>>Actually two out of the three Smiley books by John LeCarre, ("Tinker,
>>Tailor , Soldier, Spy" and "Smiley's People") were both made into
>>excellent
>>mini-series starring Alec Guinness. They are both well worth seeing,
>>although I'm not sure if you can actually follow the plots without first
>>reading the books.
>I couldn't follow the plot of Smiley's People even when I *was* reading
>the book! As for following it in the mini-series, it was hopeless.
>However, the acting was great. "You're an old spy in a hurry, George..."
>"I insist on Moscow Rules!"
The Smiley books are definitely not easy to follow, although they're well
wort the effort. Not only are the plot complicated, but he generally uses
dialogue and not third person narration to further the story along. I have
to force myself to read the books slowly so as not to missing something.
The acting on the series WAS great. The funny thing was when I first saw
Alec Guiness play Smiley, I thought that he was all wrong. In the books he
is pictured as a chubby man quite unlike Guiness. But after a few minutes
Guiness WAS Smily including wearing expensive but ill tailored clothes.
>I could follow the plot of The Honourable Schooboy because on the whole
>it followed a single person, but it depressed the hell out of me, and
>I've never read another Le Carre since.
His later books are easier to follow.
Ed Ehrlich <eehrlich@shani.net>