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Title details for A Perfect Spy by John le Carré - Available

A Perfect Spy

BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

by John le Carré
Full Cast
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

Julian Rhind-Tutt is Magnus Pym in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast adaptation of John le Carré's superb spy novel
Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile
'Love is whatever you can still betray. Betrayal can only happen if you love.'
So says Magnus Pym, the spy of the title; and he has betrayed a lot in his life – countries, friends, family and lovers. When Magnus disappears after his father's funeral, MI6 launches an urgent manhunt to prevent his defection. But Pym is on a search of his own – to unravel the mystery of what made him the perfect spy.
Was it the duplicity of his con artist father, Rick? Or his MI6 mentor and father figure Jack Brotherhood? Or was it Axel, the Czech agent he has known since his teens? All have marked him in crucial ways, and as the net closes around Magnus, he attempts finally to make sense of his life and find the source of his talent for deception...
A Perfect Spy is le Carré's most autobiographical novel, and has been hailed as his masterpiece. This superlative radio production, starring Julian Rhind-Tutt, Bill Paterson, Michael Maloney and Anton Lesser, is a compelling exploration of identity, treachery and the complexities of the human heart.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 17, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781785296635
      • File size: 81810 KB
      • Duration: 02:50:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Magnus Pym, a British spy, disappears to write his memoir after attending his father's funeral, and the Service is looking for him. Much of the story in this BBC Radio adaptation is moved forward through conversation and interviews, a structure that can occasionally make it bog down. Even so, the unfolding reminiscence about the friendship that developed between Pym and an operative from the other side is an interesting one that will hold listeners' interest. The drama is presented as eight half-hour episodes, a format that is suited to listening a section at a time rather than all at once. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Taut, intricate, and urbane--this BBC/Scotland radio adaptation captures the sound and feel of the British-grey atmosphere and cold war imagery of John le Carr�'s 1986 masterwork. The story focuses on a spy who seems to be a friend and confidant to all who suddenly disappears. With a tone that moves between hope and a feeling of lost chances, British character actor Julian Rhind-Tutt dives deep into the motivations of the perfect spy--Magnus Pym. The plot twists include a number of flashbacks, so it is left to the wonderfully naturalistic performances by the entire cast to keep the story immediate and grounded. It's not often that a spy novel can be described as heartbreaking, but that's just how close to the bone and well told this spy story is. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Top British intelligence officer Magnus Pym has gone missing. THE PERFECT SPY is two intertwined stories: the race of Pym's handlers to track him down and Pym's chronicled life since childhood, which he is writing while secretly holed up. Michael Jayston's powerful enthusiasm surges throughout as he dramatically portrays the tense, frantic, backtracking spy craft to discover Pym's whereabouts. His narration is also passionate in depicting the emotive forces behind Pym's account of how he became the spy that he is. Jayston masterfully captures the layers of psychological motivations that are le Carré's stock in trade. Jayston has performed many of le Carré's novels, and in A PERFECT SPY both author and narrator are in top form. F.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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