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A Perfect Spy (Dramatised) cover art

A Perfect Spy (Dramatised)

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: James Fox, Harriet Walter, Julian Rhind-Tutt
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Summary

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the bestselling novel by John le Carré, starring James Fox, Harriet Walter and Julian Rhind-Tutt. Magnus Pym, Counsellor at the British Embassy, is hosting a dinner party at his home in Vienna when he receives an unexpected telephone call that will profoundly affect his life. Once the guests have gone, Pym breaks the news to his wife, Mary: his father, Rick, is dead. In a state of shock, he says something Mary cannot understand - 'After all these years, I'm free.' Magnus flies back to England to attend the funeral - and doesn't return. As Mary and MI6 spymaster Jack Brotherhood desperately try to find out his whereabouts, it soon becomes clear that Pym has been keeping secrets from both his family and his employers, the British Intelligence Service. Hiding out in a remote cottage in Devon, where he goes by the name of Mr Canterbury, Magnus begins to write his memoirs - retracing his rise and fall and revealing how Rick led him step by step into a double life of deception, broken promises and betrayal... Adapted from the John le Carré novel by Rene Basilico.

©2011 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2011 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

What listeners say about A Perfect Spy (Dramatised)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Production.

It was a great production. All the actors were great especially James Fox and Julian Rhind Tutt. Very much recommend it.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Ho hum, I Guess I Just Don't Get le Carré!

I've tried a couple of John le Carré's books in the past and found myself more working my way through them than enjoying the experience.. Given how popular and respected an author he is that's always bothered me, what was I missing? So, seeing a dramatisation like this I had hoped that such an alternative look at one of the stories might help me see the magic.

Sadly not, this had the same feeling of trudging through the story as the books and some of the actors seemed to lack much in the way of enthusiasm throughout. Nothing much seems to happen and it seems to take a long time making so little progress. I did very much enjoy the Axel performance, almost pin point perfect sounding just like some of my German colleagues speaking English in every way but other than that I found few highlights.

So, with apologies to the many fans of the author for being negative but I'm just not getting it sadly.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really evokes the mood of the Carre classic

Very well edited with a very talented cast. A great way to enjoy the novel

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Tediously boring listen

I’ve listened to the end of part 4 expecting it to pick up - I can’t realistically listen any more. If this is the ‘dramatised’ version I just can’t imagine what the undramatised would be like. Does adapting a novel for radio involve sucking the life out of a story?

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Brilliant adaptation.

A brilliant adaptation of the book by the BBC. First class performances of the characters and the times. As with many John le Carre books, the ending is not always what you think it's going to be. Occasionally, I find the ending unsatisfactory....

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A Perfect Spy

Not nearly as good as the Complete Smiley or the Russia House I am afraid.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

"The Arc of Rick's covenant."

With the death of his father, Rick flies out to the funeral - and doesn't return. A search is quietly initiated. Because Rick is a spy.
I am a big John Le Carre fan and have read the print copies of most of his books, including this one, over the decades. Now it is so good to be able to sit back and enjoy the BBC radio 4 adaptations of some of his stories - always so well cast and acted sand conveying the full flavour of the original even if necessarily abridged.
A full cast including James Fox, Harriet Walter, Julian Rhind-Tutt and James Grout, the play is delivered in eight half hour episodes and provides an easy listening entry into the book itself.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Relentlessly Average

Said to be Le Carre's best novel. I disagree, for me the best one is probably "Call for the Dead" - the benefit of economy. This novel does not come out well, the performances are very good and rise above the (to me) mediocre source material which is baggy and self indulgent. We are supposed to feel sorry for the eponymous anti hero and admire/despise the upper crust of spy masters. I find the relentless demand for sympathy off putting - Smiley for me. Making a mess in the bathroom, how banal, as a plot device so sordidly predictable. Which is presumably the point, pathos or bathos? The dividing line is thin and to my mind this novel crosses it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

an absolute joy

just lovely. I can so become lost in John le Carre's world. thank you, you lovely, decent man for creating it

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent enjoyed enormously

Keeps you griped and wanting to listen to next chapter.highly recommend .only negative is that it is rather short.

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