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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Series: Smiley, Book 3
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
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Publisher's Summary
Alec Leamas has ended his time in Berlin. Or his time has ended him. The last of his Eastern agents has been killed, like the others, by the Abteilung. Back at the Circus, Leamas is put on the shelf. He turns to drunkenness and dishonesty and finally disappears from view, a seemingly broken man.
But unknown to anyone except George Smiley and his master, Control, Leamas has been given his toughest mission ever. He will have to be himself but more so. He will have to fight off the inevitable softening of middle age and wait a little more before he can come in from the cold. Not even Leamas can know the plan of which he is the instrument.
Critic Reviews
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- david x kelly
- 09-03-2016
Third reading and listening ....still most brilliant.
Le Carre is the most memorable author of the Cold War period and also beyond and those who argue the spy genre can never be literature are so wrong. I used to read Maugham for the pleasure of reading the finest English. I read Le Carre for the same reason immeasurably enhanced by the excitement of outstanding plot and finely observed characterisation.
Michael Jayston reads with an authority and dramatisation that adds significant further quality to this overall piece of finely crafted literature.
3 people found this helpful
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- David Maher
- 04-11-2016
LeCarre has always been a favourite
My only criticism is that it finished too quickly. I found it hard to leave the car when I arrived at my destination.
2 people found this helpful
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- Dennis
- 29-05-2016
Heavy going but we'll worth the effort.
Brilliantly read! The plot was a little hard to follow early, but we'll worth the effort.
2 people found this helpful
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- Bevan Lewis
- 16-04-2016
Still developing
This was John Le Carre's breakthrough novel. He has transitioned from detective drama with a hint of espionage to full on spy thriller. Good book but still developing.
2 people found this helpful
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- MISS
- 05-06-2021
A great listen
My first John Le Carre and couldn’t put it down. Fantastic author the story is extremely well written. Wonderful characters and full of twists and turns.
1 person found this helpful
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- Thomas A. Dalgleish
- 24-01-2021
Gripping and tense.
My first le Carre book. Opens well and finishes on the same note. Each scene means something .
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 28-01-2020
An exciting classic, beautifully bought to life.
The unbeatable combination of Le Carre’s fantastic storytelling and knowledge, and Jayston’s fabulous voice and skilled reading.
Loved it.
1 person found this helpful
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- Matt
- 17-12-2019
Fantastic
Great story. A modern day classic really and so well read by MrJayston. Highly recommended.
1 person found this helpful
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- Costa
- 25-08-2016
Atmospheric
This really conveys the feeling of being in East/West Germany post WW2. Wonderfully narrated and suspenseful story.
1 person found this helpful
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- Carol-Anne Howlett
- 05-12-2021
Narration Superb
Michael did such an excellent job narrating this classic. I was drawn in quickly and enjoyed every minute. A great story that has everything.
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- Pita
- 15-06-2012
Outstanding Novel, Brilliantly Read
Le Carre's classic spy novel is brought to life by a wonderful reading. Jayston's British voice goes so perfectly with the novel and the character's of "the circus" are brought to life right in front of your ears!
This novel is intricate with great depth of characters and twist and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat guessing till the end. The descriptions of the service, the agents, the "circus" and the enemy brings to life this Cold War classic. Do not go past this novel and this reading!
2 people found this helpful
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- Micah
- 09-08-2014
The opposite of a page turner
Any additional comments?
The narrator was a pro but the story was soooo slllooooowww. Like a movie where you think 'it will get good soon' then realise you just wasted two hours.
1 person found this helpful
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- Carolyn
- 13-03-2012
Gripping Cold War thriller
Would you consider the audio edition of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold to be better than the print version?
I first read 'The Spy Who Came in From the Cold' in print when I was 12 or 13 and it was the best seller everyone was talking about. In print I tended to rush ahead to see what happened, but the audio version slows you down to savour Le Carre's writing.
