The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
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- Create Date：2021-08-27 09:54:27
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：John le Carré
- ISBN：0241978955
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Summary
The classic Cold War thriller， published as a Penguin Essential for the first time。
Alec Leamas is tired。 It's the 1960s， he's been out in the cold for years， spying in Berlin for his British masters， and has seen too many good agents murdered for their troubles。 Now Control wants to bring him in at last - but only after one final assignment。
He must travel deep into the heart of Communist Germany and betray his country， a job that he will do with his usual cynical professionalism。 But when George Smiley tries to help a young woman Leamas has befriended， Leamas's mission may prove to be the worst thing he could ever have done。
In le Carré's breakthrough work of 1963， the spy story is reborn as a gritty and terrible tale of men who are caught up in politics beyond their imagining。
'Superbly constructed， with an atmosphere of chilly hell' J。B。 Priestley
'The best spy story I have ever read' Graham Greene
'The master storyteller 。。。 has lost none of his cunning' A。 N。 Wilson
'I have re-read The Spy Who Came In From The Cold over and over again since I first encountered it in my teens， just to remind myself how extraordinary a work of fiction can be' Malcolm Gladwell
'One of those very rare novels that changes the way you look at the world。 Unflinching， highly sophisticated， superb' William Boyd
Alec Leamas is tired。 It's the 1960s， he's been out in the cold for years， spying in Berlin for his British masters， and has seen too many good agents murdered for their troubles。 Now Control wants to bring him in at last - but only after one final assignment。
He must travel deep into the heart of Communist Germany and betray his country， a job that he will do with his usual cynical professionalism。 But when George Smiley tries to help a young woman Leamas has befriended， Leamas's mission may prove to be the worst thing he could ever have done。
In le Carré's breakthrough work of 1963， the spy story is reborn as a gritty and terrible tale of men who are caught up in politics beyond their imagining。
'Superbly constructed， with an atmosphere of chilly hell' J。B。 Priestley
'The best spy story I have ever read' Graham Greene
'The master storyteller 。。。 has lost none of his cunning' A。 N。 Wilson
'I have re-read The Spy Who Came In From The Cold over and over again since I first encountered it in my teens， just to remind myself how extraordinary a work of fiction can be' Malcolm Gladwell
'One of those very rare novels that changes the way you look at the world。 Unflinching， highly sophisticated， superb' William Boyd
Reviews
Hamish Crawford
，
Quintessential Cold War intrigue， which unlike some of John le Carre's later works is also a brief and suspenseful page-turner as well as a hefty analysis of ambiguity。 Quintessential Cold War intrigue， which unlike some of John le Carre's later works is also a brief and suspenseful page-turner as well as a hefty analysis of ambiguity。 。。。more
José Van Rosmalen
，
John le Carré neemt je in dit boek mee naar de duistere wereld van spionage en contraspionage in de tijd van de Koude Oorlog en de voormalige Duitse Democratische Republiek met zijn alomtegenwoordige geheime dienst。 De hoofdpersonen Alec en Liz zijn onderdeel van het spionagenetwerk。 Alec raakt aan lager wal door drankgebruik en Liz probeert hem te redden， uit oprecht menselijk gevoel。 Later lijkt dit aan lager wal raken toch gespeeld。 Een deel van het verhaal speelt in Nederland， als tussenstop John le Carré neemt je in dit boek mee naar de duistere wereld van spionage en contraspionage in de tijd van de Koude Oorlog en de voormalige Duitse Democratische Republiek met zijn alomtegenwoordige geheime dienst。 De hoofdpersonen Alec en Liz zijn onderdeel van het spionagenetwerk。 Alec raakt aan lager wal door drankgebruik en Liz probeert hem te redden， uit oprecht menselijk gevoel。 Later lijkt dit aan lager wal raken toch gespeeld。 Een deel van het verhaal speelt in Nederland， als tussenstop tussen Londen en oost-Duitsland。 Uiteindelijk eindigt het verhaal op dramatische wijze bij de Muur die dwars door de stad Berlijn loopt。 Het is een roman over doortraptheid， maar ook over naïviteit van mensen die in de zogeheten socialistische heilstaat geloofden。 Liz is daarvan een voorbeeld。 Als lezer kreeg ik vooral voor haar sympathie， ze probeerde oprecht te blijven。 Het boek is nog steeds zeer goed te lezen， tussen de DDR en de Taliban is het verschil ook weer niet zo groot， terreur komt steeds weer terug， het verhaal blijft in andere vorm actueel。 Minstens vier sterren dus。 。。。more
