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Indeholder kapitlerne "Lidt om George Smiley", "Vi lukker aldrig", "Elsa Fennan", "Samtale ved morgenkaffen", "Maston og levende lys", "Te og sympati", "Mr. Scarrs historie", "Tanker på en hospitalsstue", "Oprydning", "Jomfruens historie", "Den lidet respektable krig", "Drømme til salg", "Samuel
Den første i en lang række af bøger med George Smiley som hovedperson.
Smiley bliver rekrutteret i 1928 via sin lærer Jebedee.
George Smiley er efter anden verdenskrig på nydeligste vis lagt på hylden som aktiv agent og arbejder på et af tjenestens kontorer. Han har været gift med Lady Ann Sercomb, men er skilt igen efter et par års ægteskab.
Hans irriterende chef, karriereembedsmanden Maston, har afløst krigstidens charmerende lidt amatørprægede ledelse.
En 44 årig embedsmand fra udenrigsministeriet, Samuel Fennan, har begået selvmord efter at være blevet udspurgt af Smiley om hans tidligere medlemskab af kommunistpartiet. Hans kone Elsa Fennan fortæller at han var helt ude af sig selv efter interviewet, hvilket Smiley ikke kan få til at stemme. Mens Smiley taler med Elsa, ringer telefonen. Åbenbart har Samuel bestilt telefonvækning. (Telefonvækningen har givet anledning til bogens titel.) Det kan Smiley heller ikke få til at stemme. Han returnerer til kontoret og rapporterer til Maston, der ignorerer ham. Smiley siger op og allierer sig med Inspector Mendel, der er på vej på pension. Da Smiley kommer hjem, opdager han at der er nogen i huset. Han får et glimt af personen og forsvinder skyndsomst. Mendel sporer en af de parkerede biler til en skummel brugtvognshandler Adam Scarr. Smiley bliver overfaldet og slået trekvart ihjel.
Mendel bliver alvorligt sur på Scarr og presser ham for informationer om hvem der har haft lejet bilen. Det peger tilbage på East German Steel Mission og nogle østtyskere, som Smiley kender fra sin tid som agent i Tyskland lige før og under anden verdenskrig. Specielt Dieter Frey, som var en skræmmende god agent. Han ser ud til at have en Hans-Dieter Mundt til at gøre det beskidte arbejde som at dræbe Samuel Fennan og forsøge at rydde Smiley af vejen.
Udover Mendel trækker Smiley på Peter Guillam fra forsvarsministeriet.
Adam Scarr bliver fundet død i floden, så han kan ikke hjælpe mere. Elsa Fennan indrømmer at hun også har spillet en rolle og har transporteret dokumenter til Dieter. Men Smiley checker og Samuel har ikke taget vigtige papirer med hjem, selv om han har haft let adgang til det. Der er for mange ting, der ikke stemmer. Smiley overvejer en anden løsning: Elsa som spion, der kopierer Samuels papirer. Den stemmer, men han kan ikke bevise noget, så han stiller en fælde udfra sit indgående kendskab til Dieter. Både Elsa og Dieter bider på krogen, og da de opdager at det er en fælde, dræber Dieter Elsa og bliver selv dræbt i et slagsmål med Mendel og Smiley.
Glimrende lille bog, der tegner lidt flere facetter af George Smiley som person. Der er også glimt af hans chef og en ide om hvordan det mon er at være chef for en forhørsleder.
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Fennans udygtighed", "Meissen-gruppen", "Sidste akt", "Ekkoer i tågen", "Kære Maston", "Mellem to verdener".Den første i en lang række af bøger med George Smiley som hovedperson.
Smiley bliver rekrutteret i 1928 via sin lærer Jebedee.
George Smiley er efter anden verdenskrig på nydeligste vis lagt på hylden som aktiv agent og arbejder på et af tjenestens kontorer. Han har været gift med Lady Ann Sercomb, men er skilt igen efter et par års ægteskab.
Hans irriterende chef, karriereembedsmanden Maston, har afløst krigstidens charmerende lidt amatørprægede ledelse.
