[George Smiley]

LeCarre originally wrote to debunk the way espionage was portrayed in the Ian Fleming novels.

His early works were exceptional, and IMHO the best of his work was the (blushes, polishes spectacles with end of necktie) George Smiley series which began with "A Murder of Quality" and ended with "Smiley's People".

From there it was all downhill, IMHO.

[1rudeboy]

I agree. I start reading something like The Spy who Came in from the Cold or The Looking-Glass War and the next thing I know it's 3:30 am and I'm trying to finish it in one sitting.

[Tainan]

"Yes, well you'd say that wouldn'tya Gov? But its workin' class blokes like meself what made the dirty work so's sods like you can get the claps back 'ome, what?
Livin' in yur detached with the garden, drivin' the Bentley while I'm in a walk-up cookin on a gas....more the pity I mess a T-103 and eve an i undotted or a T uncrossed.
Now about my rise to C-3 and the extra 300 quid a year...?"

;)