Did anyone…

Did anyone ever understand……… Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy ?

What aspects particularly? It’s been a long time since I read it, but essentially there’s a mole passing secrets to the Russians, who is also having an affair with George Smiley’s wife. Smiley is conflicted, people die and a sleeper kills the mole after he’s caught. I remember the film better now than the book.

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Yes, loved the book. Also both filmed versions - Alec Guinness (superb as always) and then Gary Oldman (if possible even better).

T,T,S,S. Was ´followable’ sort of but did anyone really get the drift of Smiley’s People ? Brilliant acting but what a dogs dinner to follow.

Or was it just me ?

All explained in the wiki Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Wikipedia

I thought the Gary Oldman film was very poor when compared to the Alec Guiness BBC series

And the Smiley’s People novel wiki Smiley's People - Wikipedia

Sure, but must we depend on Wikipedia. Does anyone else have any thoughts, please? I’d love to read a discussion, if poss.

I shouldn’t need to read a synopsis on Wikipedia to understand the plot of a tv series, should I ?
I have watched Smiley’s People a few times and have got lost every time . I haven’t read the book which would maybe make things clearer ?

You’ve not answered Ancient_Mariner’s question so it is difficult to know what your problem with Tinker Tailor and even which versions you mean (book/TV series/various different films).
So reading a synopsis which explains the plot seems to be a sensible suggestion. After that you might or might not have some specific queries?

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A wonderfully succinct summation -maybe be you could write a collection of one sentence novels!

Hemmingway - whatever his faults, was a master of succinctness and
famously wrote a six sentence novel (actually more of anovella), ‘For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.’

An interesting discussion of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on BBC A Good Read this afternoon

I’ve enjoyed all Le Carré’s novels and admired the man himself.

“ Le Carré was so disillusioned by the 2016 Brexit vote to leave the European Union that he secured Irish citizenship. In a BBC documentary broadcast in 2021, le Carré’s son Nicholas revealed that his father’s disillusionment with modern Britain, and Brexit in particular, had driven him to embrace his Irish heritage and become an Irish citizen.”

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Me too. The Constant Gardener is an agonising book. He’s poured all his passion into it.

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Yes Sue, I must reread it, and the movie was pretty good too, if I remember correctly.

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