What other book might you compare The Spy Who Came in from the Cold to and why?
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - a complex story with double-crosses and suspense.
Which scene was your favorite?
An early scene, when the double agent crosses the border into West Germany on his bicycle.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Oh yes - it will keep you sitting in your car listening to the recording, long after you've pulled into the driveway.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-06-2020
A nail biting classic with a fantastic twist
**Regarding the book**
I’ve never read le Carré prior to this book and had only rudimentary knowledge of the subterfuge and sculduggery that took place in Berlin at the time. But worry not, it becomes clear early on why John le Carré’s has come to be regarded as one of the truly great novelists in our times.
le Carré takes the reader on a thrilling (and quite chilling) Joubert through the many ins and outs of MI6’s modus operandi during that time and don’t be surprised to find out that their tactics are not quite as palatable as a certain Mr. Bond.
The book opens up with a broken man, a man at its wits end with just one last score to settle his debt to Queen and country and perhaps, along the way, also get a chance to redeem his soul. Because our dear protagonist has nothing but baggage that he carries around on his hunched back.
To say whether our protagonist finally finds what he’s looking for would give away far too much of a story that must be experienced by yourself. I’m willing to bet that you won’t regret that decision in the slightest.
**Regarding the narrator**:
No much to say her except that he did his work splendidly and even made certain accents believable without going too far. A subdued performance that suited the books slow cooking thriller theme perfectly.
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- H. J. Alles
- 28-02-2019
really bad
illogical and unbelievable story, too easy twists full of holes. The courtroom scene just drags on.
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- Ian C Robertson
- 25-11-2014
Still Chilling
It has been a long time indeed since I read this title. I recall it being rather dull and somewhat disturbing for a reason I couldn't quite put my finger upon. Now, with the benefit of time, I understand that I was not old enough to appreciate the chilling undertone to a book, where there is so little violence (although a fair number of people die), but an eerie threat permeates the text. That threat is like a fog that I associates with East Berlin, the Wall and all thinks KGB, NKVD and the other counterpoints to MI6 and the CIA. Listening to the narrative now I appreciate the grit, the ugliness and the end justifies everything mendacity that drove people like Smiley, Leamas, Mundt, Control, Fiedler and others. It is the reverse of the superficial sense of fairness of Liz Gold.
This is still a cracker story with a terrific ending. It's not the same as the film (with Richard Burton terrific in the Leamas role) although the core scenes are pretty close. Le Carre had a hand in the screenplay, so I guess that's not so surprising.
As for Michael Jayston's reading, I vacillated between loving it and being frustrated when he dropped the accents. In particular, his Leamas starts with a distinct Burton-like quality, but by the final chapter it had gone completely. I am not sure if that was an intended conceit, but if it was, it did not work for me. In the end I gave it a 3, but overall it is probably about a 3.5.
This was a very enjoyable re-discovery. I am sure it will prompt me to re-read the Karla Trilogy.
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- Teetwo
- 07-10-2013
a wow book
Would you consider the audio edition of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold to be better than the print version?
one of the best book I read in the past years. I couldn't stop listening.
What did you like best about this story?
the intricate story and the connections to the "real" world.
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- Mackenzie
- 04-02-2013
A classic
How refreshing to go back to le Carre's early writing and listen to this. The performance is gripping -- I couldn't listen to the end knowing the outcome as it was too stressful.
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- David
- 11-06-2012
Classic Le Carré
Where does The Spy Who Came in from the Cold rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is probably the best spy book ever written. I have read it twice before, but thoroughly enjoyed listening to Jayston's reading. He is perfect for the job.
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- Richard
- 05-03-2012
Cold war and hot action
John le Carre at the height of his powers transports us back to the troubling days of the Berlin wall, mutually assured destruction and intrigue. Written at a time when Britain was still a power with influence in the world; for those who lived through those times it is a powerful evocation of the past. For readers who live in the world of glasnost and Putin there is still plenty to keep you listening.
