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A review by nomada
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This book took me what felt like forever to finish. Call me whatever you like, but I’ve come to realize that spy novels might just be too complex for me. There’s a lot of psychological depth in this story, which adds incredible layers to the characters. Once I stopped and wrote down all the names, I could see how well-developed they were—each one contributing to a vivid picture of the "Circus." However, despite this, I still felt lost for most of the book.
In an attempt to make sense of it all, I even watched the movie adaptation. Unfortunately, that didn’t help much either; the film seemed to take its own creative liberties. What it did highlight for me, though, was that the timeline in the book is a bit out of order. After revisiting the introduction (which I had initially skimmed), I realized that this was mentioned upfront—I just missed it the first time.
Ultimately, I think spy novels might not be my thing. Or perhaps this particular book wasn’t the best starting point for me. I discovered (after a lot of reflection) that this is actually the fifth book in a series - 1st in an arc. While many people insist it works as a standalone, I’m not so sure. There’s a lot of vocabulary and context that seems crucial to fully understanding what’s going on.
In an attempt to make sense of it all, I even watched the movie adaptation. Unfortunately, that didn’t help much either; the film seemed to take its own creative liberties. What it did highlight for me, though, was that the timeline in the book is a bit out of order. After revisiting the introduction (which I had initially skimmed), I realized that this was mentioned upfront—I just missed it the first time.
Ultimately, I think spy novels might not be my thing. Or perhaps this particular book wasn’t the best starting point for me. I discovered (after a lot of reflection) that this is actually the fifth book in a series - 1st in an arc. While many people insist it works as a standalone, I’m not so sure. There’s a lot of vocabulary and context that seems crucial to fully understanding what’s going on.