I was not looking forward to this book after the mess I made with Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, but soon after starting it, I realised my blunder. It was Penguin's fault for releasing Tinker first, as that book actually comes after The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. I didn't understand Tinker because much of the complex world building and characters were laid out in an earlier book I hadn't read! What a difference a few explanatory lines made. This time round, I knew who the supposed antagonists were, what the mission was, and what much of the terminology meant. That's not to say The Spy isn't a demanding and complicated book, it certainly gives the reader a lot of credit in not being an idiot, but I felt it was a much tighter and more comprehensive read, also a real page turner!
Alec Leamas is a washed up British agent spiralling into alcoholism, depression, and irrelevancy after returning from Berlin following a failed extraction of another spy. His boss, Control, gives him one last job and a chance to redeem himself, which he willingly takes on. What follows is a tense and twisty narrative of subterfuge, betrayal, double dealings, and intrigue. Nobody can be trusted, plans within plans within plans are made, and the characters move through a gritty, grey underworld where human emotions are suppressed in favour of cold and mechanical decision making. Despite the monstrous ruthlessness of the spy world, at its heart is a very human story, as Leamas gradually submits to his better nature. A depressing, though rivetting read, hampered only by sometimes painstakingly tedious technical explanations of banking processes.
Rating: 3/5
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