En 44 årig embedsmand fra udenrigsministeriet, Samuel Fennan, har begået selvmord efter at være blevet udspurgt af Smiley om hans tidligere medlemskab af kommunistpartiet. Hans kone Elsa Fennan fortæller at han var helt ude af sig selv efter interviewet, hvilket Smiley ikke kan få til at stemme. Mens Smiley taler med Elsa, ringer telefonen. Åbenbart har Samuel bestilt telefonvækning. (Telefonvækningen har givet anledning til bogens titel.) Det kan Smiley heller ikke få til at stemme. Han returnerer til kontoret og rapporterer til Maston, der ignorerer ham. Smiley siger op og allierer sig med Inspector Mendel, der er på vej på pension. Da Smiley kommer hjem, opdager han at der er nogen i huset. Han får et glimt af personen og forsvinder skyndsomst. Mendel sporer en af de parkerede biler til en skummel brugtvognshandler Adam Scarr. Smiley bliver overfaldet og slået trekvart ihjel.
Mendel bliver alvorligt sur på Scarr og presser ham for informationer om hvem der har haft lejet bilen. Det peger tilbage på East German Steel Mission og nogle østtyskere, som Smiley kender fra sin tid som agent i Tyskland lige før og under anden verdenskrig. Specielt Dieter Frey, som var en skræmmende god agent. Han ser ud til at have en Hans-Dieter Mundt til at gøre det beskidte arbejde som at dræbe Samuel Fennan og forsøge at rydde Smiley af vejen.
Udover Mendel trækker Smiley på Peter Guillam fra forsvarsministeriet.
Adam Scarr bliver fundet død i floden, så han kan ikke hjælpe mere. Elsa Fennan indrømmer at hun også har spillet en rolle og har transporteret dokumenter til Dieter. Men Smiley checker og Samuel har ikke taget vigtige papirer med hjem, selv om han har haft let adgang til det. Der er for mange ting, der ikke stemmer. Smiley overvejer en anden løsning: Elsa som spion, der kopierer Samuels papirer. Den stemmer, men han kan ikke bevise noget, så han stiller en fælde udfra sit indgående kendskab til Dieter. Både Elsa og Dieter bider på krogen, og da de opdager at det er en fælde, dræber Dieter Elsa og bliver selv dræbt i et slagsmål med Mendel og Smiley.
Glimrende lille bog, der tegner lidt flere facetter af George Smiley som person. Der er også glimt af hans chef og en ide om hvordan det mon er at være chef for en forhørsleder.
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Genres
Publication
Spektrum, 1970. Spektrum Pocketbøger
Description
George Smiley had liked the man and now the man was dead. Suicide. But why? An anonymous letter had alleged that Foreign Office man Samuel Fennan had been a member of the Communist Party as a student before the war. Nothing very unusual for his generation. Smiley had made it clear that the investigation - little more than a routine security check - was over and that the file on Fennan could be closed. Next day, Fennan was dead with a note by his body saying his career was finished and he couldn't go on. Why? Smiley was puzzled ...
Media reviews
His Zimmer frame in overdrive, Smiley sprinted after Dieter and cornered him by the Thames. "So?" Smiley said. "So?" Dieter replied, before allowing the much older, much weaker man push him into the river.
Smiley sat down, exhausted and overwhelmed by a need to recap in case some readers still
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hadn't quite gathered what was going on. And this time he would make it even easier for them by writing them in bullet points. 1. It was Elsa who was the spy. 2. Sam had become suspicious and was going to denounce her. 3. Dieter...
"Well I'm glad that's all cleared up without the Press being involved," cried Maston cheerily. "I take it we can tear up your resignation letter?"
