Smiley's People: A George Smiley Novel

How does an average, normal reader even begin to critique (review) the work of le Carré? The Karla Trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; Honorable Schoolboy: Smiley's People) is a series that I have had to reread on almost an annual basis since first discovering George Smiley in "Call for the Dead" ([...]) in the 1960's. I have even "enticed and corrupted" both my sons, one an Art Professor, the other a Diplomat, in my addiction and they too own and reread the books and have copies of the BBC series to watch. I shamelessly refuse to apologize for my enticement of them, or even perhaps, you the reader of this presumptuous review of such a masterwork. They are, after all, only fiction, just a series of `novels'? (Which are generally considered essentially trivial - an idea against which even Jane Austen's own strictures have had no effect). But so addictive is John le Carré's skill that even a vast general TV viewing public became so engrossed in a serialized BBC's series of one of his works that they brought the British nation to a standstill for each of the hour-long adaptions that were broadcast. Pure fascinating reading that evokes both characters and atmospheres so strongly they engage the reader and entice them to continue to read each and every one of his works. A craftsmanship based on real experience - in the British Secret Service - that adds such value to his inventions that they become a reality. The TV adaptation featured Sir Alec Guinness as the main character, George Smiley, dour, donnish master spy and charismatic leader. His portrayal was masterly, and therein lay a poisonous problem ... after the trilogy became both best-selling books, serialized television, and films; the author `killed off' (like Conan Doyle with Holmes, and Nicolas Freeling with Van der Valk) both the George Smiley, the circus, and all future Smiley's people by totally dropping him from his repertoire and changing his subjects to further and even more modern fields. In an interview the author explained his motivation for disappointing and stunning his loyal readership... "... the problem was ,whether I liked it or not by the time (Sir) Alec Guinness finished with him he was George Smiley - voice, mannerisms, looks - and by the time he had finished with my character I had been given back used goods. On the other hand, I didn't at all enjoy the fact that Smiley had somehow been taken over by my public..." Do read this wonderful series ... but your appreciation and enjoyment might also become as embittered as the rest of us disappointed fans at the disappearance of these fascinating characters and the intellectual twists of John le Carré's Smiley's people in their Cold War circus. (This review is my attempt for the whole of the "Karla" series.)

This novel is the thrilling culmination of the Karla trilogy, John Le Carre's three novels about the Cold War duel between George Smiley of the Circus, MI6, British Intelligence, and Karla of Moscow Centre in the Soviet Union. Karla surfaces in a very oblique, subtle, and roundabout way which only Smiley is truly qualified to sniff out. As usual, Smiley’s been sidelined by those with greater office politics skills but he’s drawn back in and given the opportunity to very unofficially attempt to trap his nemesis Karla who is very barely discernible through some odd contacts, some money trails, and a young woman in Switzerland. These are the elements of a spy novel that is subtle, morally deep, complex, and very sophisticated. It has all the usual trappings of Le Carre’s world - brilliantly realized minor characters, intricate and subtle narrative, a certain amount of globe trotting around Europe, and a mature, literary style which never disappoints.

Over the course of Smiley's People (and the two previous novels in the "Karla" trilogy), author Le Carré pits his non-action hero against an equally strong-willed and cunning enemy Karla. You'll have to flash back to cold war days, when it was the "west" versus the Soviet Empire. In particular, Britain served most nobly on the front line of this war, exceeding the incapable French and split-in-half Germans. George Smiley exemplifies all that is British in his ability to ponder the possibilities and circumstances as he pries deep into the enemy's heart to bring him to the other side of the dividing line. This is where Le Carré shines, in depicting the minutia without bogging down. One gets a sense of the tension and tedium of "spy" operations. There is much less flashy gun battles, car chases, and beautiful women (as there would be in a Bond novel); plenty more intellectual exploration. While I find Le Carré's take on some of the politics a bit droll, he embodies his characters with a sense of duty and purpose lacking in the superficial stories of the current crop in this field. George Smiley may have some doubts, but he follows through, which is the most important thing. One does not shirk one's responsibilities, especially be they to country. When facing an enemy as clever and equally committed as Karla, Smiley must use all his wits to achieve success. Again, this is the strongest part of the book, peeling away the layers of the onion to figure out exactly what is going on and how it will play on both sides of the iron curtain. This is the second time I've read this book, and I'll probably read it several more times because there is that much content worth enjoying.

I used to own "The Quest for Karla" omnibus of which this work is the last book. It was destroyed by too many readings. So I purchased the kindle edition since I find it uncomfortable now that am older to hold a book opened. I have all John Le Carré's books either on the shelf or in my Kindle. I could say that "Smiley's People" is one of the 7 or 8 top preferred although I also re-read with similar anticipation and pleasure such titles as The "Night Manager", "Single and Single" or "The Taylor of Panama". It is perhaps the atmosphere that touches me more closely in "A Small Town in Germany" or in "Smiley's people". This particular book is a thoroughly satisfying end of the trilogy. As different from the "Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy" as from "The Honourable Schoolboy" (which, IMHO is a superb, complex work which might require multiple readings) it is also a "Spy novel" but as usual with Le Carré, it is so much more than that. Many of the protagonists of the 2 previous tomes re-appear and, for the curtain call, even Anne's lighter. In typical Le Carré style, the story progresses through a succession of scenes tour à tour macabre, frightening, sad, suspenseful, humorous or rejoicing, observed through the humane vision of a master. True to the genre Le Carré also gives us some good spy tradecraft. He is my favorite author by far although my compatriots - their government rather- are sometimes in his sight. (with good reason probably) Everybody gets the same treatment anyway. Certainly his hero has no illusion about himself no matter what his nemesis Karla thinks about "the last illusion of the illusionless man". Although Le Carré describes terrible situations, life goes on (for most of the participants anyway) with its little habits and comforts and funny moments that he presents with much humor and compassion.

