Book Review - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John le Carre
In ‘Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy’ George Smiley is on the trail of a mole. It’s a battle of wits between him and Karla, his nemesis in the Russian secret service.
Betrayal and espionage
This is tightly plotted thriller, with Le Carre a master of dropping just enough clues for the reader to feel they’re on the trail as well. It’s very much a story of betrayal, as there are any amount of agents and double agents on the go. You need to pay attention throughout - drop a thread and the book might start to feel confusing.
It’s not just betrayal in the murky world of international espionage - Smiley has also been betrayed in his home life. When we meet him first, he’s muddling through retirement, but it soon becomes apparent that there’s only one man fit enough for the job.
Spying
One of the things I liked about this book is how real Le Carré makes the world of espionage feel real. At times it’s incredibly humdrum, with a lot of sitting around. And there’s any amount of office politics to contend with.
But then we’re off on a trail, listening to a story that takes in Singapore and Russia, with drop off points, lamplighters, scalp hunters and black cars driving slowly. It was during these stories that I became totally immersed in the ‘tinker tailor soldier spy’.
George Smiley
There are a lot of characters in the book and you really have to pay attention at the beginning of ‘Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy’. You’ll also come across a fair amount of jargon that take a bit of getting used to, but after a while you feel part of that world.
George Smiley is a great character, and you feel you’re learning more about him as the book goes on. In a world of snakes, he’s honourable and dedicated to his job. If he’s been asked to come out of retirement, it’s because he’s the best.
Summary
I enjoyed this. It took a while to get to know who’s who, and I took my time in certain sections. Le Carré is a fine writer, and this is tightly plotted and wonderfully paced, and he creates a wonderfully murky atmosphere but also a very believable world.
If you keep up and and allow yourself to enjoy a master craftsman at work, the pay off is worth it as the net closes in on the mole. Part of a trilogy, I’ll be reading the other two at a later date, so there’ll be a couple more book reviews to come on Le Carré.
Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy by John le Carré
First published May 12th, 1974
381 pages