On balance Smiley thought he could. It was true there had been a number of rough edges. Some of the plotting had rather stretched credulity and the characterisation had been thinner than he hoped. But it was a more than decent start and his career as Alec Guinness was under way. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member Smiler69
The first novel in the George Smiley series, which introduces the MI6 intelligence officer. Middle-aged, self-effacing, bespectacled, short and fat, a bad dresser and sometimes described as frog-like, Smiley presents a more realistic character and the opposite to the fantasy that is James Bond. The
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first chapter gives us Smiley's professional background and how he came to be involved with intelligence work, but also presents his current personal situation. Smiley is recovering from heartbreak following his separation from his wife Lady Ann Sercombe, a beautiful and promiscuous aristocrat who has left him for a Cuban racecar driver. The presentations over, Smiler is called in by his superior, Maston, who informs him that a Foreign Office civil servant named Samuel Fennan has just committed suicide following a routine security check performed by Smiley and that he, Smiley is accused of inducing the man to kill himself. It appears that Fennan claimed in his suicide note that he felt his reputation was marred and his career at an end. Smiley is distraught, especially since he remembers the interview, which followed an anonymous accusation, being a particularly pleasant one, and that he had all but guaranteed to Fennan that he was in the clear. When he goes to visit Fennan's widow Elsa (a Jewish concentration-camp survivor) the next morning, he intercepts a phone call which was meant for the dead man: an 8:30 a.m. wake-up call, which seems to surprise Elsa Fennan. This one incident doesn't sit well with our spy, who is convinced that Fennan was in fact murdered. In the course of his investigation, Smiler suffers a violent attack which leaves him half dead, though he eventually recovers after a long hospitalization and succeeds in putting all the pieces together. In the process, he exposes an old war-time colleague, a German spy who was working for him, but has since gone over to the other side and is now an operative for the East Germans. This was a good introduction to the popular spy series and to spy novels in general. Looking forward to the next installation. Show Less
LibraryThing member wdwilson3
John Le Carré’s first novel introduces George Smiley in what is less a spy thriller than a mystery involving spies. While there’s a good deal of action (including poor old George getting beat up twice!) there is also methodical deduction. Well written in Le Carré’s erudite style with
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typical introspection by Smiley, it holds up well fifty years after publication. The only sign of Carré being a novice at his trade is the next-to-last chapter, which is a rather needless Cliffs Notes version of the mystery plot. With that exception, jolly good fun. Show Less
LibraryThing member pgmcc
I have just finished "Call for the Dead". It is an excellent story. It is the first book written by David Cornwell under the name of John Le Carré. He would have been an intelligence officer himself at the time of writing this novel.
The book introduces Mr. Smiley whom some of you will know is the
"Call for the Dead" brought me back to my boyhood, a time when fog was fog and the word smog hadn't been invented. It was the days of coal fires in every house, Bakelite telephones that rang with the sound of bells, men wore hats all the time, flying with an airline meant you had a physical ticket that you bought in a travel agents, etc... Yes, nostalgic.
Le Carré's books are always full of spy-craft and clever observations of human beings, their deceptions and their weaknesses. "Call for the Dead" is no exception.
The book introduces Mr. Smiley whom some of you will know is the
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main character in some of Le Carré's later novels, such as "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "Smiley's People". Smiley is portrayed superbly by Alec Guinness in the BBC's dramatizations of "Tinker, Tailor..." and "Smiley's People"."Call for the Dead" brought me back to my boyhood, a time when fog was fog and the word smog hadn't been invented. It was the days of coal fires in every house, Bakelite telephones that rang with the sound of bells, men wore hats all the time, flying with an airline meant you had a physical ticket that you bought in a travel agents, etc... Yes, nostalgic.
Le Carré's books are always full of spy-craft and clever observations of human beings, their deceptions and their weaknesses. "Call for the Dead" is no exception.
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LibraryThing member Intemerata
Not quite up to the standards of Le Carré's later masterpieces, but definitely worth reading for the background information on Smiley - and for what are, as far as I can remember, pretty much the only definitive statements about Anne.
LibraryThing member majkia
The beginnings of le Carre's spy series. A basic, unadorned story of espionage and how someone who was your colleague might today be your opposition. Questionable loyalties, questionable lives, and living with lots of suspicion and mistrust.
LibraryThing member Larou
After thoroughly enjoying The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, I decided that it was time to read some more of le Carré’s works, and as I am somewhat OCD about reading things in their proper order, that meant starting with his first published novel.
Call for the Dead is about the Fennan case that
During its first two thirds, Call for the Dead is much closer to being a traditional mystery than a spy thriller, presenting itself as a classical whodunnit. But then an interesting and quite clever twist occurs (assuming, of course, that it was done intentionally and is not rather indicative of a debut author still struggling to find his form – in either case, though, the shift in genre is as disconcerting as it is effective). While in a mystery discovering the motive is a means to find out who the murderer is, in Call for the Dead discovering the killer’s identity only serves as a step on the way of finding out the motive behind the murder, and it also marks the point where the novel leaves crime fiction behind and crosses the border into spy thriller territory.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is the novel that made le Carré famous, and in all fairness it is probably the better novel, too – still, speaking strictly for myself, I have to say that I liked Call for the Dead better than the later book. I am not quite sure why, but I suspect it is because of its protagonist George Smiley who comes across as a distinctly more ambivalent figure than Alec Leamas. Even though Smiley is the central point of view character, he remains mysterious to the reader right until the end, somehow managing to retain an aura of cool aloofness even after we have been looking over his shoulder for several hundred pages. It seems a very deft touch to first introduce him by way of his failed marriage, thus having his former wife give some kind of outside perspective on him and establishing right away the contrast between his unassuming exterior and his brilliant mind. (Also, as an aside, for anyone who watched the BBC TV series it is simply impossible not to picture Alec Guiness as George Smiley, such is the perfection down to the very last detail with which he played, even became that character. Which, I suppose, can be constraining – it definitely was for le Carré who stopped having him feature in his novels – but I found it quite fascinating to have such a distinct visual image of Smiley – it’s almost like he was a historical character who I had seen in the news and whose fictionalized version I was now following through the plot of the novel.)
Call for the Dead is about the Fennan case that
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gets mentioned several times during the course of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. The earlier novel comes across as more cerebral, which is most likely due to its main protagonist, namely George Smiley who appears both less physical and emotionally more restrained than Leamas. It also behaves a bit awkard in places, and occasionally one begins to wonder whether the whole construction won’t come crashing down around the reader’s ears, but this is a debut novel after all, so one has to make some concessions, and by and large le Carré pulls it off.During its first two thirds, Call for the Dead is much closer to being a traditional mystery than a spy thriller, presenting itself as a classical whodunnit. But then an interesting and quite clever twist occurs (assuming, of course, that it was done intentionally and is not rather indicative of a debut author still struggling to find his form – in either case, though, the shift in genre is as disconcerting as it is effective). While in a mystery discovering the motive is a means to find out who the murderer is, in Call for the Dead discovering the killer’s identity only serves as a step on the way of finding out the motive behind the murder, and it also marks the point where the novel leaves crime fiction behind and crosses the border into spy thriller territory.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is the novel that made le Carré famous, and in all fairness it is probably the better novel, too – still, speaking strictly for myself, I have to say that I liked Call for the Dead better than the later book. I am not quite sure why, but I suspect it is because of its protagonist George Smiley who comes across as a distinctly more ambivalent figure than Alec Leamas. Even though Smiley is the central point of view character, he remains mysterious to the reader right until the end, somehow managing to retain an aura of cool aloofness even after we have been looking over his shoulder for several hundred pages. It seems a very deft touch to first introduce him by way of his failed marriage, thus having his former wife give some kind of outside perspective on him and establishing right away the contrast between his unassuming exterior and his brilliant mind. (Also, as an aside, for anyone who watched the BBC TV series it is simply impossible not to picture Alec Guiness as George Smiley, such is the perfection down to the very last detail with which he played, even became that character. Which, I suppose, can be constraining – it definitely was for le Carré who stopped having him feature in his novels – but I found it quite fascinating to have such a distinct visual image of Smiley – it’s almost like he was a historical character who I had seen in the news and whose fictionalized version I was now following through the plot of the novel.)
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LibraryThing member jwrudn
Good. Leaner, with less psychological baggage than some later le Carre stuff. Amazing first novel.
LibraryThing member jerhogan
Plenty of twists for such a short book. Enjoyable whodunnit/spy story.
LibraryThing member saroz
When I saw the new film version of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" in early 2012, I thought, "I would like to try the George Smiley novels." I had the same thought again recently when I rewatched the movie at home, so I decided to do something about it and bought copies of the Smiley series. I had
What appealed to me right away is le Carre's prose. It's engaging, detailed prose, full of character without being showy, the sort of mid-century modernist writing I've always enjoyed a lot. Le Carre reminded me a lot of Graham Greene in his ability to sketch a portrait of a character firmly but economically, pulling you into his perspective without actually resorting to first person voice. The book is a triumph as a study of the character of Smiley, even if the plot ultimately resolves itself a little bit abruptly.
That's not to say the plot isn't good; in fact, I was pleased to see that the first half of the book is basically a murder mystery, a genre I've always enjoyed. However, le Carre loses his grip just a little bit at the end, when he resorts to "summing things up" unnecessarily while still leaving certain questions unanswered. (My response: pick one appftoach or the other. Don't try to satisfy the audience *and* leave them wondering.) However, the book was a quick and pleasant read - two days! - and I'm moving straight on to the next one with great anticipation to learn more about Smiley and see le Carre hone his craft. That's a solid beginning to a series, to me!
