A review by ms_gouldbourne
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I read this book in about two hours, and once I got started I absolutely couldn't put it down. There's something extremely compelling about John le Carré's style of prose - it's fairly sparse, navigating the complex subject matter with an efficiency and briskness that made the story easy to read in spite of its weightiness. The character of Leamas was sketched out in few words, yet he still felt utterly real to me. I did guess some of the twists and turns ahead of time, but that didn't detract whatsoever from my enjoyment of the story, and I found the final note to be poignant and intelligent. I've never read any le Carré before, but I doubt this will be my last outing with him!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings