The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Dramatised)

De: John le Carré

Narrado por: Simon Russell Beale

Simon Russell Beale stars in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of John le Carré's novel, which introduced his most famous character, George Smiley.

It is 1962: the height of the Cold War and only months after the building of the Berlin Wall. Alec Leamas is a hard-working, hard-drinking British intelligence officer whose East Berlin network is in tatters. His agents are either on the run or dead, victims of the ruthlessly efficient East German counter-intelligence officer Hans-Dieter Mundt.

Leamas is recalled to London where, to his surprise, instead of being washed up and consigned to a desk he's offered a chance to have his revenge by becoming a pawn in a brilliantly-conceived plot to destroy Mundt. But in order to do so he has to stay out in the cold a little longer...

Starring the award-winning Simon Russell Beale as Smiley, and with a distinguished cast including Brian Cox as Alec Leamas, this tense, compelling dramatisation perfectly captures the atmosphere of le Carré's taut, intricate thriller.

©2009 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2009 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Best Cold War Spy Novel Ever!

I've watched it, I've read it and I've listened to it...several times each...and now this dramatization which I really enjoyed. I think I have it figured out too, lol. Excellent!

Great Story

I love this version of le Carre's book. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is a great addition to the Smiley series. I love dramatized versions because it's like a play than a book. Similar to the HGTTG series. Great acting and a thrilling story.


AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

Wonderful dramatization

What did you love best about The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Dramatised)?

Excellent acting - intricate plot.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The surprising ending ( don't want to spoil it) . Also, the characters are engaging - you care what happens to them.

What does Simon Russell Beale bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voice - very human character yet supreme spy.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes but can't say for risk of revealing too much!

Berlin Wall meets Sherlock Holmes

Mixed with a sprinkling of a failed version of 007 James Bond. If you like to be a crime sleuth who solves mystery puzzles then this dark drama is for you.

WARNING: do not read while drinking as this will require all of your faculties.

Smashing spy story with a surprising twist!

Loved listening to this spy thriller. It was Very addictive listening to the twists and turns. The actors were fantastic. It was like listening to a movie!

Disappointing

I really expected much more. This does not do justice to a great spy story.

astounding script

a plot cleverly devised by British intelligence in order to cover (and save) the position of a nazi whose allegiance is UK inside the Abteilung that went OK but at a brutal cost.

Superb in Every Way

I cannot praise this production enough. Originally I thought I had made a mistake by ordering a dramatisation instead of the whole novel, but within a half-hour I was enthralled by the extraordinary vocalisations, dramatic yet subtle radio-like sound-effects, and of course the complex realism of Le Carre's writing. Highly recommended if you do not want to read the entire novel. Listening to this abridgement, you may want to read the entire novel!

Zeke

Poor. The movie was much better. Dull. Not witty. Predictable. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Brian Cox is great but...

THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD is such a great story that it's hard to make a bad version of it. This one is good, but it's just good. It's been a little while since I read the book, but it seems they throw more Smiley into the story just to have more of him. Yeah, I realize the point is to tell the whole Smiley saga, but he wasn't a huge part of this story until this telling. Mr. Russel Beale is fine as Smiley, but this story is about Alec Leamus, and Brian Cox is wonderful.
My biggest beef with this production is that it wasn't needed. The BBC did a great adaptation with Colin Blakely which was commercially available until recently. That version maintained the mystery within the story better and didn't need a summation at the end explaining exactly what happened in case we didn't get it. I know there's an opinion out there, usually among younger people, that if something is more than 10 years old it should be redone because we can do it better now. This just isn't the case- not for THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, not for TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, and from what I've heard so far, SMILEY'S PEOPLE. Newer isn't better. Just newer.
Will this version do in a pinch? Of course, it's a fine production. And more than likely you won't be able to find the older version anyway. Too bad.
As I've said, Brian Cox is wonderful in this. If nothing else listen for him.