I absolutely got into this novel, it was gripping right from the get go. I did feel as if I was familiar with a somewhat later Smiley, a more warn and experienced operator who seemed to have turned completely away from the physical contact of operations, and perhaps here we see why. Everything impacted more, somehow, for knowing some of the mans future exploits.

Similarly, Le Carré's narrative is less meandering, with undeniable characteristics of his in place but less wordy, somehow, without losing too much into the bargain. There seemed more story to the story, rather than exposition, and although he's never lost that great ability to throw you right into a scene's atmosphere, those happenings come more frequently with less ... twaddle, to use an abrupt term.

The end did seem a little corny, but then as I already know, Smiley's life doesn't end here. Very glad I read this one.

* Reread, 18/03/2017
Now that we've had news of a new Smiely novel coming out in September, it's time to revisit these. the thing that stood out to me today is George's whit, that instinct and lifesaving awareness. It's also interesting how already, he's seeing the core of his service change - becoming more Bureaucratic, more governed I suppose. I don't know how well this ties into Smiley's own management of things in Honourable Schoolboy and Enderby's running of things later in Smiley's People, but we'll get to that in due course...