Reviews

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré

Only show reviews with written explanations

elmst13's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

marthamorgan's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad 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

hadeanstars's review against another edition

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3.0

I enjoyed this, but it was flawed. I am currently reading another le Carre, and I am already getting the feeling that his ability to write character is a little shaky. The writing is, and I suppose you would expect this from a spy thriller, very focused on the plot, events and happenings, so the characters are a bit on the thin side. You are mostly left to do the work of inferring who they are from a very few details, such that in the end, they could be everyman.

That said, I enjoyed the cold war nostalgia trip and once I had got the hang of all the intricacies of the plot, feel that it was worth the read. 3.5 stars.

samshirls's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ctrack's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

ruminating_blayne's review against another edition

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4.0

A well executed cold war thriller that sets the stage for almost all future Le Carré work with jaded and morally questionably protagonists dealing with messy "diplomacy" of the cold war.