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Smiley's People (BBC Audio) Audio CD – Import, 6 May 2010
by
John le Carré
(Author),
Alex Jennings
(Reader),
Anna Chancellor
(Reader),
Full Cast
(Reader),
Simon Russell Beale
(Reader)
&
2
More
John le Carré
(Author)
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-
Print length1 pages
-
LanguageEnglish
-
PublisherBBC Physical Audio
-
Publication date6 May 2010
-
Reading age18 years and up
-
Dimensions13.97 x 2.29 x 12.7 cm
-
ISBN-101408400898
-
ISBN-13978-1408400890
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Product description
Book Description
Simon Russell Beale stars in this BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation of the final book in John le Carré's Karla trilogy.
About the Author
John le Carré is the nom de plume of David John Moore Cornwell, who was born in 1931 in Poole, Dorset and educated at Sherborne School, the University of Berne (where he studied German literature for a year) and at Lincoln College, Oxford, where he graduated with a first-class degree in modern languages. He taught at Eton from 1956 to 1958 and was a member of the British Foreign Service from 1959 to 1964, serving first as Second Secretary in the British Embassy in Bonn and subsequently as political consul in Hamburg. His first novel, a story of espionage called Call for the Dead, was published in 1961. It was quickly followed in 1962 by A Murder of Quality, a mystery story set in an English public school. His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, secured him a wide reputation, and was made into a successful film starring Richard Burton. This was followed by The Looking Glass War, A Small Town in Germany and The Naive and Sentimental Lover. However, the success of his third novel was consolidated by the acclaim for his trilogy Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People. Next came The Little Drummer Girl, which was a departure from the Smiley novels, and dealt with the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East. This was followed by his most autobiographical novel, A Perfect Spy. Then came The Russia House, The Secret Pilgrim, The Night Manager, Our Game, The Tailor of Panama, Single & Single, The Constant Gardener, Absolute Friends, The Mission Song and A Delicate Truth. As well as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, many other le Carré novels have been made into films or television series. Alec Guinness starred as George Smiley in the TV mini-series of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People, while Denholm Elliott took on the role for A Murder of Quality. The 2011 remake of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy starred Gary Oldman as Smiley, and featured a stellar cast including Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch. A Most Wanted Man (2013) starred Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his last roles, and 2014 saw the release of Our Kind of Traitor, featuring Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis and Naomie Harris. David Cornwell has won many prestigious prizes and awards for his novels over the years. He is an Honorary Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford and has Honorary Doctorates at the University of Bern and Oxford University. He has won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger twice (for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, which also won him the Dagger of Daggers in 2005, and The Honourable Schoolboy) and in 1988 he won the Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement. He donated his literary archive, containing 85 boxes of draft manuscripts, to the Bodleian Library in 2010.
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Product details
- Publisher : BBC Physical Audio; A&M edition (6 May 2010)
- Language : English
- Audio CD : 1 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1408400898
- ISBN-13 : 978-1408400890
- Reading age : 18 years and up
- Item Weight : 183 g
- Dimensions : 13.97 x 2.29 x 12.7 cm
-
Best Sellers Rank:
#1,692,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #140,818 in Crime, Thriller & Mystery (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,014 global ratings
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Top reviews from India
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Reviewed in India on 2 July 2020
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In my opinion, Tinker tailor Soldier spy is the best in the Karla trilogy. Smiley's people comes a close second. The non glamorous cold war hardened spy story takes twists and turns to a commendable ending.
Helpful
Reviewed in India on 8 January 2015
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Writing a review for John le Carre is really superfluous. In fact, the world consists of only two kinds of people -those who worship Le Carre and those unfortunate ones who have not yet heard about him. My first encounter with him was with 'Spy who came in from the cold', and the fascination has lasted for over 35 years now. Smiley trilogy is dated - it is a part of the cold war world we have long forgotten about, and as a third world citizen, I was never really a part of it. But going with le Carre is like having a ringside view of the real world - the picture is so intricately detailed - almost like an eyewitness account, that it takes a bit of effort to remember that it is fiction. John le Carre has enriched my understanding of the world, and I share with him the exasperation and frustration that goes with it.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in India on 18 June 2018
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George smiley novels have never ever been a breeze. It's taken me years to finish this trilogy taking in Smiley's dystopian sight one at a time, which managed to capture the darkness of the cold war in the best way possible. Farewell old friend.
