Review: Smiley's People by John Le Carré
Smiley's People by John Le Carré
A fitting end to the Karla trilogy. The plot is convoluted, the pacing languid, but these were never the things that got me hooked on Le Carré when I first picked up Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Even the authentic and grimy Cold War period detail—which I adore—plays second fiddle to the magnificent characterisation, dialogue and themes.
Le Carré is a master of human psychology and behaviour, which manifests not only in his cast of characters but also in the mannerisms of the bit players and bystanders. Compelling characters with distinct motivations, personalities and flaws are my jam. Smiley is by far the most fully formed, and his struggles to reconcile sense of duty with disillusionment, love with betrayal, resonated deeply. Plenty of familiar faces make an appearance, and their conversations with Smiley are invariably poignant and rife with delicious tension, especially the ones with Ann.
And oh, the ending! Everything comes full circle, moral injury leans heavily on Smiley, and I was really guessing until the very end (given what happened with The Spy Who Came in from the Cold). The stakes are at once grandiose and global, yet intensely personal. The best literature lingers in our minds long after they are read, and this masterpiece might as well be tattooed on my cortex.