Iconic Cold War espionage novel author John le Carre (real name David Cornwell) has died of pneumonia. He was 89.
A beloved storyteller and a favorite among writers for his naturally cinematic prose that revelled in codenames and its own slang, his more than two dozen novels span a half century and influenced an entire genre.
Many of his defining works have become celebrated films and TV miniseries as well including “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (adapted twice), “The Spy Who Came In from the Cold,” “The Constant Gardener,” “The Night Manager,” “The Tailor of Panama,” “The Russia House,” “The Little Drummer Girl,” “A Most Wanted Man,” “Our Kind of Traitor,” “Smiley’s People,” “A Perfect Spy,” and “A Murder of Quality”.
le Carre served in Great Britain’s intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6 in the years following the revelation of Russian double agent Kim Philby and the other ‘Cambridge Spies’ within the English spy network.
le Carre’s portrayal of espionage was considered much more grounded and more realistic than Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels (and subsequent film adaptations). British Intelligence portrayed as an endless series of smoky offices and mountains of paperwork.
It’s a stuffy yet lethal bureaucracy that felt akin to the ancient Roman senate as players engaged in duplicity and double dealing to move up the ladder. His most iconic creation was George Smiley, a meticulous and unique man who navigated these waters like a master and has been memorably portrayed on screen by Alec Guiness and Gary Oldman with veteran legends James Mason and Denholm Elliott also having a go at one time.
le Carre is survived by his wife, editor Valerie Jane Eustace; their son, novelist Nick Harkaway; sons Simon and Stephen, and another son from his first marriage.
Source: Variety
