Perception and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
I was first introduced to John Le Carré in 2011 thanks to an effort to impress a man I had a crush on at the time. Man being a relative term as at the time I was 15 and he was a freshman in college. He was a fan of Le Carré’s and was also a cinephile, so he was eager for the forthcoming Tomas Alfredson directed adaption of the book, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which had a cast that could only be described as the most British cast imaginable. Gary Oldman was retired spy George Smiley with Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Ciarán Hinds rounding out the ensemble.
At that age, I was intrigued about the film but not eager for it. I wanted to go the extra mile at the time to impress my hopeful future boyfriend, so I read the Le Carré book before seeing the film.
“Did you like the book?” He asked once I finished.
“I loved it!” I said at the time.
That was a lie. And I lied again about my feelings towards the film after I saw it in theaters in early 2012. I found both works incredibly boring. Slow-paced. Convoluted. Cold and unemotional filled with characters I loathed. Either book or film would have made for a perfect substitute for Ambien. But I wanted to impress so I ground my teeth and powered through. He was less impressed than I’d hope, and the young man went on his own way. Who would have thought a Cold War spy novel wasn’t the way to a college freshman’s heart?
Nearly a decade later and on December 12, 2020, Le Carré died at the age of 89. I’d not read nor attempted to read any other books of his after my last attempt at Tinker Tailor so long ago, but his death struck me as an opportunity for a second chance (unmotivated this time by impressing someone else). I picked up the last book he’d published before his death, Agent Running in the Field, and set about reading that.
I was hooked. I read the slim book in two days. Le Carré’s prose was succinct, full of dry wit and humor, and tense when it ought to be. He managed to make even a seemingly mundane conversation about badminton an exercise in tension. I had to read more. I went on a spending spree and bought 11 more of his books — including Tinker Tailor.
Eventually, I reached my return to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I have to confess, I was nervous. While I had enjoyed the overwhelming majority of the other Le Carré’s books I’d read (The Constant Gardner, The Night Manager, and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold being favorites), I was nervous about this reread. But when I got into it, I could not believe the difference and enthusiasm I felt in reading this novel, which a decade earlier I had to force myself to even finish. I was captivated by the tightly plotted, intricate yarn. The protagonist of George Smiley was a masterful manipulator who put James Bond’s spying to shame. The villain was not outlandish, but real and nuanced, and even more sinister because of his (their) authenticity. I read the entire third act in one sitting, unable to put it down and waiting for the other shoe to drop. When I finished, I awarded the book five stars.
The next day, I re-watched the film. Where once I had thought the film to be a bore and slow-paced with stiff, bland acting made only worse by unlikable characters, like the book I had a complete reversal of experience. Gary Oldman offered a brilliant, subtle portrayal of a man in constant restraint — from his suits to his work to his predicaments with others, conveying more emotion with a neck turn than most actors could do with an entire monologue. The directing was masterful with a wholly unique aesthetic which captured 1970s Britain in a cool, stylish manner that was always visually appealing. And the score from Alberto Iglesias perfectly illustrated the real-life doldrums and frustrations of bureaucratic espionage along with the intense, visceral ruthlessness which could emerge unexpectedly through mournful pianos and frenetic violins.
But what is the point of this? I enjoyed a book and movie I previously hadn’t. Okay, great. The importance in this tiny change of perspective, I believe, can offer a much-needed critical analysis of our own perceptions and opinions on a variety of subjects, not just literature and film. In an era where opinions are born through lack of information, insight, clarify, or through self-serving means, we begin to have potentially unfounded opinions root into the fiber of our beings.
For over a decade I avoided Le Carré. Now I am eagerly awaiting the publication of his final book, Silverview, later this year. Opinions change. Perspective shifts with time; with a new frame of mind, with a greater appreciation for new things. In polarized times such as these that it is vital to admit proudly opinions can change. And they should! Few things can remain static for decades on end. So, I write this to say, even in its smallest of forms, it’s good to see perception change. It means you’ve changed as a person too. And change can lead to some wonderful things, such as enjoying some new books and films.
It also does not escape me that this perception revelation on my end came at the hands of a master spy who himself perceives what others can not. Is this coincidence or has George Smiley transcended beyond the pages? That, I do not know. But who can say for certain. Perceptions change after all.
