Karla trilogy book 1 · 1974
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
George Smiley, forced into retirement, is secretly brought back to find a Soviet mole at the very top of the Circus.
Spoiler-free summary written for The Recurring Cast.
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Book facts
- Author
- John le Carré
- Series
- Karla trilogy, book 1 of 3
- Published
- 1974
- Setting
- Set in London
- Characters charted
- 9
- Chart confidence
- High
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy on screen
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979, miniseries, BBC Two). Alec Guinness plays George Smiley, brought out of retirement to find a Soviet mole at the top of the Circus.
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, film, Cinema). Gary Oldman plays Smiley in Tomas Alfredson’s film of the hunt for a mole in British intelligence.
Who is in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
9 recurring or key characters from John le Carré’s chart. Introduces Connie Sachs, Toby Esterhase, Bill Haydon, Jerry Westerby and 1 more.
Lead 1
- George SmileyIntelligence officer of the CircusHunts the mole at the top of the Circus
Major 7
- Peter GuillamSmiley’s loyal lieutenant
- Ann SmileySmiley’s unfaithful wife
- ControlHead of the CircusDead, his suspicions still guiding Smiley
- Connie SachsFirst appearanceThe Circus’s memory on Soviet matters
- Toby EsterhaseFirst appearanceHungarian-born Circus officer
- Bill HaydonFirst appearanceSenior Circus officerExposed as the Soviet mole
- KarlaFirst appearanceHead of Moscow Centre’s secret departmentSmiley’s unseen opponent
Minor and cameo 1
- Jerry WesterbyFirst appearanceJournalist and part-time agent
Also featuring these characters
Other John le Carré books that share the most characters with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
- Smiley’s People1979 · Karla trilogy · 6 shared charactersBuy on Amazon
- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold1963 · George Smiley · 3 shared charactersBuy on Amazon
- Call for the Dead1961 · George Smiley · 3 shared charactersBuy on Amazon
- A Legacy of Spies2017 · George Smiley · 3 shared charactersBuy on Amazon