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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold  By  cover art

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: Michael Jayston
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Publisher's summary

Alec Leamas has ended his time in Berlin. Or his time has ended him. The last of his Eastern agents has been killed, like the others, by the Abteilung. Back at the Circus, Leamas is put on the shelf. He turns to drunkenness and dishonesty and finally disappears from view, a seemingly broken man.

But unknown to anyone except George Smiley and his master, Control, Leamas has been given his toughest mission ever. He will have to be himself but more so. He will have to fight off the inevitable softening of middle age and wait a little more before he can come in from the cold. Not even Leamas can know the plan of which he is the instrument.

©1963 Victor Gollancz Ltd (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"The best spy story I have ever read." (Graham Greene)
"Le Carré is one of the best novelists - of any kind - we have." ( Vanity Fair)
"Written...with a pitiless, elegant clarity, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a first-rate thriller and more." ( Time)

What listeners say about The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

Average customer ratings
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Outstanding Novel, Brilliantly Read

Le Carre's classic spy novel is brought to life by a wonderful reading. Jayston's British voice goes so perfectly with the novel and the character's of "the circus" are brought to life right in front of your ears!

This novel is intricate with great depth of characters and twist and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat guessing till the end. The descriptions of the service, the agents, the "circus" and the enemy brings to life this Cold War classic. Do not go past this novel and this reading!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

The opposite of a page turner

Any additional comments?

The narrator was a pro but the story was soooo slllooooowww. Like a movie where you think 'it will get good soon' then realise you just wasted two hours.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Gripping Cold War thriller

Would you consider the audio edition of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold to be better than the print version?

I first read 'The Spy Who Came in From the Cold' in print when I was 12 or 13 and it was the best seller everyone was talking about. In print I tended to rush ahead to see what happened, but the audio version slows you down to savour Le Carre's writing.

What other book might you compare The Spy Who Came in from the Cold to and why?

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - a complex story with double-crosses and suspense.

Which scene was your favorite?

An early scene, when the double agent crosses the border into West Germany on his bicycle.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh yes - it will keep you sitting in your car listening to the recording, long after you've pulled into the driveway.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Book about a Different Time

The world has lost the edges this story is about. The communist ideology died an almost peaceful death, and its excesses got lost in the capitalist reconstruction. Now the only inevitable thing appears to be capitalism.
But the time described in the book and the mentalities described therein were real, as such the reading of this book is useful.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A nail biting classic with a fantastic twist

**Regarding the book**

I’ve never read le Carré prior to this book and had only rudimentary knowledge of the subterfuge and sculduggery that took place in Berlin at the time. But worry not, it becomes clear early on why John le Carré’s has come to be regarded as one of the truly great novelists in our times.

le Carré takes the reader on a thrilling (and quite chilling) Joubert through the many ins and outs of MI6’s modus operandi during that time and don’t be surprised to find out that their tactics are not quite as palatable as a certain Mr. Bond.

The book opens up with a broken man, a man at its wits end with just one last score to settle his debt to Queen and country and perhaps, along the way, also get a chance to redeem his soul. Because our dear protagonist has nothing but baggage that he carries around on his hunched back.

To say whether our protagonist finally finds what he’s looking for would give away far too much of a story that must be experienced by yourself. I’m willing to bet that you won’t regret that decision in the slightest.

**Regarding the narrator**:
No much to say her except that he did his work splendidly and even made certain accents believable without going too far. A subdued performance that suited the books slow cooking thriller theme perfectly.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

really bad

illogical and unbelievable story, too easy twists full of holes. The courtroom scene just drags on.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Still Chilling

It has been a long time indeed since I read this title. I recall it being rather dull and somewhat disturbing for a reason I couldn't quite put my finger upon. Now, with the benefit of time, I understand that I was not old enough to appreciate the chilling undertone to a book, where there is so little violence (although a fair number of people die), but an eerie threat permeates the text. That threat is like a fog that I associates with East Berlin, the Wall and all thinks KGB, NKVD and the other counterpoints to MI6 and the CIA. Listening to the narrative now I appreciate the grit, the ugliness and the end justifies everything mendacity that drove people like Smiley, Leamas, Mundt, Control, Fiedler and others. It is the reverse of the superficial sense of fairness of Liz Gold.
This is still a cracker story with a terrific ending. It's not the same as the film (with Richard Burton terrific in the Leamas role) although the core scenes are pretty close. Le Carre had a hand in the screenplay, so I guess that's not so surprising.
As for Michael Jayston's reading, I vacillated between loving it and being frustrated when he dropped the accents. In particular, his Leamas starts with a distinct Burton-like quality, but by the final chapter it had gone completely. I am not sure if that was an intended conceit, but if it was, it did not work for me. In the end I gave it a 3, but overall it is probably about a 3.5.
This was a very enjoyable re-discovery. I am sure it will prompt me to re-read the Karla Trilogy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a wow book

Would you consider the audio edition of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold to be better than the print version?

one of the best book I read in the past years. I couldn't stop listening.

What did you like best about this story?

the intricate story and the connections to the "real" world.

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A classic

How refreshing to go back to le Carre's early writing and listen to this. The performance is gripping -- I couldn't listen to the end knowing the outcome as it was too stressful.

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Classic Le Carré

Where does The Spy Who Came in from the Cold rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is probably the best spy book ever written. I have read it twice before, but thoroughly enjoyed listening to Jayston's reading. He is perfect for the job.

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