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jimbowen0306's review against another edition
4.0
Smiley's People is the third story in the John Le Carre George Smiley/Karla trilogy. I've now read the first and third books.
In this book George Smiley (the retired temporary head of MI6) is asked to investigate the death of General Vladimir (a former spy). Vladimir was a former Russian officer who spied for the British year ago, and lived to retire. The problem was that the General was trying to make contact with MI6, after he is contacted by a Russian emigree in France. The question is, why's he calling? Smiley tries to find out.
As the investigation continues, the death of a "stringer spy" (Otto Leipzig) sees Smiley's concerns confirmed, and he and Karla (the head of the Russian "service") do battle to see if Smiley can come out on top in the third stage of their personal duel.
It's not a bad book, but it feels... old. I can see it's well written, but I think it drags a little (and not just because it's set in a time that doesn't exist any more). The book was written in 1978/79, and in the intervening years I think people have got more used to pace in their books.
In this book George Smiley (the retired temporary head of MI6) is asked to investigate the death of General Vladimir (a former spy). Vladimir was a former Russian officer who spied for the British year ago, and lived to retire. The problem was that the General was trying to make contact with MI6, after he is contacted by a Russian emigree in France. The question is, why's he calling? Smiley tries to find out.
As the investigation continues, the death of a "stringer spy" (Otto Leipzig) sees Smiley's concerns confirmed, and he and Karla (the head of the Russian "service") do battle to see if Smiley can come out on top in the third stage of their personal duel.
It's not a bad book, but it feels... old. I can see it's well written, but I think it drags a little (and not just because it's set in a time that doesn't exist any more). The book was written in 1978/79, and in the intervening years I think people have got more used to pace in their books.
quinn_fields's review against another edition
3.0
Some great Le Carre stuff going on here, but I still left feeling Karla folded pretty quickly after being built up so much over the last couple of books
8797999's review against another edition
5.0
A return to form, foun this was a noticable improvement on The Honourable Schoolboy and a fine way to end the Karla Trilogy.
A superb plot and one that was also very personal and poignant, Smiley's swansong and the final crossing of swords with Karla. A sparse but fitting ending. I found this one was feeling similar to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and I was expecting a similar end as Leamas.
Just two more Smiley books to go, I am curious as to where the series goes from here.
A very solid 4.5/5 which is sure to be rounded up. Top 3 in the Smiley series for me.
A superb plot and one that was also very personal and poignant, Smiley's swansong and the final crossing of swords with Karla. A sparse but fitting ending. I found this one was feeling similar to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and I was expecting a similar end as Leamas.
Just two more Smiley books to go, I am curious as to where the series goes from here.
A very solid 4.5/5 which is sure to be rounded up. Top 3 in the Smiley series for me.
daspork's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
isolated_matrix's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thejadedreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Fantastic. Simply fantastic.
George Smiley has had his whole career ruined, his love life shattered, and he's lost friends along the way, all thanks to one Russian spy by the name of Karla.
He's jaded, bitter, but now he's been given the opportunity to step into the field one final time and bring his life-long adversary down once and for all.
This truly is the trilogy that keeps on giving. We see Smiley in a new light, one which casts him in a shadow of impatience and and fevered determination. True to le Carré's form, I was left guessing right up until the very end and I was not disappointed.
Without a doubt, this is the best in the Karla trilogy but only if you go into it knowing what this old retired spy has been through.
George Smiley has had his whole career ruined, his love life shattered, and he's lost friends along the way, all thanks to one Russian spy by the name of Karla.
He's jaded, bitter, but now he's been given the opportunity to step into the field one final time and bring his life-long adversary down once and for all.
This truly is the trilogy that keeps on giving. We see Smiley in a new light, one which casts him in a shadow of impatience and and fevered determination. True to le Carré's form, I was left guessing right up until the very end and I was not disappointed.
Without a doubt, this is the best in the Karla trilogy but only if you go into it knowing what this old retired spy has been through.
warrenl's review against another edition
5.0
For my money, this is the best of the so-called Karla trilogy. Tight plotting, tension, extraordinarily well-depicted characters, superlative writing, and at the very end... Karla, Smiley's mythical, remote, ruthless nemesis, suddenly exposed, frail and very human.
A masterpiece in all senses of the word.
A masterpiece in all senses of the word.
bookswithlydscl's review
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is not an action-packed spy thriller, so modern readers unfamiliar with a John le Carré may be frustrated by the slow pace and wordy heavy narrative, but it worked really well for me. There are elements of the writing that create such a vivid image in your mind that it's like a film running in front of you (a descriptor of a pretentious moped springs to mind). This is a dull, drab world with spy craft that is about details rather than action and essentially nothing happens and despite that it's compelling reading and the rich tones of the narrator for the audiobook enhanced it all further.
This is book 3 in the Karla Trilogy so there is history which does enrich the story but reading out of order can be done despite that.
This is book 3 in the Karla Trilogy so there is history which does enrich the story but reading out of order can be done despite that.
_hedonicadaptation's review
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
oscarpatton's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0