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43 pages 1 hour read

John le Carré

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

John le CarréFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1963

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Book Brief

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John le Carré

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1963
Book Details
Pages

240

Format

Novel • Fiction

Period
Setting

Cold War Europe • 1960s

Publication Year

1963

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Alec Leamas, a British spy betrayed after his network in Berlin collapses, is tasked with defecting to East Germany to dismantle enemy agent Mundt. Feigning disgrace, he sinks into a public decline, pretends to defect, and becomes entangled with a Communist librarian, Liz Gold. His mission reveals deep espionage intrigues and moral complexities amidst Cold War tensions in the novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. This book contains references to antisemitism and addiction.

Dark

Mysterious

Suspenseful

Gritty

Melancholic

Reviews & Readership

4.2

132,402 ratings

79%

Loved it

16%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is widely praised for its intricate plotting, gritty realism, and deep character development. Critics commend its suspense and moral complexity but note its bleak tone and dense narrative may not appeal to all readers. Overall, it remains a seminal work in the espionage genre.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Spy Who Came in from the Cold?

Readers who relish cerebral espionage thrillers, intricate Cold War politics, and morally ambiguous characters will enjoy John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Fans of Graham Greene's The Quiet American and Ian Fleming's James Bond series would find this novel compelling for its gripping realism and depth.

4.2

132,402 ratings

79%

Loved it

16%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

240

Format

Novel • Fiction

Period
Setting

Cold War Europe • 1960s

Publication Year

1963

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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