A Perfect Spy

A Novel

By: John le Carré

Narrated by: Michael Jayston

Length: 20 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Over the course of his seemingly irreproachable life, Magnus Pym has been all things to all people: a devoted family man, a trusted colleague, a loyal friend - and the perfect spy. But in the wake of his estranged father's death, Magnus vanishes, and the British Secret Service is up in arms. Is it grief, or is the reason for his disappearance more sinister? And who is the mysterious man with the sad moustache who also seems to be looking for Magnus?

In A Perfect Spy, John le Carré has crafted one of his crowning masterpieces, interweaving a moving and unusual coming-of-age story with a morally tangled chronicle of modern espionage.

With an Introduction by the Author

©1986 David Cornwall (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Le Carré's best book, and one of the finest English novels of the 20th century." (Philip Pullman)

Really is his best work

It's not overhyped. This is Carre's best spy novel. If you enjoyed any of the Smiley series, be sure to listen to this.

The inner workings of a spy’s mind

LeCarre’s goes to inner motivations here, and provides the phenomenal Simon Vance with rich and varied characters and voices to express. You feel like you’ve known the main characters as people you’re actually met. It’s a very lush story, full of intimate detail and colour.

A little confusing

Had trouble keeping track of which character was talking sometimes and whether I was supposed to be in the present or past. But the prose was wonderful.

Different type spy novel

Interesting, but too many “flash backs” with minute detail, maybe too much of psychology in manipulation. Different for sure!

Brilliant!

This is the first le Carré book I’ve read, so I didn’t know what to expect. The book more than exceeded expectations. The narration is excellent. The plot is complex and deep. The writing is fantastic. The beginning is a little difficult to follow with the perspective shifts and jumping back and forth in time, but you catch on quickly. I highly recommend.

They Don't Come Any Better

A great, intricate, psychologically sophisticated story beautifully performed., The reader nailed the various European accents and English class accents. The story is very artfully told and structured.

Different than other Le Carres

Be patient. At first you feel like you are reading Finnegan’s Wake. Literary but impossible to understand! The prose is beautiful but the story is hard to follow. But hang in there you will be rewarded. With time it becomes clear that the spy is revealing himself to the reader in disjointed memories which serve as clues. He invites the reader to discover him as a friend or acquaintance would though bits & pieces. Bits & pieces lead to suspicion & doubt, as if the reader was discovering his real life history over many years. Is that person who he who he says he is? Here’s another memory; another clue. Up until the very end Le Carre is spinning his remembrances, revealing the Perfect Spy’s true self. Knowing that the book is semi-autobiographical is a bonus. Beautifully written. Beautifully narrated

Hard to follow

It was hard to follow, especially in the begining, but somewhat came together after a bit. Seemed rather disjointed. Bounced around alot.

Unbelievable.

The most wonderful character development. The authors harsh empathy feels almost biographical. I’m Not quite sure how someone writes a book like this.

The best spy novel with a PERFECT reading

The reading was as good as given in Tinker Tailor- it will always be one I will enjoy again and again.