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planned to start them during the summer - the only time I ever read series books - but when I saw that the first two were no longer than about 150 pages each, I decided to start right in. What appealed to me right away is le Carre's prose. It's engaging, detailed prose, full of character without being showy, the sort of mid-century modernist writing I've always enjoyed a lot. Le Carre reminded me a lot of Graham Greene in his ability to sketch a portrait of a character firmly but economically, pulling you into his perspective without actually resorting to first person voice. The book is a triumph as a study of the character of Smiley, even if the plot ultimately resolves itself a little bit abruptly.
That's not to say the plot isn't good; in fact, I was pleased to see that the first half of the book is basically a murder mystery, a genre I've always enjoyed. However, le Carre loses his grip just a little bit at the end, when he resorts to "summing things up" unnecessarily while still leaving certain questions unanswered. (My response: pick one appftoach or the other. Don't try to satisfy the audience *and* leave them wondering.) However, the book was a quick and pleasant read - two days! - and I'm moving straight on to the next one with great anticipation to learn more about Smiley and see le Carre hone his craft. That's a solid beginning to a series, to me!
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LibraryThing member camharlow
The first novel from John le Carre and the one that introduces his most famous character, Alec Smiley. Having read many of his later novels, I can see the foundations upon which his writing would develop, with more basic plotting and descriptions than in later books. However, his investigations of
Reading this just over 50 years after it was first published is fascinating and makes one realise with a start, how technology, science and communications have advanced and changed our daily lives in the intervening time.
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moral dilemmas are already in evidence, as is the background to Smiley’s troubled domestic life.Reading this just over 50 years after it was first published is fascinating and makes one realise with a start, how technology, science and communications have advanced and changed our daily lives in the intervening time.
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LibraryThing member FCH123
Never read Le Carre. Thought I'd start with the first. The problem with that is, the writer's skill is not up to expectations. A fine little story, but not more than that.
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
This was le Carré's first published novel and also marks the debut of George Smiley. Even in this book, published in 1961, Smiley is already world weary, and tarnished, bowed down by the pressures of the world of spies and counter-espionage manoeuvres, at a time before Kim Philby's public
Many of the traits that would become so evident in the later works, and in particular the three novels forming the 'Quest for Karla' trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'', 'The Honourable Schoolboy' and 'Smiley's People'), are already visible: the close attention to detail, the air of unrelenting melancholia and the sense that he is largely at the mercy of the whim of others (including his errant wife Ann). Also present is the irremediable shabbiness of the spy's art. Hitherto, perhaps with the exception of Graham Greene's books, spy novels (with Ian Fleming's Bond stories leading the pack) had fizzed with excitement, played out in glamorous locations, with the protagonists weighed down ultra hi-tech gadgets. This book changed the nature of the spy novel, and henceforth serious authors of spy fiction would site their stories in le Carré's world.
The novel opens with Smiley being summoned to see 'The Advisor',(the head of the Counter Intelligence Service) where he learns that Samuel Fennan, a senior civil servant at the Foreign and Commonwealth office, has killed himself as a consequence of allegations of treachery levelled against him. Devastating enough in itself, this drastic outcome looms even more significantly because Smiley had interviewed Fennan the previous day about those allegations, and had informally advised him that he was in the clear and that no further action would be taken. Smiley is dispatched down to Fennan's home in Surrey to interview his widow, and to try, as subtly as possible, to establish exactly what had happened.
I first read this book more than thirty years ago, by which time le Carré was already established as a master of the art. I remember enjoying it that first time, and re-reading it now it still retained its tension, and early traces of le Carré's unique prose style are already evident.
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unmasking or the raising of the Berlin Wall.Many of the traits that would become so evident in the later works, and in particular the three novels forming the 'Quest for Karla' trilogy (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'', 'The Honourable Schoolboy' and 'Smiley's People'), are already visible: the close attention to detail, the air of unrelenting melancholia and the sense that he is largely at the mercy of the whim of others (including his errant wife Ann). Also present is the irremediable shabbiness of the spy's art. Hitherto, perhaps with the exception of Graham Greene's books, spy novels (with Ian Fleming's Bond stories leading the pack) had fizzed with excitement, played out in glamorous locations, with the protagonists weighed down ultra hi-tech gadgets. This book changed the nature of the spy novel, and henceforth serious authors of spy fiction would site their stories in le Carré's world.
