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How's this book going? I started it on my kindle but couldn't get through it. It was just too disorienting for me. And I felt it was a bit dated with all the cold war stuff. I would like to go beck to it one day though.

It's supposed to be great, but it was way too complex for me on audio. I have a print copy on my night table but I want to read "The Casual Vacancy" first because it's still very popular and I may not be able to renew it. I was just too lazy to remove it from my currently reading shelf since I plan to get to it soon. You know I'll let you know what I think! ;)

Update -- I'm reading this now, Ariella, and I completely agree with you re. both the confusion and the Cold War datedness. But a lot of the goodreads reviews say that it gets better and it's worth it to put up with the confusion in the beginning, so I'm going to try slogging through and see if that's the case.

Wow! I'm not sure I will go back to this one so fast after that review! Maybe the movie is better?

A lot of goodreads reviewers referred to the movie. I think some of them may have felt it was better, or even that it enhanced their appreciation of the book. But I'm not sure that view was consistent.

Hi there K, hope you don't mind my butting in after all this time.

The 2011 film starring Gary Oldman reminds me, in weird ways, of the film version of HP & the Prisoner of Azkaban, they are both atheistically brilliant and the actors and actresses delivered a collectively compelling performance, but certain important things were altered in or left out of the screenplay, severely damaging the story, especially in PoA—how can they all but eliminate the Marauder backstory away? The confrontation with Wormtail (and his later escape) was a culmination of the past generation's hubris, misunderstandings and general f-ups, without the backstory it all went hollow.

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Did you listen to an audiobook of TTSS? Was it, perchance, read by a Michael Jayston? Do you know that he was the guy who actually played Peter Guillam in BBC's 1979 miniseries of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy? That show had 45min x 7episodes to pan out the events of the book, if you're still interested in finding out the whole story I recommend you watch that instead of the film version. You can download a bt torrent of it complete with subtitles. I watched that first before tackling the book (I've been listening to Jayston's audio version at the same time), and i must say that the narrative structure really is made complex, because perhaps the author is leading us readers along the same path George did in unravelling the mystery—the hard part is determining what the heck the Dark Conspiracy by the Soviets really is. By the time they spring the trap we'd all breathe a sigh of relief.

At least that was the impression I got from the miniseries. If you watched it, please let me know what you think of the story.

Hi, David, I haven't seen any of the film versions so I can't really comment about that. I did start out listening to the audiobook. I can't remember the name of the reader; it was a really long time ago.

I also found the narrative structure quite complex, and ultimately too challenging for me although I recognize that that may say more about me than about the book. Everyone has their own threshold for the amount of effort they're willing to invest in getting into a book. This book exceeded that threshold for me. I'm assuming the story is a good one since lots of people sing its praises, and if I ever end up watching the BBC miniseries I may change my view. In the meantime, though, I'm not motivated to revisit it any time soon.

That's fine. Even with the help of audiobook I only reached chapter thirteen so far; and the tv series I finished watching in over a dozen separate 'takes'. For the 'current' bare minimum, I'd like to suggest that you go to televisiontunes and download the show's opening credits theme and end credits theme (some sort of hymm) and listen to them; the opening credits are shown over the sequences of an angry-faced Matryoshka doll (which is pretty sinister in itself) seemingly opening up by itself to reveal an even angrier one . . . the last doll is without a face, and when opened it's empty inside � that was in fact the whole plot in a nutshell: George Smiley painstakingly unravels Karla's master plan in order to find the mole (who remains faceless till the end) but in the end the victory can only be a pyrrhic one.

I'm not sure I'll end up revisiting it, but if I do, I'll follow your advice. Thanks.

I think you may be my long-lost twin! I had the same problems with this book. Also, I kept getting bogged down in the vernacular and wishing the characters would just speak some version of English I understand!

Yes! So glad it's not just me. I feel like I must be much stupider than all those readers who describe this as a great classic.

I think it's at least a classic within the genre.

It seems to be; it just didn't work for me.

I feel exactly the same about this one! I spent most of my time reading it pondering if my lack of enjoyment was down to me or le carre! considering the statute of this novel and the write I sadly think it might be the former! Have you read any others of his?

I haven't been tempted to try le Carre again, since I think this was his most famous novel and it really didn't work for me. I'm wondering if spy novels simply aren't my genre.

Hi Kaya

John le carre is a favourite on british radio shows. He is much coveted by broadcaster because he refused a knighthood from the Queen. In any case, I was once hearing a well known intellectual and broadcaster Melvynn Bragg who said that when reading le carre you have to make notes. I didnt do that and I;m guessing neither did you and a lot of others. That's why I am as bewildered as you as to what was going on. John le carre should have had more respect for the people who parted with their money to buy the book

This kind of novel requires the readers to have a memory as good as Smiley's; if we don't then we need to take notes, about past events, names and other details. You don't have to like this, but it's far from being pretentious.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I don't think this is the genre for me either :)

Thanks, Michelle! Always nice to hear you're not alone!

As a big spy fan, I can say that both this book and the movie were some of the most boring hours I have spent in my life. Le Carre has do many better novels, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, for example

I was so damned confused about all the stuff in the archived, argh!

Interesting how some reviews & reviewers seem to feed on each other. It is not a question of being "smart enough" to read the John le Carré novel but having the patience to read a book that is written in a particular manner, with a slowly-paced development & characters who can put the reader at a distance.

In spite of that, the author expresses himself very well but does use spy-jargon & the kind of language the characters would have used in speaking to each other. This is not James Bond material & I can't imagine dealing with it in an audio book vs. actually reading it, slowly.

Convoluted, POV’s changing all the time, characters coming and going...it’s hard work?!

I couldn’t agree more. This is a hard read. I so desperately wanted to enjoy it, but the POV is constantly changing, there’s almost nothing straight forward and I couldn’t tell if I was in the past or the present or simply someone’s thoughts. I think the writing style is not for me but I hope there are other spy novels that I can get into. Anyone have any suggestions?

Despite giving this book 5 stars I agree that it can be confusing. In fact, halfway through I went back to the beginning and started again. That's something I've never done but in this case it helped tremendously.

@Quo "It is not a question of being "smart enough" to read the John le Carré novel but having the patience to read a book that is written in a particular manner"
I've got plenty of patience pal and a long attention span. Perhaps you need to accept that some people just don't get on with this book.

Read and appreciated, more reviews should be as honest and helpful to prospective readers of books in Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.