Book Review

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's a marvelous masterpiece! It is an exciting spy novel full of intrigue, well-developed dialogue among characters, descriptions of their hidden feelings, and unexpected behaviors. The whole plot quickly leads the reader into the ambiance of espionage and counterespionage during the '60s decade, the core of the Cold War in Britain, Germany, and The Netherlands; a detailed description that places everything perfectly for a mind like a big-screen movie. 

The story unfolds Alec Leamas, who used to work as a spy for British intelligence, someone who wanted to quit that job but to retire; he must accept one last mission, a treason he shall commit for his country in the search for a way out; it will bring misfortune for him and his lover.

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold is a book that demonstrates how spies are not priests, saints, or martyrs but individuals who might follow orders of any kind by their superiors, even if they act against their principles. The title “Coming in from the cold” is a metaphor for Leamas coming in not as a spy but as a person who develops human empathy.

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