The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Cover for the Victor Gollancz first edition | |
| Author | John le Carré |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Spy Novel |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz & Pan |
| Released | September, 1963 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback and Paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pages (Hardback edition) & 240 pages (Paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-575-00149-6 (Hardback edition) & ISBN 0-330-20107-7 (Paperback edition) |
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a 1963 espionage novel by John le Carré, adapted into a 1965 film starring Richard Burton.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
It is a spy novel based on the Cold War period of East/West "bloc" tensions. Based primarily in Eastern Europe it follows the character of Alec Leamas.
[edit] Plot summary
It tells the story of Alec Leamas, a British spy, who resigns from the Circus (as the British Secret Service is known in John le Carré's books) and defects to East Germany. Leamas is actually being manipulated by the director of the Circus, who goes by the code name "Control", as part of an elaborate plot to discredit an effective East German spymaster and protect a British agent in the East German Secret Service from discovery.
The novel received good reviews and was a best seller.
[edit] Characters in "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold"
- Alec Leamas: The British spy in the centre of this web of intrigue.
- Mundt: Leader of the East German Spy Agency and Leamas's nemesis.
- Fiedler: Communist spy, Second in Command to Mundt
- Liz Gold: English librarian and member of the Communist Party (renamed Nan Perry for the film)
- Control: Leader of British Intelligence
- George Smiley: British spy
[edit] Film & TV adaptations
It was adapted by Paul Dehn and Guy Trosper into a 1965 film, starring Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Peter van Eyck, Sam Wanamaker, Rupert Davies and Cyril Cusack and directed by Martin Ritt.
An episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges was very similar in theme and plot.
The title was spoofed in the 1965 comedy film The Spy with a Cold Nose and in the title of an episode of the 1960's television series, The Monkees, "The Spy Who Came in from the Cool." The 1990's television series Power Rangers Zeo had an episode entitled "The Ranger Who Came in From the Gold."
[edit] Awards and nominations
The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Richard Burton) and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White. Oskar Werner won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. The film was awarded four BAFTA Awards, including Best British Film and Best British Actor (Burton).
Le Carré's book won a 1965 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Novel, and screenwriters Dehn and Trosper received an Edgar the following year for Best Motion Picture Screenplay.
[edit] Quote
"It is the best spy story I have ever read." (Graham Greene) [1]
"A topical and terrible story...he can communicate emotion, from sweating fear to despairing love, with terse and compassionate conviction. Above all, he can tell a tale. Formidable equipment for a rare and disturbing writer" (The Sunday Times)
[edit] External links
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold at the Internet Movie Database
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ The Manhattan Rare Book Company (2005). John Le Carre: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, First Edition. Retrieved January 23, 2006.
Categories: 1963 novels | 1965 films | Books by John le Carré | British films | British novels | Cold War films | Edgar Award winning works | Films based on fiction books | Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award nominated performance | Paramount films | Spy films | Spy novels | Time Magazine 100 best novels
