Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Dramatised) Audiobook By John le Carré cover art

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Dramatised)

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Dramatised)

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Anna Chancellor, Alex Jennings, Kenneth Cranham, Bill Paterson
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Smiley, wrestling with retirement and disillusionment, is summoned to a secret meeting with a member of the Cabinet Office. Evidence has emerged that the Circus has been infiltrated at the highest level by a Russian agent. 'Find the mole, George. Clean the stables. Do whatever is necessary.' Reluctantly Smiley agrees, and so embarks on a dark journey into his past a past filled with love, duplicity and betrayal.

Starring the award-winning Simon Russell Beale as Smiley, and with a star cast including Anna Chancellor, Alex Jennings, Kenneth Cranham, and Bill Paterson, this epic dramatisation brilliantly depicts the complicated moral dilemmas of those who practice post-war espionage and illuminates the murky corners of le Carré's classic spy thriller - the first in the Karla trilogy.

©2009 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2009 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Dramatizations Espionage Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Adaptation War
Compelling Storyline • Intricate Plot • World-weary Narration
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Reading John leCarre is one thing, listening to his books are something else because it's hard to differentiate between the characters. But listening to the dramatized versions are brilliant!

dramatized are the best listen

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Love this book. Prompt me to buy more from this production. Highly recommended. I felt it’s much better than watching the movies.

Epic dramatization. Love it. Better than the film.

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I have read and listened to different interpretations of John le Carre's work over 20 years this is as good as any previous productions including the those with Bernard Hepton and Alec Guiness. Simon Russell Beale has just the right air of world weariness for George Smiley, Ann his wife's part has been extended beautifully to add context. This production adds to others I have and I shall enjoy it again and again.

Atmospheric, powerful production

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Was Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Dramatised) worth the listening time?

No, I would have preferred a single narrator to a cast, especially for a story like Tinker Tailor that has so much going on. I had a hard time figuring out who was talking and it really took away from the overall story.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend skipping this audio book version until their is a single narrator, unabridged version available.

Dramatisation = Distracting

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Last of a long storyline. I don't know if I'll listen to the preceding books in the series now, knowing the end. I should have looked into that.

Listen in Order

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Would you try another book from John le Carre and/or the narrators?

I have read this book. It is a good read, but one on which you must concentrate. The Audible version is most difficult to follow when you are driving. My suggestion: buy the book

Would you ever listen to anything by John le Carre again?

No

How did the narrator detract from the book?

No

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment at my inability to follow the story

Any additional comments?

No

Hard to follow

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This is the first dramatized audio book I have listened to and I found it very hard to follow. It's like radio, and I often couldn't distinguish the characters, nor follow the story line. I was intrigued but frustrated. I didn't finish it. This story was too complicated to listen this way.

Difficult to follow

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I have the Listen for Pleasure releases of the John LeCarre Smiley series on cassette. Bad assumption on my part that these dramatizations would be comparable. If you love the John LeCarre series of Smiley books. Don't listen to these, they'll put you completely off the genre! This is the first Audible selection that I actually deleted out of my library.

Poor substitute for a good reading

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There are many bad things about this dramatization, but the worst is the casting of Smiley. You get the impression that he's young and talkative, which is absurd. The people who did this should have listened to previous renderings, including the reading of the unabridged version on Audible, which with all its faults is far superior to this. I wish I hadn't bought it.

Poor dramatization of a masterpiece

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Lacks narrative power. Cheesy effects distract rather than entertain. And chopped to fit. Procrustean solution failed. Blurred a good book.

It fails

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