In terms of the Karla trilogy I favour this more than the other two with the honorable school boy taking the bottom position but not by much
In terms of the Karla trilogy I favour this more than the other two with the honorable school boy taking the bottom position but not by much
Reviewed in India on 25 January 2021
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A last chapter to top all last chapters! But don't skip to it straight if you want to enjoy its beauty! If you do that, you'll lose the whole thing!
Reviewed in India on 25 May 2020
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One of the best le Carre novel. Graham Greene is remembered when he writes about a spy with all humanity and present days dilemmas...
Reviewed in India on 2 January 2020
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Outstanding
Reviewed in India on 22 August 2016
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Wow! Could not stop reading once I began! The skilfully woven lives of the characters is the plot itself. LeCarre has shown once again how a softly treading masterpiece can bring the same adrenalin rush as the best of the action thrillers. Recommended enthusiastically!
Reviewed in India on 24 July 2014
Verified Purchase
Very very satisfied with my book purchase from Amazon will continue purchasing what I have said covers it all
Rita
Rita
Top reviews from other countries

GeordieReader
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fitting conclusion to the Karla trilogy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 December 2020Verified Purchase
The title is apt because this is very much a book about people. Characters who have only a small role in the plot are fully rounded, and of course, there’s Smiley himself, preferring the cerebral world but willing to put himself at risk. Le Carré was a superb writer, one of the greatest of the last 100 years, and will be sadly missed.
4 people found this helpful
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McAngie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read it, read them all.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2017Verified Purchase
Five stars of course, who would give less. The slow build up is masterful. If you are a Smiley fan, then I'm preaching to the choir, if you are a Le Carre fan I'm preaching to the curate. So only espionage fans who have never read any need my advice. My advice is read it, but read Tink, tailor first.
10 people found this helpful
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TWB
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fitting End to the Karla Trilogy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2012Verified Purchase
In the final part of leCarré's Karla trilogy, George Smiley is recalled from his unhappy retirement when one of his former agents suddenly reactivates. The now toothless and politically driven intelligence service wants a quick, clean closure to the case to which they attach little value. Smiley, however, begins an independent investigation; at first out of respect for his old agent but increasingly because he begins to scent his nemesis, the Russian intelligence chief, Karla.
Smiley's People is more similar to Tinker, Tailor than the middle novel, The Honourable Schoolboy. Like the first part of the trilogy, Smiley is firmly in the operational heart of the plot. He travels across Europe following the trail and with his unique, detached insight reconstructs the puzzle.
The `people' of the title are the many returning characters -Connie Sachs, Peter Guillam, Toby Esterhouse- who join Smiley's private army, operating at the very greyest edges of the intelligence community. It is a genuine pleasure to again spend time with all of them, such is leCarré's mastery of their characterisation. If anything elevates leCarré above other thriller writers, it is the literary precision with which he constructs his characters and environments in addition to the byzantine plots. His style is lean, precise but never skimping on detail or humanity.
The novel explores the toll of living in the clandestine world of espionage on the participants. Karla, once a faceless, shadowy bogeyman who lived only for the soviet mission, is humanised but it is that chink in his armour that Smiley pursues. Smiley, meanwhile, casts aside not only the remnants of his `civilian life' but also many of the ideals by which he lived to pursue his one chance to strike directly at his opponent. The reader is left wondering, after all the death and damage, is it worth it for the individuals or the nations they represent?
It can be no accident that the imagery of chess continually appears in this novel. The intelligence chiefs of leCarré's world construct operations like grand masters, thinking a dozen moves ahead, analysing their opponents' strategy and willing to make any sacrifice to preserve their long game. The difference in this novel is that Smiley and Karla are no longer playing at a distance: they are both on the board.
