Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

With apologies to Ian Fleming, I like George Smiley much better than James Bond. I was a little worried that the book would be too dull or dry or technical for me when my husband first read it, but I'm glad i gave it a try. It's true that there are no grand car chases, shoot outs or clever gadgets, no death defying stunts or torrid love scenes, but i was gripped by the story and character right off the bat. The characters are well developed and mostly multi dimensional, i found myself riveted whenever Smiley interrogated someone, the depth of thought and strategy in general were fascinating and the twists and turns kept me thinking about the story whenever i had to put it down. I felt really invested in the characters and what was going on, and actually cried at the inevitable end. I especially like how le Carré told the story, slowly revealing the past as Smiley relived it during his investigation, i had to keep reading because i really needed to know what happened! I kinda wish there had been more and better female representation, but given one of the final reveals/twists being shown with barely a disparaging remark, i can't complain too much

I’ve read most of John le Carré’s books, and this is my second time reading Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. To put it simply, which is difficult to do with a le Carré novel, the story is about the hunt for a Soviet mole who placed very highly in British Intelligence.

Right from the start, I must confess a slight bias against this novel: I don’t like the “whodunit” format. Most writers give us a crime - usually a murder - then they give us several suspects whom the protagonist must investigate, casting equal guilt on all of them, only to have the real villain be someone not even suspected or the suspect with the least obvious motive. This is not that kind of novel.

Nor is it your typical espionage thriller with loads of action and no substance. Where most spy thrillers have two people trying to kill each other, this novel has two people talking; where most spy thrillers have someone fleeing for their life, this novel has someone sitting at a desk reading a file; where most spy thrillers have the hero get the beautiful girl, this novel’s protagonist has unresolved problems with his wife. The effect is credibility over cheap thrills. It may slow down the pace for the average reader, but I don’t believe this novel is for that group anyway.

The narrative is fairly detailed, thus giving the novel a smooth and steady flow despite the numerous flashbacks. Le Carré often has his own espionage jargon, so readers have to pay attention to what is being discussed. He also assumes readers will be able to discern for themselves what is really going on, so he doesn’t spell everything out. This is most noteworthy with the dialogue, which never sinks to having two old acquaintances talking like they have just met “for the readers’ benefit”. Le Carré often talks in riddles, both in the narrative and in dialogue, which is very refreshing and enjoyable to decipher.

The novel is also about more than just a mole hunt. It is a criticism on organizational structuring and the information hoarding and inter-department power struggles that go along with it. They can weaken an organization’s effectiveness and benefit the opposition, especially if the opposition is the one orchestrating it. It also has separate discussions about different kinds of betrayal and forgiveness that blend in well with each other.

There was one part in the novel where I felt one piece of information was discovered in a too convenient manner. Also, from having read many of his novels, this isn’t a character novel like some of his later ones; this one is more plot intensive. It isn’t like his own Perfect Spy or Philip Roth or John Irving. The characters, main and supporting, are still interesting and varied - although somewhat old manish - just not analyzed to the degree of a character novel.

The nice thing about le Carré’s novels is the depth beneath the surface--something that most authors never attempt, and those that do seldom succeed at. His novels are well-written entertainments. I wouldn’t recommend them to just anyone, but they should be enjoyed by thriller readers who are frustrated by what’s out there and looking for something more challenging, as well as by readers at a more literary level looking for something intricately plotted but without compromising writing quality.