From the Bookshelf of Reading List Completists

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
by
Start date
August 1, 2017
Finish date
August 31, 2017
Discussion
Group Reads
Why we're reading this
Winner August 2017 Back In Time Poll

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Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 98 topics — 1,581 comments total
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What Members Thought

Jason
Dec 05, 2017 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: own
Cold War Era East v. West - What is your ideology? Your guiding philosophy? Do the ends justify the means?

This is a slowly evolving spy novel that by the end will make you question everything you thought you ever knew (only slightly hyperbolic). This is a smart story, and what's more, it is entertainingly thought provoking. This starts out somewhat slowly as we get to know Alec Leamas, our protagonist, and follow along as he seemingly is going to seed, and to drink, after a career ending series
...more
Brooklyn
Great book - wow! Read for Goodreads group on some 100 greatest books list - never read Lecarre. Powerful story - masterful writing, plot and characterization. Plus totally dig the retro Cold War, preGlasnost 1960s Euro gloom and existentialism. Ending was a wow too. Will need to read more now.
Eileen
Spy novels are not usually my thing, but I thought I'd give this classic a try, especially because there was a lot of interest in one of the groups here on Goodreads. I'm not sure what I expected from this novel, but I thought there was going to be more action, along the lines of James bond. There was definitely some action, but there was a lot more conversation and there was even a trial of sorts. There were quite a few twists and turns that I didn't expect, and I definitely didn't expect the e ...more
Michelle Bacon
Great spy novel about Alec Leamas, who works for George Smiley and on his last mission. This was my first Le Carre read and probably not my last. I truly felt this was better than James Bond. A true must read!!
Christine PNW
Sep 07, 2020 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
What a bleak tale.
Helen
The Spy Who Came In From the Cold is a classic Cold War espionage thriller that is the prototype of the modern spy novel. Published in 1963, a time of great tension between East and West, the novel is both firmly of its time yet also timeless for the present day reader. Alec Leamas, a seemingly washed - up British Intelligence agent who has failed in Berlin, is called on for one last mission to infiltrate the East German Party as a double agent. The plot twists and turns, never revealing more th ...more
Luke Walker
May 07, 2013 rated it it was ok
I wanted to like this book but I really didn't. It was boring to me and I just couldn't get into it. ...more
Steve
Jan 09, 2010 rated it really liked it
Katie
Mar 28, 2012 marked it as to-read
Naga Sravika  Bodapati
Jan 28, 2014 rated it really liked it
Kathy
Apr 24, 2014 rated it really liked it
Lindsay
Apr 10, 2015 marked it as to-read
Glenda
Jul 30, 2015 marked it as to-read
Melissa
Dec 06, 2017 rated it liked it
Shelves: time-top-100
Simone
Feb 10, 2017 marked it as to-read
Carol
Feb 15, 2017 marked it as to-read
Kate
Jul 28, 2017 marked it as to-read
Shelves: on-kindle
Sue K H
May 06, 2020 rated it it was amazing
George Poirier
Jan 13, 2018 rated it really liked it
Eric Richards
Dec 30, 2018 marked it as to-read
Sue K H
Aug 25, 2019 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: favorites
AGB
Nov 15, 2019 marked it as to-read
Quimby
Dec 13, 2020 marked it as to-read
Lane Willson
Jun 13, 2021 rated it liked it
Robert Sweeney
Mar 29, 2022 marked it as to-read
Amy
Jan 04, 2023 marked it as to-read
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