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

4.0

This is my first espionage thriller. Since I was not familiar with the jargons of espionage, I felt it's too overwhelming at the start.

As I finished half of the book, I understood espionage is like a game of chess. You anticipate all the moves of opponent and prepare the strategy. One wrong move can end your life.

This book also shows there is no binary of good and evil in world of espionage. It's all about finding a middle ground. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the individual for the greater good. This sheds a light onto the harsh reality of civil societies.

I do not understand why book is named George smiley series when leamas was the main character. Could be because all were pawns of sinister game played by George smiley and the circus.