sohrab mohajer
，
هیولای جنگ سرد زندگیها را ویران و روانها و تنها را به ابزاری برای مقاصد قدرتمندان تبدیل میکند
Jeff Stanger
，
I finally got around to reading this classic spy novel。 This isn't your James Bond/Ian Flemming spy story。 It doesn't have the type of thrill-a-minute-action plotline。 Instead， it's a dialog-driven tale， more faithful to true spycraft， not surprising given Le Carre's career history。 I won't spoil the ending， but it wasn't satisfying personally， others may have a different view。 If not for that， I probably would have given it 5 stars。 I finally got around to reading this classic spy novel。 This isn't your James Bond/Ian Flemming spy story。 It doesn't have the type of thrill-a-minute-action plotline。 Instead， it's a dialog-driven tale， more faithful to true spycraft， not surprising given Le Carre's career history。 I won't spoil the ending， but it wasn't satisfying personally， others may have a different view。 If not for that， I probably would have given it 5 stars。 。。。more
Michael
，
I had no idea Le Carre was this kind of writer。 I am stunned by how well written this book was。
Claudia de Oliveira
，
I can see the reason why this book became an instant classic worldwide。 It's very well written。 The characters are complex and yet very well developed。Alas it's not my cup of tea， therefore my so-so rating。 Three stars。 I can see the reason why this book became an instant classic worldwide。 It's very well written。 The characters are complex and yet very well developed。Alas it's not my cup of tea， therefore my so-so rating。 Three stars。 。。。more
Christine
，
Today's review starts off with an apology to John Le Carré fans because after reading only two JLC books I have come to two conclusions: I don't appreciate his work and I know how all his books end。 Jumping to conclusions？ Perhaps， but it seems highly coincidental that， out of all of his published spy stories （25）， I somehow managed to read the only two that end in the same manner。 I'm going to give it one more try when I read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but if that book ends the way The Spy Who C Today's review starts off with an apology to John Le Carré fans because after reading only two JLC books I have come to two conclusions: I don't appreciate his work and I know how all his books end。 Jumping to conclusions？ Perhaps， but it seems highly coincidental that， out of all of his published spy stories （25）， I somehow managed to read the only two that end in the same manner。 I'm going to give it one more try when I read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but if that book ends the way The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Our Kind of Traitor did that will probably be it for me。 So with that out of the way， let's talk about The Spy Who Came in from the Cold。Alec Leamas is the leader of a Berlin spy network during the cold war when we meet him。 Reasonable success at the beginning of his program have turned into steady losses as his informants are picked off one by one and his network collapses around him。 He returns to Britain in disgrace and begins a solid downwards spiral into drunkness after being "retired" from active service and set up with a library job and pension， both of which he feels are insults to his skills and years of service。 He's right。 They are meant to be insulting， because after the collapse of his Berlin network he and Control realized they have a mole。 The carefully crafted plan is for Leamas， ignobly ejected from The Service and filled to his scalp with bitterness， will be recruited by the enemies forces and destroy the mole from within。 Le Carré writes an intriguing story with well-rounded characters， a twisty plot complicated enough that I had to to a bit of backtracking to keep all the threads in line， and a set up so real I felt like I needed clearance to read it。 Even though the book didn't do anything for me， it's clearly a classic for a reason and thriller fans untroubled by things like alcoholism， gun violence， and extra-judicial killings should absolutely give The Spy Who Came in from the Cold a look。 。。。more
Flo
，
"They have given you potato。 You must have a lover in the kitchen"Good atmosphere， but not enough conflict。The Cold War stuff is sometimes cringy。 The quote is one example。For a "smart realistic spy novel"， it doesnt feel less predictable than James Bond。 "They have given you potato。 You must have a lover in the kitchen"Good atmosphere， but not enough conflict。The Cold War stuff is sometimes cringy。 The quote is one example。For a "smart realistic spy novel"， it doesnt feel less predictable than James Bond。 。。。more
Emma Elstner
，
9/24 Jag har alltid velat bli en agent。 Bokklubbens 3:e i år。
Shirleen
，
5/5 Stars， one of the best。
Joe Shoenfeld
，
Wonderful。
Ignacio Andres
，
Highly recommended for those who love the cold war period。Ignacio Olguin B
Adam
，
Brilliant。 defo a 9/10。 starts as a gentle river， ends as rapids。 thematically， character-wise， it all works so well。 might be full marks acc。
Lyndsey
，
Not as exciting as some of Le Carré’s other works， but I did love the level of deception and commitment to destabilizing West Germany during Cold War times。
Joel Schwartz
，
Some people have said this book is dated。 I didn't see that。 It's a heady， realistic story about cold war espionage。 The three main characters， Alec， Liz and Fiedler are unique and very real。 The author said it was fiction， but it certainly seemed pretty real to me。 The 225 pages are tight with no wasted space。 Some people have said this book is dated。 I didn't see that。 It's a heady， realistic story about cold war espionage。 The three main characters， Alec， Liz and Fiedler are unique and very real。 The author said it was fiction， but it certainly seemed pretty real to me。 The 225 pages are tight with no wasted space。 。。。more
Denton
，
This is consistently held up as one of the greatest spy/crime novels ever， and it holds up to that。 I could nitpick specifics， but there's no need。 If you enjoy crime/spies/espionage you'll eventually read and enjoy this lovely trip through the Cold War。 This is consistently held up as one of the greatest spy/crime novels ever， and it holds up to that。 I could nitpick specifics， but there's no need。 If you enjoy crime/spies/espionage you'll eventually read and enjoy this lovely trip through the Cold War。 。。。more
The Lost Wizard Darth Vader of Tatooine
，
An entertaining， fast paced thriller set during the Cold War。 The books events take place on both sides of the Iron Curtain。 As someone who works with the CIA， DIA， and Office of Naval Intelligence this was a goodd book。
Mary
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 So good！！ What a devastating ending。 I saw the twist coming but didn't realize the full extent of it all until the very end So good！！ What a devastating ending。 I saw the twist coming but didn't realize the full extent of it all until the very end 。。。more
Edward Hacking
，
'Shut up。 Don't try the man in charge routine。 Not with me。 I can see right through you because there's nothing there。 You're empty'I've never read a book so easily translatable for the big screen。 The chilliness of the story is perfectly in line with the futile efforts in the numbing Cold War。 After the world tearing itself apart for the majority of a century， it must have been heartbreaking to see it all start again。 To divide each other with walls， knowing full well it will stop the only thin 'Shut up。 Don't try the man in charge routine。 Not with me。 I can see right through you because there's nothing there。 You're empty'I've never read a book so easily translatable for the big screen。 The chilliness of the story is perfectly in line with the futile efforts in the numbing Cold War。 After the world tearing itself apart for the majority of a century， it must have been heartbreaking to see it all start again。 To divide each other with walls， knowing full well it will stop the only thing that will save us。 。。。more
Martyn Baker
，
A superb book full of intrigue and suspense。 The author uses his inside knowledge to add more depth to the subject matter， and the range of emotions experienced by the lead character make this a compelling read。 I couldn't put it down and thoroughly enjoyed every page。 A superb book full of intrigue and suspense。 The author uses his inside knowledge to add more depth to the subject matter， and the range of emotions experienced by the lead character make this a compelling read。 I couldn't put it down and thoroughly enjoyed every page。 。。。more
Sally Sutton
，
I remember seeing the film years ago- Richard Burton， I think I was slightly confused when I saw it。 After reading the book， I feel I am still missing some of the complexities。 The reviewer who wrote the introduction said he read the novel every few years and always took something new from it- perhaps I need to read it again。
