Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

A George Smiley Novel

By: John le Carré

Narrated by: Michael Jayston

Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

The inspiration for the major motion picture Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.

The first novel in John le Carré's celebrated Karla trilogy, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a heart-stopping tale of international intrigue.

The man he knew as "Control" is dead, and the young Turks who forced him out now run the Circus. But George Smiley isn't quite ready for retirement - especially when a pretty, would-be defector surfaces with a shocking accusation: a Soviet mole has penetrated the highest level of British Intelligence. Relying only on his wits and a small, loyal cadre, Smiley recognizes the hand of Karla - his Moscow Centre nemesis - and sets a trap to catch the traitor.

The feature film adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and features a cast that includes Gary Oldman as Smiley, Academy Award-winner Colin Firth (The King's Speech), and Tom Hardy (Inception).

©2011 John le Carre (P)2011 Penguin

Intellectual greatness

JlC is a master when it comes to creating the lives and intricate plots of spies. Without him, the genre would be at a huge loss. This book is one of the prime examples of gripping your brain without needing much action.

simply brilliant

I have always loved this novel and the two others in the series, but the reading is astounding. Michael Jayston, who played Peter Guillam in the original BBC adaptation, brilliantly channels Alec Guinness in his rendering of George Smiley. So beautifully and atmospherically written and read.

Michael Jayston

No one else should ever be allowed to narrate John Le Carre books. He is perfect.

hard to follow characters but enthralling

I loved it. it was just hard to follow the movement of the plot between scenes.

Hard to get into @ 1st

The story line was confusing & characters also until midway in book when it all started to make sense- from then on it was a gripping story. I didn't want it to end. Much better in audio than the movie!

Novel and movie very complimentary

Would you listen to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy again? Why?

Yes probably so.

What other book might you compare Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy to and why?

The Godfather; at times methodical but very well constructed.

What does Michael Jayston bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A voice.

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

Not really; One sitting is a bit of a stretch but there were times when I did not want to stop.

Beautiful and haunting.

One of the best spy stories I have read. You won't be disappointed. Introspective. Magnificently narrated.

Brilliant Spy Novel

I watched the 2011 movie first, several times . Then listened to this novel which filled in what the movie needed to expand. The Cold War spy game is sad and lonely, with most of the characters trying to find and relive their glory days of WWII. This is a long novel and one you have to pay attention to, but well worth your time.

Spy talesd

Old fashioned writing, of course, but entertaining. They need to get more recorded (Le Carre)

Complex but intriguing

I used a different strategy for listening to this book - I read about the plot and watched the movie, and was thus able to understand what was going on, and still found it very interesting. Had I not done that, then a casual listening would have left me more confused than satisfied. This is almost a novel to be studied rather than simply enjoyed for the suspense.