708. Smiley's People

Smiley's People
John le Carre
1979
Around 385 pages

This is our last John le Carre on the List! While I won't wax poetic about his time with us like I do for some of our more frequent contributors, I did look forward to all his entries. And I'm not sure there are any more spy novels left. So it's rough to see him go, but at least we are leaving on a high note.

One thing I won't miss is writing summaries for spy novels. Basically, our old friend George Smiley is called out of retirement, because nobody is allowed to retire in this biz. You'd think they would know that by now. One of his former assets, an émigré general, is found murdered. In the course of his investigation, he discovers a clandestine operation run by his nemesis, Karla.

Le Carre isn't doing anything really new here, but it's a solid entry in the adventures of Smiley. I find his writing to be a little austere for my tastes. But he always nails the dismount, which isn't easy in a novel like this with so many loose ends to tie up.

Brace yourself laddies. Eco is on his way.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Gary Oldman has hinted that a film adaptation might be in the works.

UP NEXT: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco