RIP “Tinker Tailor...” author John le Carre

49 views
Skip to first unread message

Kevin M.

unread,
Dec 13, 2020, 11:30:24 PM12/13/20
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
The writer and former spy is a favorite of mine. I’ve seen both the mini series and feature film of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and I find it strange that the film feels like it drags on longer than the mini series even though the film is four hours shorter. If you haven’t seen the mini series, the interrogation scene (spoilers, even though it’s forty years old) between Alec Guinness and Patrick Stewart is worth the purchase of the DVDs, along with Ian Richardson in a more subdued yet interesting role than the exquisitely evil character he played in the UK “House of Cards.” Le Carre did cameos in some of his TV and film adaptations including the more recent “Night Manager.” He wrote in depth character pieces with very intricate stories. You have to focus on them, or you’ll get lost. 


--
Kevin M. (RPCV)

PGage

unread,
Dec 14, 2020, 11:07:14 AM12/14/20
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
I spent some time mourning this loss with my family yesterday. I started reading John le Carre in junior high school (my mom had copies of both “The Spook Who Sat By The Door” and “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” in her bookcase, and I decided to read them both, getting hooked on le Carre”. I have read all of his novels save one (in reading over his obits, I found to my horror and delight one I have missed - Single and Single - an oversight I will correct with great pleasure soon). I have read many of them multiple times; Spy from the Cold is one of the best books of any kind of the 20th century, and repays many readings.

I agree with Kevin that the British mini-series are superb, though I am never sure why Tinker gets more attention than Smiley’s People; for me both are equally absorbing. I enjoyed the Hollywood film maybe more than Kevin seems to have, but not as much as the original.

 Will very much miss having David Cornwell among us, and his ambiguous, dutiful, resigned take on a complex and shitty world.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKgmY4AMHQGLprO9qjE-_wagVFESYy40QnH9sUwxOR5hLj%3DhXw%40mail.gmail.com.
--
Sent from Gmail Mobile

Adam Bowie

unread,
Dec 14, 2020, 12:01:55 PM12/14/20
to tvornottv
Likewise, I'm going to feel this loss a lot. I'm an enormous fan of his work - something that I got from my father who'd loved the Karla trilogy (the three books that start with Tinker Tailor). When his last but one novel came out, I thought I'd go about trying to get a signed copy. So I went to Hatchards in Piccadilly, a very old bookshop that is renowned for being for the more discerning customer (it's actually owned by Waterstones these days, so it's an elaborate facade really). I wondered if they'd have signed copies so I went in on release day to pick one up if they had them. In front of me in the queue was a lady who was after the same. Sadly, the assistant told her, they didn't have any right now, but the author came in fairly regularly and signed what stock they had, so we should check back occasionally. (I managed to get a signed copy that same day in Foyles instead - London being lucky to still have a few good bookshops. It was pre-signed, I didn't get to meet him).

Overall I think Le Carré has been very well served in both TV and film. The Alec Guinness series are wonderful and I re-watch them every few years. Indeed I see that there are HD Blu-ray releases of the two Guinness series, so that could be something to get over the holidays. A Perfect Spy is also excellent, and is a very autobiographical book - his father was an interesting character, and not all the man you might imagine if you ever heard Le Carré speak.

The more recent series have also been very enjoyable. I thought The Little Drummer Girl was a very good take on the book, but The Night Manager was especially good with top performances all round. 

There's also an excellent series of Smiley BBC Radio versions that you can probably find on Audible. They're well worth your time, with Simon Russell Beale, an actor who does appear on film and TV, but is most famous as a stage actor, playing Smiley.


Adam

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKGtkYKnkkzxZDktdhtNZM6YFN3tXLRaLZ%2BOCPh8QsQUzPS%3DGA%40mail.gmail.com.

Diner

unread,
Dec 14, 2020, 3:00:41 PM12/14/20
to TVorNotTV
I can recommend the BBC Radio series as well. All eight are superbly done. I shared them with my dad, a big le Carré fan from way back - one of the few "current" books he kept on our bookshelf when I was growing up was The Spy Who Came In from the Cold.  
I always enjoyed le Carré's work, though I must admit the only novels of his I've read are Tinker Tailor and A Most Wanted Man.

PGage

unread,
Dec 14, 2020, 5:00:57 PM12/14/20
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
Totally agree about the Night Manager, so great! 

I have read about the Radio versions, perhaps I should listen while walking. Do you know if they did Honorable Schoolboy? Still irritated they never did a miniseries for that.

Adam Bowie

unread,
Dec 14, 2020, 5:56:03 PM12/14/20
to tvornottv
On Mon, Dec 14, 2020 at 10:00 PM PGage <pga...@gmail.com> wrote:
Totally agree about the Night Manager, so great! 

I have read about the Radio versions, perhaps I should listen while walking. Do you know if they did Honorable Schoolboy? Still irritated they never did a miniseries for that.


The Honourable Schoolboy was indeed included. It's a series of eight plays running about 19 hours in total. It's on Audible.com (worth doing the free trial and getting it for one credit if you haven't previously), or I see the CDs on Amazon for about $50.

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Complete-George-Smiley-Radio-Dramas-Audiobook/B01DE1KAYC
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-George-Smiley-Radio-Dramas/dp/1785293184

I remember reading that they skipped The Honourable Schoolboy for cost reasons. Much of it is set in Asia, and well, this was before TV budgets let productions shoot anywhere in the world. And that was despite Paramount being a co-producer with the BBC on the two series they did make.  


Adam

PGage

unread,
Dec 14, 2020, 10:41:04 PM12/14/20
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
I am a passionate member of Audible, I will get it!

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.

PGage

unread,
Dec 14, 2020, 10:45:37 PM12/14/20
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
OMG! This is more that the Karla trilogy, this really is all the Smiley books! Wow! You have made my day!

Adam Bowie

unread,
Dec 15, 2020, 4:03:39 AM12/15/20
to tvornottv
On Tue, Dec 15, 2020 at 3:45 AM PGage <pga...@gmail.com> wrote:
OMG! This is more that the Karla trilogy, this really is all the Smiley books! Wow! You have made my day!

On Mon, 14 Dec 2020 at 7:40 PM PGage <pga...@gmail.com> wrote:
I am a passionate member of Audible, I will get it!

Technically they miss A Legacy of Spies where Smiley turns up again  - although I wouldn't want to work out his age at that point. The radio plays date from 2009/2010, prior to that novel being written. 

But yeah - many hours of happy listening!

Paul Murray

unread,
Dec 15, 2020, 12:01:11 PM12/15/20
to TVorNotTV
The original BBC versions of TTSS and Smiley's Game were both outstanding.

I find it annoying that the original version of TTSS has never been available in the US. It was recut from 7 down to 6 episodes, losing about 40 minutes (IIRC) in the process and reordering some scenes. The US cut is what is (or was) available on DVD. I was able to watch the original on YouTube, but I think that version has been removed. The US version is there now, possibly ripped from the DVDs (they end with the Paramount logo).

I kept comparing the more recent movie version to the miniseries and finding it not quite as good, despite Oldman being wonderful as usual.

The Night Manager was also great. I did not find the recent Little Drummer Girl remake as compelling (I didn't even finish it, partly out of logistical viewing reasons).

I need to borrow my brother's DVD of Spy Who Came In From the Cold, which I've still never seen after all these years.

I've never read any of the original novels (I did read a nonfiction book of his, can't recall the title), but I happen to have bought TTSS for my Kindle about a week ago, so I will start there and see how it goes.

PGage

unread,
Dec 15, 2020, 1:41:40 PM12/15/20
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
I highly recommend the film version of Spy Who Came in from the Cold (happened to just watch it again for the Nth time a few weeks ago). I think it is Richard Burton’s best performance, and may be the film that best captures what le Carre is trying to get at in his books.

On Tue, 15 Dec 2020 at 9:01 AM Paul Murray <pmur...@sbcglobal.net> 

...I need to borrow my brother's DVD of Spy Who Came In From the Cold, which I've still never seen after all these years.

I've never read any of the original novels (I did read a nonfiction book of his, can't recall the title), but I happen to have bought TTSS for my Kindle about a week ago, so I will start there and see how it goes.

On Sunday, December 13, 2020 at 11:30:24 PM UTC-5 Kevin M. (RPCV) wrote:
The writer and former spy is a favorite of mine. I’ve seen both the mini series and feature film of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and I find it strange that the film feels like it drags on longer than the mini series even though the film is four hours shorter. If you haven’t seen the mini series, the interrogation scene (spoilers, even though it’s forty years old) between Alec Guinness and Patrick Stewart is worth the purchase of the DVDs, along with Ian Richardson in a more subdued yet interesting role than the exquisitely evil character he played in the UK “House of Cards.” Le Carre did cameos in some of his TV and film adaptations including the more recent “Night Manager.” He wrote in depth character pieces with very intricate stories. You have to focus on them, or you’ll get lost. 


--
Kevin M. (RPCV)

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.

Bob Jersey

unread,
Dec 15, 2020, 6:44:31 PM12/15/20
to TVorNotTV
Wiki: " As a journalist, le Carré wrote The Unbearable Peace (1991), a nonfiction account of Brigadier Jean-Louis Jeanmaire (1911–1992), the Swiss Army officer who spied for the Soviet Union from 1962 until 1975.  "  The full book is on granta.com, which is paywalled.   B

Paul Murray, to Kevin, Dec 15th, in part:
I've never read any of the original novels (I did read a nonfiction book of his, can't recall the title), but I happen to have bought TTSS for my Kindle about a week ago, so I will start there and see how it goes. [emphasis added]
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages