In need of Le Carre Advice

[Mark]

I have never read anything by John Le Carre. My library had these three books, and I don't know which one to read first. Please give me some guidance.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Helen]

Tinker Tailor is the one to read first.
It's not just an espionage book, it's a work of great literature, with a shadowy, ambiguous plot, complicated characters, great slangy dialogue, precise prose that makes you ache. In Tinker Tailor, Le Carre creates an entirely believable secret world.

If you like it, read The Honorable Schoolboy next--it was the second in the Karla trilogy, followed by Smiley's People. Absolute Friends is a much more recent book.

[Mark]

Thank you. Excellent perspective.

[Helen]

My pleasure! Enjoy!

[James]

Skip those for now. Find a copy of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Read it. A must read. Not just a spy story. Then in a couple of years read it again.

[Richard]

I'd recommend Perfect Friends and then get A Prefect Spy, even if you have to get it in from another library. le Carre's best books are all about the personalities.