Smiley’s People by John le Carre – Explored Part 1

This episode we discuss John le Carré’s 1979 novel Smiley’s People with guest Charles Beaumont, a former undercover MI6 operative and author of A Spy Alone and A Spy at War.

Beaumont describes first discovering le Carré at university through The Honorable Schoolboy and argues the Cold War novels still illuminate modern Russia’s state cruelty and indifference, while also reflecting a Britain in 1970s decline.

We talk about where Smiley’s People ranks in the Karla trilogy and discuss its slow pace, psychological depth, and the simple core plot.

Plus we discuss Maria Ostrakova as a standout female character, the Circus’s believable mishandling of agents, Toby Esterhase’s return, and the question of Smiley’s missing knighthood.

All that and more in this episode!

Charles’ novels A Spy Alone and A Spy at War – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/K03/oxford-spy-ring/

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