(1979) concludes the trilogy, known as

by John le Carré (penname for John David Moore Cornwell). In eleven of le Carré’s 26 novels, George Smiley appears as a reluctant but ultimately moral spymaster who aids his British secret service, called in the novels the Circus, as a career intelligence operative or an outside investigator, and as a consist advocate for humanism and reason. A personification of St. George, the patron saint of Britain, in the

trilogy

Smiley exposes a traitor within the Circus, rescues his professional institution, intimidates and defeats Karla—his “Black Grail” (SP, 795)—and finally abandons his illusions about his marriage and Britain’s fading Camelot.

trilogy begins with Smiley called back to…

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Citation: Beene, LynnDianne. "Smiley's People". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 February 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2006, accessed 04 December 2024.]