From the original hardback back in the 1970s, through a bunch of paperbacks to now a Kindle book, this novel touches me more deeply with my own age, especially now that I feel Smiley's weariness in my own body. While the series continues, this is really the culmination, and it's a beautiful piece of writing - full of cold war espionage, violence and betrayal, but also brimming with the ambiguity of human feelings and behaviors. While the previous novel is somewhat overwrought, this one is as close to perfect as le Carré ever got. I will find it hard to read another book for a bit now, but just as I have done for decades, I will go on in my search for realistic spies in a genre that has mostly become about assassins and silliness. Smiley's People is one of the best portraits of the futility and intensity of the cold war.

Excellent book

This book completes the so-called “Karla Trilogy”: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honorable School Boy; and Smiley’s People. Other reviewers insist all 3 books should be read in the trilogy order. In my opinion read Tinker, Tailor first then read Smiley’s People as there are some strong connections. The Honorable School Boy has little to no connection to Smiley’s People and I thought that book was perhaps the most boring spy novel I have read thus far. I confess the only other spy novels I have read are 11 of Len Deighton books, having read all this stuff within the last few years. Smiley’s People in my opinion is a real gem. It combines the highly detailed writing style of Tinker, Tailor and the fast moving pace of Len Deighton’s novels. So far it is the most enjoyable of all the spy novels I have read recently. FYI the excellent 6-episode mini-series based on this book with this same title can be watched on YouTube and follows the book almost perfectly. I had the pleasure of bouncing back and forth reading 3-4 chapters and watching ½ of an episode until it caught up to my last read page. Totally enjoyed combining the 2 story modes.

Smiley’s People has a great turn-by-turn plot and is a very satisfying coda to the saga of George Smiley. Also one of the few Le Carre stories with an upbeat ending. With the level of readership this novel was bound to have, and for the price tag, it’s extremely cheesy to make mistakes in formatting. There are two very obvious ones in an early chapter. A spelling error (of Smiley’s work name) and a mistake in a sentence explaining the Bill Hayden episode which irritatingly conveys the exact opposite meaning of the original text. For any well-known work not to get the format right is depressing, and insensitivity is a villain in any spy story.

"Smiley's People" reads like a farewell to all that spy stuff to which John Le Carré has treated us over so many years. In the end, Smiley has achieved what he wanted to achieve from the outset of his carreer and the round-about way, geographically as well as tactically, to get there is masterly told by John Le Carré. The novel brings us back to the Cold War, it does not shy away from murder so foul, and brings us from London via Paris, Hamburg and Thun in the Bernese Oberland to Glienicker Brücke across the river Havel. Smiley, in his retirement has not become mellower with age and keeps a critical disrace to all his former colleagues, with exception of Toby Esterhase who helps in his crafty way. As can be expected, the convoluted story is told with precise descrptions of the respective locales and personnel. What a joy to read.

I have read again Smiley's People as part of the process of re-reading the Smiley saga triggered by the last book A Legacy Of Spy. There are two line in this book which capture in my view the essence of this book, and of the best ones from le Carré: Smiley (speaking of Karla, the enemy of a life): "He was always an excessive smoker" Enderby: "Was he, by God, was he?" An apparently trivial bit of dialogue, almost irrelevant, through which le Carré manages to unveil wide open an entire world, or better, two worlds: that of George Smiley, the old master of tradecraft, whose total, deep, intimate knowledge of his enemy is put in contrast with that of the new chief, Saul Enderby, who shows no awareness of such, little details of Karla's personal life and who - in all his condescension and haughtiness - seems to consider such details as totally irrelevant, a pure fruit of Smiley's obsessive and compulsive mindset. All this is rendered in two simple lines of dialogue, no frills needed. And this is a message to his reader as well: in my novels, you might stumble in lengthy pages of apparently pointless descriptions...well, don't get bored with them, don't be one Saul Enderby, as I might well hide between those lines a small detail, a golden nugget that might become very important later on for the full understanding of the whole plot. This is the essence of this, as of many of le Carré's books: the ability of his heroes to spot - among bits and pieces of trivial events, often times hidden in the sea of boredom of some of his pages - the seeds of potentially bigger plots, the ability to connect weak dots allowing to go straight to the heart of your target. Now, as far as Smiley's People goes, the novel has many well known elements, not least the fact (a little formulaic if you will, as this was exactly the same set up in other stories of the saga) that Smiley is recalled from some form of retirement to do the job. But this is the book in which Smiley's victory is full without any bitter aftertaste like in the other novels. Le Carré' succeeds totally in delivering such a glorious ending without falling into tackiness; thus, the magnificent conclusion of a magnificent saga.

great book but 20 pages were loose . probably damaged in transit. typical for amazon

It is a classic story by the master story teller.I had seen the BBC version directed by the excellent director Simon Langton.Though the series is wonderful nothing like holding this book in hands and read every sentence beautifully crafted.It is a pure art work.I recommend thus only to mature audiences who still enjoy old world charm brought out by the ENGLISH.

To my great friend G.L. Smiley is you, you are Smiley! Brilliant and quiet with the grace of a lion amongst wolves. I have met Smileys genre and JLeC has captured him to the minute detail. I highly recommend and applaud JLeC for the detail of his work, not rushing the reader but letting them savour the complexity of the human condition. Highly recommend!