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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Audiobook
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(3.00) - 16,531 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The best spy novel of all time — Publishers Weekly
It’s the early 1960s, and the newly built Berlin Wall looms large. British intelligence officer Alec Leamas, caught in its shadow, feels the chill all too keenly: the preceding years have seen nearly every member of his Berlin spy network either murdered or captured. To him, the prospect of a desk job feels more like solace than purgatory. When he’s summoned to London by Control, it seems as though he’s finally being called home.
Control, however, still has other designs for Leamas: an assignment that’s equal parts dangerous and audacious. Leamas will get the chance to come home—but only after he’s gone deep undercover as a British turncoat in a bid to get revenge on Hans-Dieter Mundt, the counter-intelligence agent responsible for decimating his web of informants.
One last time, Alec Leamas steps out into the chill of East Berlin.
One of the most critically lauded and widely revered spy novels in literary history, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a tour de force that established John le Carré as a master of the genre.
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"One of those books that I "appreciated" more than I "liked." It's a wonderfully well written book, keeping the reader in constant suspense, and tops many critics' all-time best "spy book" lists. Part of what makes it so great - real life ex-spy Le Carre deliberately created the "anti-James Bond" with three-dimensional, unglamorous characters - was also why it didn't resonate with me because of the seeming lack of characters I could identify with. In fact - and again, this is one of the book's more brilliant twists - the closest to an empathetic character in the book is one of the "bad guys." So I give it five stars for being a brilliantly written deconstruction of the classical spy genre... and three stars for making me just feel depressed after I finished it."
— Jeffrey (4 out of 5 stars)
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Written…with a pitiless, elegant clarity. The Spy who Came in from the Cold is a first-rate thriller and more.”
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Listener Reviews
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" Brilliant novel; characters are drawn painfully and exquisitely; maybe cold war backdrop is dated - but I loved this book. A master at work. "
— Jane, 2/15/2014 -
" I think it's probably the best spy book ever written. Not glamorous, not Bond-ish, but gritty and dark. It portrays not only the isolation between the two Germanys, but the isolation between people, about loneliness and redemption. "
— Buck, 2/11/2014 -
" Very interesting. On the surface a masterful thriller without a single word wasted. Beyond that a much deeper and engaging essay on ideologies, modern society and war. Also a fascinating perspective on an historical moment so recent yet so far gone. "
— Grillo, 2/11/2014 -
" I just wasn't expecting that something that seems so darn perfect and confidential can end this way!!! "
— Saba, 2/5/2014 -
" Brilliant book, tragic story. Really well written and considerably less complex than tinker tailor soldier spy, this story follows two people who end up being the disposable pawns in the spy games of the cold war. It effectively illustrates the bleakness of life as a spy, the miserableness of the game, and the fact that ultimately you are completely expendable if your superiors feel they can get a better deal.. "
— Neil, 1/25/2014 -
" Loved it. Cold War era spy novel with a great protagonist. Will definitely read more of Le Carre "
— Phil, 1/14/2014 -
" It is ok. Too slow for me. "
— Jamie, 1/14/2014 -
" hated it. Couldn't even end it. "
— Filomena, 12/20/2013 -
" Classic cold war thriller published in the early sixties. Frank Muller did a great job with the characterizations and all the various accents. "
— Sandi, 11/24/2013 -
" Brilliant. On hold throughout as had some good twists, back and forth as to whether the Jewish character was working for Germany or UK. Sad ending, couldn't quite get title. "
— Will, 11/22/2013 -
" This is my current book for public transit. Graham Greene calls it "the best spy story I've ever read" -- and given that I haven't read very many spy stories, I'll probably end up saying the same thing. "
— Thomas, 11/10/2013 -
" Boring I really tried "
— Nneka, 11/8/2013 -
" It was OK. I guess I've always heard that this is one of the best spy novels ever, and it just didn't live up to my expectations. It was good--but it didn't change my life. "
— Nina, 9/28/2013 -
" Good look into the Cold War. "
— Alex, 8/25/2013 -
" Horrible horrible ending. "
— Geraldine, 4/15/2013 -
" This is supposed to be one of the greatest spy novels ever written but I just could not finish it. I had a great deal of trouble keeping track of the characters as well as following the very jumpy storyline. What a disappointment after a big set-up. "
— Sara, 3/15/2013 -
" It keep me on the edge of my seat until the very end. "
— Naida, 3/11/2013 -
" I liked the twist although i couldn't care less about any of the characters apart from the main one here. His girlfriend was a bit ridiculous. "
— Sankari, 2/18/2013 -
" Unfortunately this book wasn't really my style; I could tell it was well written but it didn't draw me in. Also even if the ending worked, I didn't like it. "
— Kara, 10/17/2012 -
" A very interesting look into the state of mind of the cold war and the cold warriors that fought it. "
— Norman, 9/26/2012 -
" Claustrophobic. Good read. Nice intro to Le Carre. "
— Fdp, 9/18/2012 -
" Another ripper from the master. I almost feel I'm wasting words if I say anything else. "
— Martin, 6/17/2012 -
" Clandestine. "
— Chris, 3/29/2012
About John le Carré
John le Carré, the pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (1931–2020), was an English author of espionage novels. Eight of his novels made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list between 1983 and 2017. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, his third book, secured him a worldwide reputation as one of the greatest spy novelists in history. Numerous major motion pictures have been made from his novels, as well as several television series. After attending the universities at Berne and Oxford, he taught at Eton and spent five years in the British Foreign Service, serving briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. Being a member of MI6 when he wrote his first novel, Call for the Dead in 1961 in Hamburg, it necessitated the use of a nom de plume, by which he continued to be known. His writing earned him several honorary doctorate degrees and the Somerset Maugham Award, the Goethe Medal, and the Olof Palme Prize.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.