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- S. Thomas
- 23-12-2012
The book that came in from the cd.
This isn't my usual choice. Espionage thrillers usually leave me cold - or the thought or them does. However this was a book group choice so I chose the unabridged version and within minutes was hooked.
I'm now embarrassed to think I ignored this for
So long. The writing is so accessible; I was concerned that I would not be able to follow the plot but it's a much more relatable novel than I imagined. Good writing means this novel is a hit across the board and the narrator is amazing with his easy on the ear voice and the way each character is convincingly brought to life. I adored this reading!
27 people found this helpful
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- Susan
- 02-12-2015
Superb and a classic novel
I first read this book when it was first published. I found it quite difficult but after all these years it is much easier to understand the moral nuances and superb plotting. Hearing it read was a great experience.
17 people found this helpful
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- HumanistCapitalist
- 07-09-2015
A great thriller, well read
One of JLC's classics. The voice was just perfect, conveying the suspense of the thriller.
14 people found this helpful
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- Grotbag
- 24-07-2015
Superior Spy Thriller
This was a gripping, realistic story of morally ambiguous Cold War espionage. Expertly read by Jayston, slipping subtly between distinct characters with ease.
11 people found this helpful
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- Iain
- 24-12-2012
Another Gripping Spy Story
le Carre delivers another gripping tale of the cold war British spy network. Lots of twists and turns to keep the listener guessing until the very end. Up there with the rest of his works.
The narrator delivers the story brilliantly, although in previous purchases where Le Carre has read them himself does take a lot of beating.
10 people found this helpful
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- Norma Miles
- 12-01-2016
A small car with children waving.
If you like your spies drinking Martinis, with glamour and gadgets against egregious supervillains, this is not the book for you. Instead we are drawn into a world of subterfuge and lies, of duplicity where even truth can be turned on it's head, where black and white merges into dirty grey. No heroes here, only ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances trying to stay alive as they keep their form of faith.
One of le Carre's most masterful cold war spy stories, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, is completely gripping from the breath-holding first pages to the dazzling conclusion. Yet the writing itself is elegant enough to be a fine love missive. This was not my first encounter with the book; I had read it many years ago and seen the film version. But the narration by Michael Jayson brought a freshness and poignancy that had me enthralled with each twist and turn, leaving me as eager to listen on as ever I had been with my very first reading.
First class.
19 people found this helpful
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- Paul D
- 06-10-2016
Brilliant
Le Carre - always good.
Jayston - a master of narration..
Together - a brilliant team.
The book - one of the best.
Seen the film, read the book, now listened to the book. Just as fresh.
5 people found this helpful
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- Simon Zohhadi
- 09-10-2016
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
John Le Carre has arguably written the two greatest espionage novels of all time (and maybe several more in the top 10). This being one and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy the other. Why are they so good ? To put it simply, brilliant writing coupled with suspense and great characters (certainly from a British perspective) that we want to succeed. Alec Leamas and George Smiley are both fascinating and of course on the right side. The accumulation of evidence and detailed plots are ingenious and also show a respect for the reader. The ending does not disappoint. Brilliant.
4 people found this helpful
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- The_price_of_bottled_water
- 04-10-2014
A classic from the cold war
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Definitely recommended - particularly for anyone who has spent time in Berlin.
Has The Spy Who Came in from the Cold put you off other books in this genre?
I don't know this genre well - but it wasn't what I was expecting, and the quality of the story positively surprised me.
Which character – as performed by Michael Jayston – was your favourite?
Very well read by Michael Jayston. Resists the temptation to overdo German accents for the German characters.
7 people found this helpful
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- G
- 24-09-2012
another era
Easy to listen to, good narration, no particular effort required to follow the story. Written during and taking place in the cold war, and it shows. It all feels a bit dated, but fun nonetheless, if you like "old-fashioned" thrillers.
6 people found this helpful
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