The novel opens with Smiley being summoned to see 'The Advisor',(the head of the Counter Intelligence Service) where he learns that Samuel Fennan, a senior civil servant at the Foreign and Commonwealth office, has killed himself as a consequence of allegations of treachery levelled against him. Devastating enough in itself, this drastic outcome looms even more significantly because Smiley had interviewed Fennan the previous day about those allegations, and had informally advised him that he was in the clear and that no further action would be taken. Smiley is dispatched down to Fennan's home in Surrey to interview his widow, and to try, as subtly as possible, to establish exactly what had happened.
I first read this book more than thirty years ago, by which time le Carré was already established as a master of the art. I remember enjoying it that first time, and re-reading it now it still retained its tension, and early traces of le Carré's unique prose style are already evident.
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LibraryThing member AnnieMod
The first novel written by one of the masters of the spy genre. It is a charming little book - the confident style that I like in le Carre is still not fully developed but there are sparks and shadows from it.
This is the book in which George Smiley came to life - and necessarily a good part of the
The novel open with George being summoned to his bosses office (after the chapter about Smiley's past of course) after a call that had made no sense. He had interviewed a Foreign Office employee earlier that date on suspicion of belonging to the Communist Party and all had went well, the men had been almost friendly and George had made sure that the other man, Samuel Fennan, understand that the suspicions are ungrounded. And now, in the middle of the night, he learns that the man had committed suicide and in his note, he had blamed the interview and his ruined career. Obviously something does not add up in this situation so Smiley is promptly dispatched to Fennan's widow. And there things get even weirder - because of she is to be believed, Fennan had really been upset after the interview.
And just when Smiley is ready to admit defeat (without any clue what had happened), the things started to get complicated - a phone call that could not have happened, a lie that makes no sense, a few more dead bodies (and one almost dead), a former English spy who had been German, a GDR company -- and Smiley, the Scotland Yard Inspector Mendel and Smiley's colleague Guillam need to figure out what happened before more people end up dead. Of course it will not be straight forward and even if some of the plotting of the later novels is missing, there are turns and bends in the story.
And somewhere there, we also meet Smiley's wife - or we hear about her a lot in the very least. And when le Carre decides to finish the novel, it is with a promise of a new life for Smiley... not necessarily as a spy. The usual way to end a novel for which you do not know if you will have the chance to write a sequel - the story finishes but there is the door open for a second book. And a third.
The story is written in the 60s and it shows - you cannot just move it to the 21st century and expect it to work - you have the Cold War and separated Germany (and England not even acknowledging the existence of GDR but forced to be aware of it), the phone service and the newspapers; the tranquil life of clubs and theaters; the 'forensic' methods used by the police. George Smiley and this novel are a product of the times they were written in... and that is what adds charm to it - it is a pretty good slice of a time long gone (with the needed additions and changes to make it a novel).
It was not a great book - the plot was way too obvious in places; the storytelling was almost forced here and there. But it is a good start of the series and if I had lived back in the 60s, I would have wanted to see what happens next. Pretty much the same way I want it to follow the adventures now.
This is the book in which George Smiley came to life - and necessarily a good part of the
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book is dealing with his past and his character - what will in later books be used almost without mentioning and certainly without so many explanations. In a way it is as any first book from a long series - it can stand alone but knowing what follows add an additional layer over the story. I've read a few of the later books before, never in order and never systematically - but I enjoyed them. And that is why I started the series from the beginning. The novel open with George being summoned to his bosses office (after the chapter about Smiley's past of course) after a call that had made no sense. He had interviewed a Foreign Office employee earlier that date on suspicion of belonging to the Communist Party and all had went well, the men had been almost friendly and George had made sure that the other man, Samuel Fennan, understand that the suspicions are ungrounded. And now, in the middle of the night, he learns that the man had committed suicide and in his note, he had blamed the interview and his ruined career. Obviously something does not add up in this situation so Smiley is promptly dispatched to Fennan's widow. And there things get even weirder - because of she is to be believed, Fennan had really been upset after the interview.
And just when Smiley is ready to admit defeat (without any clue what had happened), the things started to get complicated - a phone call that could not have happened, a lie that makes no sense, a few more dead bodies (and one almost dead), a former English spy who had been German, a GDR company -- and Smiley, the Scotland Yard Inspector Mendel and Smiley's colleague Guillam need to figure out what happened before more people end up dead. Of course it will not be straight forward and even if some of the plotting of the later novels is missing, there are turns and bends in the story.
And somewhere there, we also meet Smiley's wife - or we hear about her a lot in the very least. And when le Carre decides to finish the novel, it is with a promise of a new life for Smiley... not necessarily as a spy. The usual way to end a novel for which you do not know if you will have the chance to write a sequel - the story finishes but there is the door open for a second book. And a third.
The story is written in the 60s and it shows - you cannot just move it to the 21st century and expect it to work - you have the Cold War and separated Germany (and England not even acknowledging the existence of GDR but forced to be aware of it), the phone service and the newspapers; the tranquil life of clubs and theaters; the 'forensic' methods used by the police. George Smiley and this novel are a product of the times they were written in... and that is what adds charm to it - it is a pretty good slice of a time long gone (with the needed additions and changes to make it a novel).
It was not a great book - the plot was way too obvious in places; the storytelling was almost forced here and there. But it is a good start of the series and if I had lived back in the 60s, I would have wanted to see what happens next. Pretty much the same way I want it to follow the adventures now.
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LibraryThing member ScottKalas
I can't say I'm a die hard fan of John Le Carre's George Smiley yet, but am placing a high priority in reading the next in the series "A Quality Murder"
The spiderweb of intrigue in "Call for the Dead" was well written and is literally all written in summary in one of the final chapters. It also
My closing the book on "Call for the Dead" has me pleased on discovering John le Carre's George Smiley and satisfied in the expectations of spy intrigue
The spiderweb of intrigue in "Call for the Dead" was well written and is literally all written in summary in one of the final chapters. It also
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was an easy read and fairly easy to follow though some may stumble on the slang "European English" but it won't loose the reader of the plot.My closing the book on "Call for the Dead" has me pleased on discovering John le Carre's George Smiley and satisfied in the expectations of spy intrigue
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LibraryThing member dr_zirk
Call for the Dead is an interesting start to John Le Carre's career, featuring the introduction of his great character George Smiley and a further introduction to his unique take on the shadowy and dangerous world of Cold War intelligence work. This volume combines Le Carre's trademark espionage
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capers with a murder mystery (or two) and does so elegantly and entertainingly. An intriguing beginning to the career of a major twentieth-century author. Show Less
LibraryThing member ffortsa
A little side story of George Smiley, operative extraordinaire, caught solving a last puzzle.
LibraryThing member fourbears
This is a reread. Probably read it back in the 60ies or 70ies when Iwas really crazy about spy novels. I'm rereading LeCarre's old onesthough. He's good. This one introduces the character of George Smileywho figures in the best of his spy fiction a decade later (Books likeTinker, Tailer, Soldier,
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Spy, The Honorable Schoolboy and Smiley'sPeople).Smiley, an secret intelligence officer , interviews a Foreign Officeofficial about whom his bosses have received an anonymous lettersaying he's a Communist. Smiley likes the guy and finds that there'snothing against him but left leaning in his youth (with manyothers--it was the 1930ies). Then the guy leaves a wake up call for8:30 AM and commits suicide. Or did he? If he really was a spy, Smileymade a huge mistake.... Show Less
LibraryThing member otterpopmusic
I liked this a lot, but gave it just the 3 stars because when I can see a plot point coming before the seasoned spy does, there's a problem.
LibraryThing member isabelx
A re-read of the first Smiley novel. George Smiley interviews a foreign office employee about his communist sympathies while a student, but the interview is low-key and friendly and Smiley tells him that he has nothing to worry about. The next day the foreign office employee is found dead, with a
Although taking place in the world of espionage, this is more of a detective story than a straight spy story, as Smiley and a retired police detective try to work out what actually happened.
As this is the book in which Le Carré introduces George Smiley, he starts by filling in Smiley's back story, so we learn how he got into espionage, what he did in the war and about his marriage.
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suicide note by his side saying that he is being hounded by the security services and his career is ruined.Although taking place in the world of espionage, this is more of a detective story than a straight spy story, as Smiley and a retired police detective try to work out what actually happened.
As this is the book in which Le Carré introduces George Smiley, he starts by filling in Smiley's back story, so we learn how he got into espionage, what he did in the war and about his marriage.
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LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
The first great George Smiley novel. I read Tinker Tailor a while back after seeing the Sir Alec Guinness Masterpiece Theater bit, and that lead me to want to read the other Smiley Novels. This is just great writing. Le Carre has a command of language and character that you don't generally see in
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this genre; his digs at class and society are priceless. It's no wonder he is seen almost without argument as the author of the greatest series of spy/thriller/espionage books ever written. Can't wait to read more. Show Less
LibraryThing member rexmedford
This is an easy read, only takes a few hours. It sets the stage for things to come in the life of George Smiley. It is not a spectacular, but a very good debut effort by Le Carre. I found it a gripping and fun read. Most importantly, it left me wanting more, which the author duly delivers.
