Book notes | Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The novel Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was published in 1974; still fresh was the disclosure that British intelligence (nicknamed “The Circus” in the book for its fictionalized location on Cambridge Circus in London) had been severely compromised by Soviet double agents imbedded in the hierarchy of the English secret service. These were Englishmen of impeccable pedigree, Cambridge and Oxford University graduates.
Tinker, Tailor the nursery rhyme provides the code names of five agents serving at the highest level of British intelligence. Within them is a mole, a double agent. George Smiley, generally regarded as an honorable spy chief, is recruited to uncover the mole.
The novel is a story about secrets, lies, and shifting identities. It is about spycraft, where it is hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys.
Driven by ideology
The espionage, as it is finally uncovered, is the work of a mole driven by ideology, not by greed.
Le Carré portrays spy strategies as dubious, obscure, complex, of endless treacheries and uncertain outcomes. He forces the question, who benefited from these activities and what was won?
Tinker, Tailor has been celebrated as an introduction to grownup reality, a double serving of pessimism and pleasure.
At our July 23rd meeting, members of UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club agreed it was a very good read—a story where every character, every characterization was rich with possibilities; a fictional world most likely too close to actual events.
Upcoming meetings:
August 27. Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter
September 24. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
October 22. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
November 26. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
New members are welcome to the Fourth Friday Book Club. Contact Dorothy Marden or Margaret Catambay to learn more.
—Dorothy Marden, Fourth Friday Book Club (aka UMRA Book Club II)
Book Club II to meet July 23
Wed, Jun 23 2021, 2pm
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John LeCarré is the first of a trilogy that later included The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People. Of all the LeCarré books, Tinker, Tailor is regarded as the most entertaining.
Tinker, Tailor came out in 1974; still fresh was the disclosure that British intelligence had been severely compromised by Soviet double agents—double agents imbedded in the hierarchy of the British Secret Intelligence Service. These were Englishmen of impeccable pedigree, Cambridge University graduates.
Le Carré portrays spy strategies as dubious, obscure, complex, of endless treacheries and uncertain outcomes. He forces the questions, who benefited from these activities and what was won? Tinker, Tailor has been celebrated as an introduction to grownup reality, a double serving of pessimism and pleasure.
New members are welcome!
Please contact Dorothy Marden or Margaret Catambay to learn more.
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.