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Comment by andyjohnson0 | Hacker News Reader

He had a long and productive life, and I hope a happy one, but this is still a great loss.

So many of the books are magnificent in their depth. So are the filmed adaptations: the BBC productions of Smiley's People and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; and the more recent film of the latter; and the Night Manager miniseries.

What has also given me a lot of pleasure was the BBC Radio productions of the eight George Smiley books [1]. They've often kept me company: sometimes on long car journeys, sometimes when I'm feeling contemplative but need distraction. Such a treat.

Thank you for it all Mr. Le Carré.

[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/smiley-season/

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In addition to the Night Manager (2016) with Hugh Laurie's skillful (and very scary) portrayal of a weapon's dealer, there was also BBC's version of the Little Drummer Girl (2018) based on John le Carré's novel with the same name. If you like John le Carré adaptions, both are highly recommended!

It's sad that he's gone, his novels are masterpieces, especially the later ones like the Constant Gardener in which he addressed topics that go beyond what's usual in spy novels.

The Night Manager was a great series, and I’m glad I’m not the only one who found Hugh Laurie absolutely terrifying in that.

I thought Tom Hollander was similarly excellent, playing against type to be scary.

His was the most interesting character in the series I thought. The most unsure, the most to lose should things turn against him. Unlike the other characters he had no out, no one or not enough money to make an exit with if necessary.

A performance that reminded me of his Mac the Knife mumble years ago at the Donmar.

As a huge fan of Hugh Laurie, I loved the Night Manager. I know they were planning to extend the series..

It's interesting that you mention this. He had a very difficult father, and a difficult relation with him. Obviously he overcame that hurdle and became quite successful. However, his half-brother, 15 years his junior, who also successfully wrote for a living (as a journalist), apparently suffered a lot more from it.

Source: he was a family acquaintance, and it's mostly public knowledge on Wikipedia. Since both brothers have passed away now, I believe it's reasonable to write this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_le_Carr%C3%A9#Early_life

He wrote a lot about this in (imo his best novel) A Perfect Spy and his memoir The Pidgeon Tunnel

A Perfect Spy is a phenomenal novel. I'm so sad I'll never walk into a bookstore and see a new Le Carre again.

I had tried watching the recent movie adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and was so put off that I had really low expectations when I happened into a copy of A Perfect Spy.

I was blown away by reading APS, I think it's really a masterpiece and would recommend it to anyone who has ever had a family, a job, or a secret.

I've since read most of the rest of his work and while APS is the best, the Smiley series was also very good and I felt genuinely moved by the conclusion of Smiley's People. You don't really have to read the rest in order but read Smiley's People last.

imo the 1979 TTSS and Smiley's People productions with Alec Guinness are some of the best pieces of television ever created

its surprising how many le Carré novels have been filmed, and I'm with you especially the Alec Guinness Tinker Tailor. It is such a great antidote to all the James Bond inspired spy stories. To use a line from the book “Good intelligence work, Control had always preached, was gradual and rested on a kind of gentleness.”

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