LibraryThing member Crazymamie
This book introduces us to the writing of le Carré and to George Smiley, who is SO not James Bond. He is dumpy, humble, mild-mannered, wears glasses....in other words, forgettable. And yet something about George Smiley speaks to me - I like him. His job at MI6 has just taken a strange turn -
Although this is not le Carré's best work, it is still fine writing that sets the stage for his very successful series of books featuring George Smiley, the spy who is very much a product of both WWII and the Cold War.
"He felt safe in the taxi. Safe and warm. The warmth was contraband, smuggled from his bed and hoarded against the wet January night. Safe because unreal: it was his ghost that ranged the London streets and took note of their unhappy pleasure-seekers, scuttling under commissionaires' umbrellas; and of the tarts, gift-wrapped in polythene. It was his ghost, he decided, which had climbed from the well of sleep and stopped the telephone shrieking on the bedside table...Oxford Street... why was London the only capital in the world that lost its personality at night? Smiley, as he pulled his coat more closely about him, could think of nowhere, from Los Angelos to Berne, which so readily gave up its daily struggle for identity."
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yesterday he performed a routine security investigation on Samuel Fennan. The interview ended with Smiley assuring Fennan that he had nothing to worry about. So why has Fennan hanged himself? The more that Smiley looks into the matter, the more convinced he becomes that Fennan was murdered.Although this is not le Carré's best work, it is still fine writing that sets the stage for his very successful series of books featuring George Smiley, the spy who is very much a product of both WWII and the Cold War.
"He felt safe in the taxi. Safe and warm. The warmth was contraband, smuggled from his bed and hoarded against the wet January night. Safe because unreal: it was his ghost that ranged the London streets and took note of their unhappy pleasure-seekers, scuttling under commissionaires' umbrellas; and of the tarts, gift-wrapped in polythene. It was his ghost, he decided, which had climbed from the well of sleep and stopped the telephone shrieking on the bedside table...Oxford Street... why was London the only capital in the world that lost its personality at night? Smiley, as he pulled his coat more closely about him, could think of nowhere, from Los Angelos to Berne, which so readily gave up its daily struggle for identity."
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
This very short book introduces George Smiley, the British intelligence officer who will lead several of John le Carre's spy novels. Smiley is already world weary but driven by a sense of moral duty. A rather complicated plot in so few words is a bit difficult to follow, especially on audiobook
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(though Ralph Cosham's narration is splendid) so the penultimate chapter which includes Smiley's final report on the events is a relief. Secondary characters add a lot of flavor and temper Smiley's somewhat sullen personality with warmth and humor. Show Less
LibraryThing member brakketh
The first le Carré I have read. An excellent and thoroughly British spy mystery.
LibraryThing member Netherto
Remarkable. Le Carre's first book, and it's focused on George Smiley's core story (many later stories refer to the events in this book). Paints a picture of a man wholly unremarkable in appearance and impression, yet hugely remarkable in sense and sensibility (borrowing Austen's title).
Subjects
Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 1961)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1961
Physical description
167 p.; 18.5 cm
ISBN
8700253715 / 9788700253711
Local notes
Omslag: Søren Hansen
Omslaget viser en stiliseret mand, der ligger på gulvet
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Call for the dead" af Karina Windfeld-Hansen
Side 7: Prøv disse folk, Smiley, måske vil de have Dem, og de betaler dårligt nok til at sikre Dem godt selskab.
Fra den engelske version, 1961:
Side 9: Give these people a try, Smiley, they might have you and they pay badly enough to guarantee you decent company.
Omslaget viser en stiliseret mand, der ligger på gulvet
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra engelsk "Call for the dead" af Karina Windfeld-Hansen
Side 7: Prøv disse folk, Smiley, måske vil de have Dem, og de betaler dårligt nok til at sikre Dem godt selskab.
Fra den engelske version, 1961:
Side 9: Give these people a try, Smiley, they might have you and they pay badly enough to guarantee you decent company.
Other editions
Telefon til afdøde by John le Carré (Paper Book)
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
167
DDC/MDS
| 823.914 |