Episode 65: The Ugly Polyester Carpet of the Soul

, with special guest:

0065 Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyThis week, dear listeners, we get literary with an in-depth discussion of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: the book, the BBC miniseries, and the 2011 film! And for our discussion, we are joined by the ever-erudite author Pat Harrigan!

If you have not read or seen any version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, dear listeners, be wary: this episode is loaded with spoilers! We recommend all three versions of this tale, so please indulge in at least one of them prior to listening.

If you feel the need to fortify yourself with alcohol for this detailed exploration of very British things, we recommend a bottle of Cline Zinfandel, which did very nicely for us.

Show notes behind the cut!

Movies / books / TV series mentioned:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Constant Gardener
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
The Sandbaggers
Hamlet
Dr. Who
Sherlock

People mentioned:
John Le Carre
Gary Oldman
Alec Guinness
Sian Phillips
Tony Mendez
Charles Dickens
Patrick Stewart
Michael Jayston
Benedict Cumberbatch
Alan Turing
Tomas Alfredson

1 comment

  1. My first exposure to Le Carre was… The Russia House (novel). I don’t remember how I ended up with it, but I remember finishing it and thinking, “Well that was okay, but I should find out if there’s better Le Carre out there.” From there I went straight to Tinker Tailor and the subsequent “Smiley v Karla” books. And… there I stopped. The books are very good, but also very dense, and I wore out on Grim And Serious British v Soviet Spy Stuff in a hurry after those four chunks of reading.

    I know that I have seen the miniseries, but long enough ago that it’s only a dim blur. Sounds like I should revisit it, though…

    (An aside: Speaking of Ian Richardson, and of very dated material, the original House of Cards! Man, the things you could get away with in 1990 that wouldn’t get you very far at all in the new millennium!)

    And hey, you already voiced my thoughts on the movie version. Hah!

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