The Looking-Glass War
Encyclopedia
The Looking Glass War by John le Carré
, is a spy novel about a British Intelligence agency known as 'The Department' and its attempts to infiltrate an agent into East Germany.
, appears in the book, but only in a supporting role.
and named throughout the book as "The Department" had much success running agents against the Nazis during the Second World War
but has been resting on its laurels since, with such tasks being taken on by the more favoured and experienced Circus
, led by "Control" and his right hand man George Smiley. The Department expends most of its energies on administrative tasks and on a bureaucratic turf war with the more professional Circus.
After The Department comes across rather uncertain and weak evidence that Soviet missiles were being placed near Rostock
, near the West German border, the head of the Department, LeClerc, seizes the opportunity to re-live old times, and decides to send an agent across the border to discover the truth without involving the Circus, and thereby enhancing the Department's status. The Department reactivates one of its World War II agents, a naturalised Pole called Fred Leiser. Leiser is retrained and infiltrated across the border into East Germany to investigate the missiles.
However, the clumsiness of the inexperienced Department's operation, coupled with errors on the part of Leiser (including his killing a young East German border guard and taking far too long over transmissions), lead the East Germans to determine almost immediately that security had been breached and set out to find Leiser's location. As a result, Circus agent George Smiley informs LeClerc and his colleagues about the killing of the East German sentry and that the East German Security were looking for Leiser. He tactfully convinces LeClerc to abandon this operation, with Leiser still trapped in East Germany.
The story comes to its tragic but inevitable end when Leiser, not knowing the fate of the operation, continues with his mission and as a consequence of Smiley's intervention, receives no response to his transmissions. He follows the "War Rules" and plays out the losing game to the end, and due to his prolonged and slow transmissions, East German security forces determine his location and capture him. Leiser's fate is unknown at the conclusion of the story.
A film
of the novel was released in 1969
, starring Christopher Jones
as Leiser, Ralph Richardson
as LeClerc, and Anthony Hopkins
as Avery. It was directed by Frank Pierson.
As part of a series of dramatisation of Le Carre's work, the "Complete Smiley" series, BBC Radio produced a radio play of The Looking Glass War in 2009. Broadcast on Radio4, it starred Ian McDiarmid
as LeClerc, Piotr Baumann as Leiser, Patrick Kennedy
as Avery, and Simon Russell Beale
as George Smiley. As with other plays in this series it is now also available as a CD set as ISBN 978-1408400869.
John le Carré
David John Moore Cornwell , who writes under the name John le Carré, is an author of espionage novels. During the 1950s and the 1960s, Cornwell worked for MI5 and MI6, and began writing novels under the pseudonym "John le Carré"...
, is a spy novel about a British Intelligence agency known as 'The Department' and its attempts to infiltrate an agent into East Germany.
Plot introduction
John le Carré has stated that this novel is his most realistic portrayal of the intelligence world as he knew it and that may have been one reason for its relative lack of success. Le Carré's most famous character, George SmileyGeorge Smiley
George Smiley is a fictional character created by John le Carré. Smiley is an intelligence officer working for MI6 , the British overseas intelligence agency...
, appears in the book, but only in a supporting role.
Plot summary
An undefined military Intelligence organisation, based in Blackfriars Road, LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and named throughout the book as "The Department" had much success running agents against the Nazis during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but has been resting on its laurels since, with such tasks being taken on by the more favoured and experienced Circus
Cambridge Circus, London
Cambridge Circus is a traffic intersection at the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road in central London...
, led by "Control" and his right hand man George Smiley. The Department expends most of its energies on administrative tasks and on a bureaucratic turf war with the more professional Circus.
After The Department comes across rather uncertain and weak evidence that Soviet missiles were being placed near Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
, near the West German border, the head of the Department, LeClerc, seizes the opportunity to re-live old times, and decides to send an agent across the border to discover the truth without involving the Circus, and thereby enhancing the Department's status. The Department reactivates one of its World War II agents, a naturalised Pole called Fred Leiser. Leiser is retrained and infiltrated across the border into East Germany to investigate the missiles.
However, the clumsiness of the inexperienced Department's operation, coupled with errors on the part of Leiser (including his killing a young East German border guard and taking far too long over transmissions), lead the East Germans to determine almost immediately that security had been breached and set out to find Leiser's location. As a result, Circus agent George Smiley informs LeClerc and his colleagues about the killing of the East German sentry and that the East German Security were looking for Leiser. He tactfully convinces LeClerc to abandon this operation, with Leiser still trapped in East Germany.
The story comes to its tragic but inevitable end when Leiser, not knowing the fate of the operation, continues with his mission and as a consequence of Smiley's intervention, receives no response to his transmissions. He follows the "War Rules" and plays out the losing game to the end, and due to his prolonged and slow transmissions, East German security forces determine his location and capture him. Leiser's fate is unknown at the conclusion of the story.
Characters
- Fred Leiser: British spy of Polish background, main protagonist
- LeClerc: Head of "The Department"
- Adrian Haldane: Veteran intelligence operative for The Department
- John Avery: Young agent assigned to Leiser
- Jack Johnson: Wireless operator assigned to train Leiser
- George Smiley: Envoy from The Circus
Adaptations
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
of the novel was released in 1969
1969 in film
The year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980...
, starring Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones (actor)
William "Billy" Frank Jones, better known as Christopher Jones, is an American character actor, born August 18, 1941 in Jackson, Tennessee....
as Leiser, Ralph Richardson
Ralph Richardson
Sir Ralph David Richardson was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, also appeared in several classic films....
as LeClerc, and Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
as Avery. It was directed by Frank Pierson.
As part of a series of dramatisation of Le Carre's work, the "Complete Smiley" series, BBC Radio produced a radio play of The Looking Glass War in 2009. Broadcast on Radio4, it starred Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid is a Scottish theatre actor and director, who has also made sporadic appearances on film and television.McDiarmid has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others and although he has appeared mostly in theatrical productions,...
as LeClerc, Piotr Baumann as Leiser, Patrick Kennedy
Patrick Kennedy (British actor)
Patrick Kennedy is an English actor. His largest role to date is in the BBC's Bleak House as Richard Carstone. He again appeared in a BBC drama having been chosen for a role in the 2008 re-make of The 39 Steps and also appeared in the BBC drama Einstein and Eddington.He has also appeared in...
as Avery, and Simon Russell Beale
Simon Russell Beale
Simon Russell Beale, CBE is an English actor. He has been described by The Independent as "the greatest stage actor of his generation."-Early years:...
as George Smiley. As with other plays in this series it is now also available as a CD set as ISBN 978-1408400869.
Release details
- 1965, UK, William Heinemann ISBN 0-434-41200-7, Pub date ? June 1965, Hardback
- 1965, USA, Putnam Pub. Group ISBN 0-698-10218-5, Pub date ? June 1965, Hardback
- 1965, USA, Coward-McCann, Inc., New York, Book Club Edition, Hardback
- 1966, UK, Pan, ISBN 0-330-20210-3, London, Paperwork
- 1985, UK, G. K. Hall & Co. ISBN 0-8161-4040-5, Pub date ? April 1986, Hardback (Large Print)
- 1991, UK, Hodder & Stoughton Ltd ISBN 0-340-55813-X, Pub date 21 November 1991, Hardback
- 1991, UK, Hodder & Stoughton (Coronet) ISBN 0-340-55446-0, Pub date 21 November 1991, Paperback
- 1992, USA, Ballantine Books ISBN 0-345-37736-2, Pub date ? March 1992, Paperback
- 1999, UK, Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 1-84032-108-3, Pub date 22 February 1999, Audio cassette (read by John le Carré)