05:57am
Do your read book first or watch movie first if the movies is based on a book?	36	125	Jan 23, 2013 09:39pm
What did Karla mean by ...? (possible spoilers)	7	85	Jan 20, 2013 07:35am
Boxall's 1001 Bo...: July {2012} Discussion -- TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY by John le Carré	39	148	Oct 26, 2012 04:42am

combine
Other Editions (126)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

281 users

Thriller

229 users

Spy Thriller > Espionage

207 users

Classics

62 users

Suspense

55 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

49 users

Thriller > Spy Thriller

45 users

European Literature > British Literature

45 users

Novels

32 users

Book Club

28 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

London Match
by Len Deighton
A Coffin for Dimitrios
by Eric Ambler
Night Soldiers
by Alan Furst
The Riddle of the Sands
by Erskine Childers
Our Man in Havana
by Graham Greene

About John le Carré

John le Carré, the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (born 19 October 1931 in Poole, Dorset, England), is an English author of espionage novels. Le Carré has resided in St Buryan, Cornwall, Great Britain, for more than forty years where he owns a mile of cliff close to Land's End.

More about John le Carré...

Books by John le Carré

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (George Smiley #3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Tinker, Tailor, S...

40 trivia questions
3 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Tinker, Tailor, Soldie...

“The more identities a man has, the more they express the person they conceal.” — 62 people liked it

“There are moments which are made up of too much stuff for them to be lived at the time they occur.” — 27 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
avg rating	preview: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Goodreads rating: 3.99 (20505 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10073506-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349070201l/10073506.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10073506-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré[/url]

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (The Karla Trilogy #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website