Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
Buy Now for £12.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Summary
Alec Leamas has ended his time in Berlin. Or his time has ended him. The last of his Eastern agents has been killed, like the others, by the Abteilung. Back at the Circus, Leamas is put on the shelf. He turns to drunkenness and dishonesty and finally disappears from view, a seemingly broken man.
But unknown to anyone except George Smiley and his master, Control, Leamas has been given his toughest mission ever. He will have to be himself but more so. He will have to fight off the inevitable softening of middle age and wait a little more before he can come in from the cold. Not even Leamas can know the plan of which he is the instrument.
Critic reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- S. Thomas
- 23-12-12
The book that came in from the cd.
This isn't my usual choice. Espionage thrillers usually leave me cold - or the thought or them does. However this was a book group choice so I chose the unabridged version and within minutes was hooked.
I'm now embarrassed to think I ignored this for
So long. The writing is so accessible; I was concerned that I would not be able to follow the plot but it's a much more relatable novel than I imagined. Good writing means this novel is a hit across the board and the narrator is amazing with his easy on the ear voice and the way each character is convincingly brought to life. I adored this reading!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
27 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Norma Miles
- 12-01-16
A small car with children waving.
If you like your spies drinking Martinis, with glamour and gadgets against egregious supervillains, this is not the book for you. Instead we are drawn into a world of subterfuge and lies, of duplicity where even truth can be turned on it's head, where black and white merges into dirty grey. No heroes here, only ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances trying to stay alive as they keep their form of faith.
One of le Carre's most masterful cold war spy stories, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, is completely gripping from the breath-holding first pages to the dazzling conclusion. Yet the writing itself is elegant enough to be a fine love missive. This was not my first encounter with the book; I had read it many years ago and seen the film version. But the narration by Michael Jayson brought a freshness and poignancy that had me enthralled with each twist and turn, leaving me as eager to listen on as ever I had been with my very first reading.
First class.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Susan
- 02-12-15
Superb and a classic novel
I first read this book when it was first published. I found it quite difficult but after all these years it is much easier to understand the moral nuances and superb plotting. Hearing it read was a great experience.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
17 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- HumanistCapitalist
- 07-09-15
A great thriller, well read
One of JLC's classics. The voice was just perfect, conveying the suspense of the thriller.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Grotbag
- 24-07-15
Superior Spy Thriller
This was a gripping, realistic story of morally ambiguous Cold War espionage. Expertly read by Jayston, slipping subtly between distinct characters with ease.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Iain
- 24-12-12
Another Gripping Spy Story
le Carre delivers another gripping tale of the cold war British spy network. Lots of twists and turns to keep the listener guessing until the very end. Up there with the rest of his works.
The narrator delivers the story brilliantly, although in previous purchases where Le Carre has read them himself does take a lot of beating.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- The_price_of_bottled_water
- 04-10-14
A classic from the cold war
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Definitely recommended - particularly for anyone who has spent time in Berlin.
Has The Spy Who Came in from the Cold put you off other books in this genre?
I don't know this genre well - but it wasn't what I was expecting, and the quality of the story positively surprised me.
Which character – as performed by Michael Jayston – was your favourite?
Very well read by Michael Jayston. Resists the temptation to overdo German accents for the German characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- G
- 24-09-12
another era
Easy to listen to, good narration, no particular effort required to follow the story. Written during and taking place in the cold war, and it shows. It all feels a bit dated, but fun nonetheless, if you like "old-fashioned" thrillers.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Paul D
- 06-10-16
Brilliant
Le Carre - always good.
Jayston - a master of narration..
Together - a brilliant team.
The book - one of the best.
Seen the film, read the book, now listened to the book. Just as fresh.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Simon Zohhadi
- 09-10-16
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
John Le Carre has arguably written the two greatest espionage novels of all time (and maybe several more in the top 10). This being one and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy the other. Why are they so good ? To put it simply, brilliant writing coupled with suspense and great characters (certainly from a British perspective) that we want to succeed. Alec Leamas and George Smiley are both fascinating and of course on the right side. The accumulation of evidence and detailed plots are ingenious and also show a respect for the reader. The ending does not disappoint. Brilliant.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful