RIP John le Carré

Author John Lewis Carre has died aged 89

I think you mean John le Carré. But yes, he wrote some fantastic spy thrillers.

Many were made into films, the most famous probably being Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

RIP

Tinker Tonks and Smiley's People made great dramas.

RIP JlC

Nobody better qualified to write spy novels than a real life spy. Quality work.

RIP

Has been described as 'A Titan amongst novelists' and he vwas certainly that

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was a fabulous film and I think Little Drummer Girl was made into a film too

RIP

Apologies for the mistake in the thread title.
Must always check spell check.

His career as a spy ended when Kim Philby named him to the Russians. Tinker Tailor was superb to read, a good film but a truly magnificent TV series with Alec Guiness in the role of George Smiley. R.I.P

I'm not one for a novel.
Give me a Haynes Manual and you'll not hear from me for hours but there is a way to get a bit of fiction into me and that's through something being on the TV.

And so it proved in 1979. The BBC's seven part adaptation of John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I was hooked, BBC2 at 21.00 on, I think, a Wednesday evening. With a few actors that I knew from things like Softly Softly and Quiller.
Then there was a couple of years gap and then the Corporation did it again with Smiley's People. Same slot, some of the same cast, a six parter this time and I liked it more because of it was more action packed.
Some years later I started to rent a video tape recorder (about ten quid a month!) and I bought the two adaptations on VHS and watched both back to back into the small hours. Again and again.

Londoners might know of a thing called London Walks. Of a Saturday afternoon; one was Spies and Spycatcher's London led by Alan, the man with the green carnation. He interested me enough to find out more about the security services and also to spend some time visting the filming locations of the two adaptations.
Last year I spent hours on line researching and reporting on the locations both in the UK and in Europe on youtube. Unfortunately this year the copywrite holder decided to prevent viewers in the country where it was made from watching those videos, despite me shelling out eleven quid a month for it's licence.

Nonetheless Le Carre has been a part of my life for the last forty years and I'll miss seeing him being interviewed or whatever. 89 was a good innings.

Le Carre was a genius in my view. I think I've read most if not all his books. His books are a combination of insightful examination of human nature and intricate plots with lots of subtext.

Smiley is Le Carres greatest and most enigmatic character. The ultimate spycatcher who operates in the shadows. Le Carre never revealed who Smiley is based on. And that's how it should be.

RIP, John LeCarre

(14-12-2020 18:34 )SecretAgent Wrote:  His career as a spy ended when Kim Philby named him to the Russians. Tinker Tailor was superb to read, a good film but a truly magnificent TV series with Alec Guiness in the role of George Smiley. R.I.P

How did Philby find out?