Of course, the ultimate game player is leCarré, who confidently moves his character around a complex and mesmerising plot. He is clearly at home in the western European theatre and revels in bringing the contest between Smiley and Karla to a conclusion in a way that resonates across all of the Smiley novels, not just this trilogy. If there is any criticism at all, it is that perhaps Smiley's people is a little less disciplined and compact than Tinker, Tailor but the result is no less satisfying.
Smiley's People is more similar to Tinker, Tailor than the middle novel, The Honourable Schoolboy. Like the first part of the trilogy, Smiley is firmly in the operational heart of the plot. He travels across Europe following the trail and with his unique, detached insight reconstructs the puzzle.
The `people' of the title are the many returning characters -Connie Sachs, Peter Guillam, Toby Esterhouse- who join Smiley's private army, operating at the very greyest edges of the intelligence community. It is a genuine pleasure to again spend time with all of them, such is leCarré's mastery of their characterisation. If anything elevates leCarré above other thriller writers, it is the literary precision with which he constructs his characters and environments in addition to the byzantine plots. His style is lean, precise but never skimping on detail or humanity.
The novel explores the toll of living in the clandestine world of espionage on the participants. Karla, once a faceless, shadowy bogeyman who lived only for the soviet mission, is humanised but it is that chink in his armour that Smiley pursues. Smiley, meanwhile, casts aside not only the remnants of his `civilian life' but also many of the ideals by which he lived to pursue his one chance to strike directly at his opponent. The reader is left wondering, after all the death and damage, is it worth it for the individuals or the nations they represent?
It can be no accident that the imagery of chess continually appears in this novel. The intelligence chiefs of leCarré's world construct operations like grand masters, thinking a dozen moves ahead, analysing their opponents' strategy and willing to make any sacrifice to preserve their long game. The difference in this novel is that Smiley and Karla are no longer playing at a distance: they are both on the board.
Of course, the ultimate game player is leCarré, who confidently moves his character around a complex and mesmerising plot. He is clearly at home in the western European theatre and revels in bringing the contest between Smiley and Karla to a conclusion in a way that resonates across all of the Smiley novels, not just this trilogy. If there is any criticism at all, it is that perhaps Smiley's people is a little less disciplined and compact than Tinker, Tailor but the result is no less satisfying.
8 people found this helpful
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Didier
5.0 out of 5 stars
unforgettable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 October 2012Verified Purchase
Holiday plans behind the former Iron Curtain sparked my interest in spy-novels, and so I left for Leipzig with
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
,
The Honourable Schoolboy
, and 'Smiley's people' in my luggage. The first two pleased my so immensely I couldn't wait to start reading this one, the final part in the trilogy of George Smiley's battle with the Soviet spymaster Karla. And I'm glad to say the (very) high hopes I had were not disappointed! I even think that 'Smiley's people' is - admittedly by a small margin - perhaps the best of the three in my personal opinion.
First of all, it has, just like the earlier parts in the trilogy, simply everything I've come to expect in a Le Carré novel: brimming with intrigues, ploys and counter-ploys, loads of suspense, a very tight plot that keeps you wandering what'll happen next, brilliant dialogues and characterization, ... But what makes 'Smiley's people' stand out for me is George Smiley himself and how powerfully he is portrayed by Le Carré as perhaps the very opposite of the kind of man we often think of when we think of spies. Smiley's old, slightly overweight, retired, divorced, and in doubt if all he's ever done in his Secret Service career was actually worthwhile. But when a former agent is murdered and the trail leads to Karla, Smiley cannot help but give chase once again, and devote all his experience and intelligence to this final duel. Le Carré describes Smiley's painful private life in such a powerful way that to me this novel is much more a poignant portrait of a man who happens to be a spy, rather than a spy who happens to have personal problems.
Whoever said spy-novels aren't Literature with a capital 'L'?
First of all, it has, just like the earlier parts in the trilogy, simply everything I've come to expect in a Le Carré novel: brimming with intrigues, ploys and counter-ploys, loads of suspense, a very tight plot that keeps you wandering what'll happen next, brilliant dialogues and characterization, ... But what makes 'Smiley's people' stand out for me is George Smiley himself and how powerfully he is portrayed by Le Carré as perhaps the very opposite of the kind of man we often think of when we think of spies. Smiley's old, slightly overweight, retired, divorced, and in doubt if all he's ever done in his Secret Service career was actually worthwhile. But when a former agent is murdered and the trail leads to Karla, Smiley cannot help but give chase once again, and devote all his experience and intelligence to this final duel. Le Carré describes Smiley's painful private life in such a powerful way that to me this novel is much more a poignant portrait of a man who happens to be a spy, rather than a spy who happens to have personal problems.
Whoever said spy-novels aren't Literature with a capital 'L'?
7 people found this helpful
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Victor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Smiley's People, BBC full cast audio - Another classy production in the George Smiley series
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 July 2010Verified Purchase
This is the eighth of the recent BBC radio productions of al John Le Carre's stories featuring master spy George Smiley.
Following the events of `The Honourable Schoolboy', Smiley is now retired. But an old contact is brutally slain, and Smiley is asked by the powers that be to make sure there are no loose ends that could embarrass either the Circus or the British Government. As he trawls through the General's last days and slowly comes to realise just why he was killed, he finds an old adversary at the heart of things, and the opportunity to lay many old ghosts to rest.
Once again this is an admirable bit of writing form Le Carre. Intricately plotted,. With a very real and believable feel. Lacking the glamour of, say, Bond stories, not shing away from the grim and murky realities of life. Smiley lives in a grim and paranoid world, where he cannot trust even those notionally on his own side. The atmosphere is tense and gripping.
As well as the writing, there are a series of fine performances. Simon Russell Beale once again excels as Smiley. His performance is reminiscent of Alec Guinness's, but he manages to put his own stamp quite thoroughly on the role. He shows the ruthlessness of Smiley, along with his regret at doing what has to be done, very convincingly.
The BBC have done a good job at trimming the story down to fit three hours, but without losing too much of the fine detail. I can only compare this to the Guinness TV adaptation, not having read the book, and some detail has been lost but the story is clear and flows well. There is, in addition, a very professional production, with unobtrusive sound effects that nicely help the story and set the scene, but do not detract from the actors performances.
This is an all round excellent production, one which kept m riveted for the duration.
There are three hour long episodes, on three discs in a double size jewel case. There is a limited set of liner notes with cast details and some notes about John Le Carre's career.
Five stars, no hesitation. I also highly recommend all the others in the series to date.
Following the events of `The Honourable Schoolboy', Smiley is now retired. But an old contact is brutally slain, and Smiley is asked by the powers that be to make sure there are no loose ends that could embarrass either the Circus or the British Government. As he trawls through the General's last days and slowly comes to realise just why he was killed, he finds an old adversary at the heart of things, and the opportunity to lay many old ghosts to rest.
Once again this is an admirable bit of writing form Le Carre. Intricately plotted,. With a very real and believable feel. Lacking the glamour of, say, Bond stories, not shing away from the grim and murky realities of life. Smiley lives in a grim and paranoid world, where he cannot trust even those notionally on his own side. The atmosphere is tense and gripping.
As well as the writing, there are a series of fine performances. Simon Russell Beale once again excels as Smiley. His performance is reminiscent of Alec Guinness's, but he manages to put his own stamp quite thoroughly on the role. He shows the ruthlessness of Smiley, along with his regret at doing what has to be done, very convincingly.
The BBC have done a good job at trimming the story down to fit three hours, but without losing too much of the fine detail. I can only compare this to the Guinness TV adaptation, not having read the book, and some detail has been lost but the story is clear and flows well. There is, in addition, a very professional production, with unobtrusive sound effects that nicely help the story and set the scene, but do not detract from the actors performances.
This is an all round excellent production, one which kept m riveted for the duration.
There are three hour long episodes, on three discs in a double size jewel case. There is a limited set of liner notes with cast details and some notes about John Le Carre's career.
Five stars, no hesitation. I also highly recommend all the others in the series to date.
8 people found this helpful
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