What is the greatest spy novel you've ever read?
It has to be a novel, not a film, and it cannot simply be a thriller. It has to have an espionage agent.
I know which one would be my choice and also know a few people with very strong opinions on the subject.
Smiley's People by John le Carré
ReplyDeleteAlmost anything by John le Carre could make a person's selection for the greatest, but I'd nominate Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. It was the third le Carre novel I read (the first two being The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and The Looking Glass War) and had, relative to the others, an *almost* happy ending (as did Smiley's People).
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteMy choice would be "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold."
A few of the Eric Ambler novels could also be contenders but it's been years since I read them.
Michael