John le Carré (David John Moore Cornwell)

[rwsaunders]

My Dad handed John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came In From The Cold to me to read when I was 15 and I have been hooked on espionage novels ever since. RIP to a true master who led an extraordinary life as well.

John le Carré: Espionage writer dies aged 89 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55297558

[72gmc]

Is that the book you recommend starting with? I haven't read his work.

[Mabouya]

Is that the book you recommend starting with? I haven't read his work.

I agree with the link below - I wouldn't start with "Spy Who Came in From the Cold," as it is pretty gray, and can be a bit of a slog, unless you enjoy "getting into people's heads" sort of spy stuff. (at least that's how it struck me when I read it a loooong time ago)

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2...rre-books.html

[lumpy]

Is that the book you recommend starting with? I haven't read his work.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is probably my favorite but the plot is complicated enough that it took me a few reads to understand what was happening. If that's appealing, start there.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is very good, not terribly long, and the plot's more straightforward. Also a great way in.

I still go back and read the three Karla novels (Tinker Tailor, The Honorable Schoolboy, and Smiley's People) every few years.

[rwsaunders]

Dan...so many books, too few hours. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy are always favorites and one of his more recent works, The Night Manager, you might recall from a made for TV series. Once you read a few, go watch Sir Alec Guinness play George Smiley and Cornwell's autobiography, The Pigeon Tunnel, is a must after you have read a few of his books. I have to laugh because when I first started reading his work, there was no www, so I had to find a resource to help me understand British terms such as boot, bonnet, spanner, lorry and WC, so that I could follow the stories. "The assailant struck the man with a large spanner, while first making sure that nobody had witnessed the event, then he discretely placed the now unconscious individual, in the boot of the saloon."

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2...statement.html

[j44ke]

I'd read the Karla Trilogy - Tinker Tailor - Honorable Schoolboy - Smiley's People. Good read, very fluid. The Alec Guinness versions* are very good, very English, occurred in multiple parts on BBC and PBS, and you almost need English subtitles and then pen & paper to keep notes. Unfortunately they only did Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People. The newer version of Tinker Tailor has a great cast and is lead by Gary Oldman as Smiley - very enjoyable movie I think.

Then the three first books - Call for the Dead, Murder of Quality and The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Cynical yes, but Le Carré is burned out and working up the nerve to write "The Spy..."

Then I'd read some of his individual novels

The Constant Gardener - One of my favorites. The ending is superlative. Haven't seen the movie.

A Most Wanted Man - Smart & current. The movie is a great version with terrific acting from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nina Hoss (who is great in everything she does.)

The Little Drummer Girl - Excellent. Movie version with Dianne Keaton as the entirely unreliable narrator/character.

Then finally A Perfect Spy - This is Le Carré's fictionalized autobiography based on himself and other people. His Portrait of the Artist. Again, completely infinitely unreliable character, even to himself.

Then go for the rest as you like.

*Alec Guinness' Smiley series' are both on YouTube. See here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNX...aDXlb-yBcx02Jw

I might actually have to watch ole Alec give it his best this evening.

[Paul Jacobs]

Do read John le Carré, and thank you Jorn for pointing out a few I have so far missed.

For an introduction to the genre I would like to make a plea for the author Eric Ambler, who was described by John le Carré as "the source on which we all draw".

[Mabouya]

Do read John le Carré, and thank you Jorn for pointing out a few I have so far missed.

For an introduction to the genre I would like to make a plea for the author Eric Ambler, who was described by John le Carré as "the source on which we all draw".

I'm pretty sure I've read something by him, but I'm not sure which one(s). That was back in middle and secondary school (well over 40 years ago) when I read just about everything in that genre in my school's library, from the Bobbsey Twins and Hardy Boys to Alistair MacLean to le Carré...

[BBB]

I'd read the Karla Trilogy - Tinker Tailor - Honorable Schoolboy - Smiley's People. Good read, very fluid. The Alec Guinness versions* are very good, very English, occurred in multiple parts on BBC and PBS, and you almost need English subtitles and then pen & paper to keep notes. Unfortunately they only did Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People. The newer version of Tinker Tailor has a great cast and is lead by Gary Oldman as Smiley - very enjoyable movie I think.

Then the three first books - Call for the Dead, Murder of Quality and The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Cynical yes, but Le Carré is burned out and working up the nerve to write "The Spy..."

Then I'd read some of his individual novels

The Constant Gardener - One of my favorites. The ending is superlative. Haven't seen the movie.

A Most Wanted Man - Smart & current. The movie is a great version with terrific acting from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nina Hoss (who is great in everything she does.)

The Little Drummer Girl - Excellent. Movie version with Dianne Keaton as the entirely unreliable narrator/character.

Then finally A Perfect Spy - This is Le Carré's fictionalized autobiography based on himself and other people. His Portrait of the Artist. Again, completely infinitely unreliable character, even to himself.

Then go for the rest as you like.

*Alec Guinness' Smiley series' are both on YouTube. See here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNX...aDXlb-yBcx02Jw

I might actually have to watch ole Alec give it his best this evening.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a great read. Initially hard to wrap your hand around with the lingo, but once you get on top of that it is a great read. The characterisation of Smiley as the master spy (regretful, flawed, disheveled, ruthless) is very well done.

His work also explores the grey in people and causes well. The Little Drummer Girl is a good example as is The Night Manager.

The Constant Gardner is a great book and movie.

[echappist]

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a great read. Initially hard to wrap your hand around with the lingo, but once you get on top of that it is a great read. The characterisation of Smiley as the master spy (regretful, flawed, disheveled, ruthless) is very well done.

His work also explores the grey in people and causes well. The Little Drummer Girl is a good example as is The Night Manager.

The Constant Gardner is a great book and movie.

Too bad the adaptation of Night Manager was utter shyte. Had great promise/premise, but damn the ending was a stinker.

Liked the other adaptations though. One of these days, i should get the Karla trilogy. Only grumble is that the pacing of the first 30 minutes is excruciatingly slow.

[choke]

I think that A Small Town in Germany is my favorite.

[lumpy]

I think that A Small Town in Germany is my favorite.

I had forgotten about that one but I enjoyed it a lot.

[72gmc]

Thanks, everyone. Once I get through the two books I'm already reading, I'll start working on these recommendations.

[gt6267a]

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a great read.

Read the book years ago and watched the movie again last night. Gary O was wonderful. Le Carre was a master of what was not said.

[jclay]

Read the book years ago and watched the movie again last night. Gary O was wonderful. Le Carre was a master of what was not said.

You saw that one?? Do yourself a big favor; wipe it from your mind, and get the 1979 BBC version with Alec Guinness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker...y_(miniseries)
It's 290 or 315 minutes of an incomparable cast and flavor of the era. I refuse to watch the recent version and pollute the original.

And then get the BBC production of Smiley's People.

Trust me; you're in for a major treat.

[echappist]

You saw that one?? Do yourself a big favor; wipe it from your mind, and get the 1979 BBC version with Alec Guinness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker...y_(miniseries)
It's 290 or 315 minutes of an incomparable cast and flavor of the era. I refuse to watch the recent version and pollute the original.

And then get the BBC production of Smiley's People.

Trust me; you're in for a major treat.

Of course Alec Guiness is incomparable, but the modern update really wasnt all that bad.

I do need to source high quality rendition of the BBC original. Easier said than done though.

[jclay]

but the modern update really wasnt all that bad.

I'll take your word for it

[j44ke]

Of course Alec Guiness is incomparable, but the modern update really wasnt all that bad.

I do need to source high quality rendition of the BBC original. Easier said than done though.

I agree. The modern version benefitted from some smoother surfaces and clarity versus the older version. I thought Oldman, Cumberbatch and the actor who played Percy Adeline were great.

But it is an unfair comparison really, because the older version is 6 episodes at 52 minutes each. The newer version is a 2 hour movie.

The version I linked above isn't too bad quality. And Smiley's People is uploaded by the same YouTube member.

[Paul Jacobs]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...-john-le-carre

[TMB]

I'd read the Karla Trilogy - Tinker Tailor - Honorable Schoolboy - Smiley's People. Good read, very fluid. The Alec Guinness versions* are very good, very English, occurred in multiple parts on BBC and PBS, and you almost need English subtitles and then pen & paper to keep notes. Unfortunately they only did Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People. The newer version of Tinker Tailor has a great cast and is lead by Gary Oldman as Smiley - very enjoyable movie I think.

Then the three first books - Call for the Dead, Murder of Quality and The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Cynical yes, but Le Carré is burned out and working up the nerve to write "The Spy..."

Then I'd read some of his individual novels

The Constant Gardener - One of my favorites. The ending is superlative. Haven't seen the movie.

A Most Wanted Man - Smart & current. The movie is a great version with terrific acting from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Nina Hoss (who is great in everything she does.)

The Little Drummer Girl - Excellent. Movie version with Dianne Keaton as the entirely unreliable narrator/character.

Then finally A Perfect Spy - This is Le Carré's fictionalized autobiography based on himself and other people. His Portrait of the Artist. Again, completely infinitely unreliable character, even to himself.

Then go for the rest as you like.

*Alec Guinness' Smiley series' are both on YouTube. See here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNX...aDXlb-yBcx02Jw

I might actually have to watch ole Alec give it his best this evening.

I have read all of his books, more times than I remember - they are ones I always go back to and read again.

For me - The Constant Gardener is the best - even if not a Smiley book.

As fo the post below yours - Eric Ambler is always worth the read.