The Little Drummer Girl (Movie Tie-In)

I am reading all of Le Carré's works in order. (Yes, I know that makes me sound a bit odd, but I love his writing!) I've enjoyed some great books so far but this is a stunner. If you were looking for a way in to the works of this marvellous author, try this. (And watch the recent TV serialisation afterwards, spotting the conflation of some characters and the inevitable way in which some magical moments in the book have to be glossed over.) A great read.

I bought a first imprint hard back in 1983, read it, enjoyed it, put it onto one of our bookshelves and left it there until a few weeks ago when I gave it to a friend who was visiting us from overseas. So I replaced it with this paperback, decided to read it again and realized just what a masterpiece this is. The book could have been written this year and everything would be as pertinent now as it was 36 years ago. Superb.

A complicated book and one to savour rather than rush through. Gives a good flavour of its time (1970s). I'm glad I saw the TV series first, so I was more able to know what was going on. A very satisfying read. It's not for nothing that Le Carre is known as a master storyteller.

Good Le Carre story, sadly the dust cover is dirty - suggesting poor storage - and cover damaged at the edges and it looks as if someone may have used the book as a base to write on. Lesson learnt and I’ll buy from a shop where I can see the condition first.

A difficult read. Unecessarily complex. Different names for the same characters are unhelpful. Takes far to long to work out what might be going on. Those who persevere to the end will find the video worth watching.