The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le CarréMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hooter: A spy goes for that one last mission before retirement or does he...
There is a reason why this falls under classic section and makes Ian Fleming writings the "maasss movie" genre whilst this feels really close to the reality - it's dirty all over, there are no heroes in this business. No one is running around with fancy gadgets and vehicles but slowly and steadily and wittily playing the long game. There is an ageing factor to the book as it is based in the Cold War and all that tension isn't the most relatable in 2021 but as a gritty no -nonsense agent or agent agent or agent agent agent - Alec Leamus is the protagonist in this as he takes on his nemesis Mundt of the East German Intelligence for the one last time. A mission gone bad, sent back to London with a boring job till he is called into Germany to possibly defect for all his experiences. On the outer layer, this is a simple spy tale but the greyness of decisions and relationships makes it a lot more complicated and interesting. Tempted to watch the 1960s movie version of this to check if there are any nuances on the screen between this and the Bond franchise and if the wittiness carries over.
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