The Spy Who Came in from the Cold facts for kids
Cover
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| Author | John le Carré |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | George Smiley |
| Genre | Spy novel |
| Published | September 1963 Victor Gollancz & Pan |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 256 pages (Hardback edition) & 240 pages (Paperback edition) |
| ISBN | 0-575-00149-6 (Hardback edition) & ISBN: 0-330-20107-7 (Paperback edition) |
| Preceded by | A Murder of Quality |
| Followed by | The Looking-Glass War |
The book The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a famous spy novel written by the British author John le Carré. It was published in 1963. The story happens during the Cold War, a time when countries like the United States and the Soviet Union were in a tense standoff.
The main character is Alec Leamas, a British spy. He is sent on a very risky mission to East Germany. His job is to spread false information and cause confusion about a powerful East German spy. This book became very popular and was made into a movie in 1965. The movie, also called The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, starred Richard Burton as Leamas.
Contents
What is The Spy Who Came in from the Cold About?
This book is a thrilling spy novel set during the Cold War. The Cold War was a period of political tension and military rivalry. It was between the United States and its allies, and the Soviet Union and its allies. There was no direct fighting, but there was a lot of spying and secret operations.
The story follows Alec Leamas, a British spy who works in East Germany. His team has been having a tough time. Leamas is given a final, dangerous mission. He has to pretend to be a spy who has been abandoned by his own country. This is all part of a clever plan to trick the East German secret service. The goal is to make them believe lies about one of their own top spies.
Who are the Main Characters?
The story has several important characters who play key roles in the spy mission:
- Alec Leamas: He is a British field agent. He is in charge of spying operations in East Germany.
- Hans-Dieter Mundt: He is the leader of the East German Secret Service, known as the Abteilung.
- Fiedler: He is an East German spy and Mundt's second-in-command.
- Liz Gold: She is an English librarian. She is also a member of the Communist Party.
- Control: He is the head of the British spy agency, known as The Circus.
- George Smiley: He is another British spy. He is a wise and experienced agent.
- Peter Guillam: He is a British spy who works with Smiley.
- Karl Riemeck: He is an East German government worker who secretly works for the British.
Why is This Book Famous?
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold received many important awards. These awards show how well-written and exciting the book is.
- 1963 Gold Dagger award: This award was given by the Crime Writers' Association. It was for "Best Crime Novel" of the year.
- 1965 Edgar Award: The Mystery Writers of America gave this award for "Best Mystery Novel."
- 1966 Edgar Award: This award was given for "Best Motion Picture Screenplay." The screenwriters, Paul Dehn and Guy Trosper, adapted the book into the 1965 movie.
- 2005 "Dagger of Daggers": This was a special, one-time award. It was given to the best book out of all the past Gold Dagger winners. This happened on the fiftieth anniversary of the Dagger Awards.
See also
In Spanish: El espía que surgió del frío para niños