امیرمحمد حیدری
，
ذکر نشده بود که از یک مجموعه سهجلدیست。 بههرحال، مستقلاً ماقبل نقد است。
François Vigneault
，
Excellent， twisted， deep， and dark。
Tina Marga
，
"Yesterday someone is evil and an enemy， today the same person is evil and a friend。" There are a great number of so-typical quotes in this story。 Actually， there is overall so much in it， that I read it twice， though still not grasping everything。 The cold war kept Leaman long in the cold。 He indeed knew to come in from the cold finally， but at that moment he paid the price for it with his life。 Hence， he will not enjoy his pension， that he had wanted to earn by this last task given by Mr Contr "Yesterday someone is evil and an enemy， today the same person is evil and a friend。" There are a great number of so-typical quotes in this story。 Actually， there is overall so much in it， that I read it twice， though still not grasping everything。 The cold war kept Leaman long in the cold。 He indeed knew to come in from the cold finally， but at that moment he paid the price for it with his life。 Hence， he will not enjoy his pension， that he had wanted to earn by this last task given by Mr Control。 It is definitely a story to read more than once。 As a background piece of information， coldness aside， John le Carré， i。e。 David Cornwell， became an Irish citizen at the end of his life， as he was against Brexit。 Empathise。 。。。more
Maxwell T
，
Incredible spy thriller。 The philosophy， the intrigue， the twists and turns。
Scott Vandrick
，
A spy thrilled master， no doubt， but after years of refinements by other writers in this genre over five decades， the novel feels labored。 His craft cannot be faulted， however， and a true sense of the time period is chilling。
Rick Brindle
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Ageing spy Alec Leamas comes back from Cold War Berlin after all of his network are exposed and killed。 He appears washed up， bitter and then after being abandoned by his masters and out of control， he turns on them and defects to the other side。Or does he？AS the novel progresses， the reader is left wondering whose side Leamas is on， right up to the final twist。So that's the synopsis， but it's really quite a dreary affair and the best thing that can be said of this book is that it's of its time， Ageing spy Alec Leamas comes back from Cold War Berlin after all of his network are exposed and killed。 He appears washed up， bitter and then after being abandoned by his masters and out of control， he turns on them and defects to the other side。Or does he？AS the novel progresses， the reader is left wondering whose side Leamas is on， right up to the final twist。So that's the synopsis， but it's really quite a dreary affair and the best thing that can be said of this book is that it's of its time， and probably past its sell by date for entertainment。 Much like the Bond novels， the world has moved on， both politically， and， thankfully， culturally。 。。。more
Ilya
，
there is a coolness about John le Carre's writing and very little humor there is a coolness about John le Carre's writing and very little humor 。。。more
Kathleen
，
I feel guilty about this book。 I didn't like it， but I think it was because of me and not the book。 First， I didn't read the other book。 Second， I probably could have paid more attention to everyone's background。 However， the main problem in my mind is the author。。。 I don't know if it's because this book is from the 60's or if I'm just straight up confused， but he is very unclear about what's going on。 He never tells you， it's always easier to see what's happening in hindsight or via Wikipedia （ I feel guilty about this book。 I didn't like it， but I think it was because of me and not the book。 First， I didn't read the other book。 Second， I probably could have paid more attention to everyone's background。 However， the main problem in my mind is the author。。。 I don't know if it's because this book is from the 60's or if I'm just straight up confused， but he is very unclear about what's going on。 He never tells you， it's always easier to see what's happening in hindsight or via Wikipedia （at worst）。 I could see why this book is worthy of All Time 100， but it did not do it for me （along with most of the other books on All Time 100 I tried reading LOL wtf is wrong with this list）。 This is probably a generational problem。 。。。more
Grace Miller
，