Actually, the novel gives several reasons for George Smiley's suspicions, and the story is the journey to determine the identity of the mole Gerald and the reasons for his (George's) retirement, which are rooted in Control's final days, Percy Alleline's schemes to reach the "high table", the inner workings of the Department (aka "the Circus") and of course, the inter-relationships of a small group of fellow warrior/spies fighting the Cold War.
Smiley knows, or thinks he knows, but he was kept away from these interactions by Control himself, sent off and overseas on various small missions during those final days before his own forced retirement and before Control's death. Now he must revisit his past. He is not surprised by any of his discoveries, not even the betrayal of his wife, Ann.
LeCarre/Cornwall writes an introduction sixteen years after publication of the novel about the novel, the original setting, the theme of betrayal, of Philby, Blake and Angleston, and the art of the double-cross system. He identifies with Blake, dislikes Philby, and recognizes the effect Angleston had on CIA; he uses these prejudices in the novel and incorporates them into various character
As LeCarre writes, "the balancing act of the double agent ... doing more harm to the country that employs it than good, or as Smiley has it, where it has been turned inside out". The final act of betrayal isn't just against Smiley's English service, the last knot is the betrayal of allies and friends.
Further, in this introduction, he also reveals his use and creation of jargon terms: 'mole (frequently credited to LeCarre, but in use by Francis Beacon in 1641 centuries before this writing), lamplighters, scalphunter, babysitter, honey-trap, shoemaker, neighbours, pianists', et. el. As he states, "other bits of jargon ... were all invented, but they too, I am told, have at least in part since been adopted by the professionals".
How does Smiley know: in part, through Connie Sack's research, partly because Smiley knows that Karla (his life-long opponent) has dozens of penetration agents (deep cover moles) and at least one of these 'has' to be in England, just as one was previously caught in Japan and one known to be alive and active in New York. Also, partly, because in his final days at the Circus, Smiley was caught in the struggle between Control and Alleline, who is now Control's replacement. Because, the case of Jim Prideaux (Ellis) was never really finalized. Finally, as the novel brings out, because "George was the best of all those lovely (pre-war) boys", smarter too, and better than Haydon, the latter-day Lawrence of Arabia and constant star of the Circus, who now acts as Alleline's cup-bearer.
While I prefer this movie version to the newer one, the book is beautifully written, rich in character and plot, and makes generous use of the flashback technique to follow Smiley's journey into his past.
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amyghost
10 years ago
It is a beautifully written book, the first of Le Carre's novels I'd read. I'd been under the impression he was a bit of the more technical, 'cold' sort of spy thriller writer (as many of his latter-day followers are), and was surprised at the levels of humanity and feeling observation that are present in his narratives.
I've since gone on to read Smiley's People, and this novel can be said likewise of, in terms of the writing and craft. And there is something quite touching and real in the occasional phrases of almost elegy strongly tinged with bitterness that Smiley experiences towards the late Bill Haydon, most particularly in regard to the triangular relationship the two men have had with Ann.
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suicidea
10 years ago
The flashback scene where Control shows the first Witchcraft material to Smiley is important in this sense. True or not, we see that the material itself is very important to the Admiralty, is very detailed and of high quality. So "why would Merlin pick Percy", in Control's words? Why would any Russian source trust such vital material to a man who's "a striver" (Roddy Martindale), a man "who can flirt" (Smiley), a man "who would sell his mother for a knighthood" (Control)?
Out of nowhere Merlin appears, with reports on the exact topics that the Admiralty was yearning for. After the various failures of the Circus, it's suddenly sunshine and roses.
So the Withcraft material was extremely suspicious in its sudden appearance, topicality and quality, which seems unparallelled in the history of the Circus. And what effect does it have? In a short time the top names are replaced by Alleline and his crew. The whole structure of the Circus changes. All because of some Russian source who's too secret to be known by anyone other than Alleline, Haydon, Bland and Esterhase.
Smiley certainly must have seen that something was obviously very wrong with this whole scheme to replace Control. Such an obvious plot would not have worked unless there was a mole inside, running the works (like years of sabotaging the operations to discredit Control, or maybe even producing the Witchcraft material himself).
On the other hand, Control saw it as simply another move by Percy to take his seat, probably that's why he kept making jokes about it. But in the meeting scene, when he sees that the Witchcraft thing is actually working and taken seriously by Oliver Lacon, his mood changes. He perhaps realizes that the others are not as suspicious of Withcraft as himself, and Alleline has the upper hand now.
Never be complete.
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amyghost
10 years ago
Thanks for that post. It's a good, concise and very clarifying one.
It's a little like what I thought was the case with the Merlin/Witchcraft scenario, but I wasn't able to parse my thoughts out into words as you did...it explains both Smiley's suspicions and Control's seeming lack of perceptivity at the beginning of the whole thing.
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suicidea
10 years ago
Thank you. Another detail in that meeting scene which escaped me the first time, is that when Alleline starts to light his pipe, Roy Bland pushes the ash tray across the table toward him. This unnecessary act of politeness can be interpreted as a sign that he's now supporting, or at least in favor of, Alleline now.
Never be complete.
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amyghost
10 years ago
It's one of the things I really like about this series: the fact that the actors were able to take the leisure and care to show so many small and unspoken aspects of the story through gestures and little behavioral tics. Much more satisfying than the film, where everything had, of course, to be rushed for time; and the '79 series also benefited from a cast who was talented enough to work all of this in very subtly and unobtrusively. You really have to pay attention to pick up on many of the small details and implications of what they're doing.
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!!!deleted!!! (41638798)
9 years ago
....Alleline. All things considered, it seems not likely he would have cared to give much credence to her story, and of course Haydon would have been tipped off that his cover was in danger of being blown.
True, because it seemed that one of the reasons Control became a laughing stock to "Alleline and the three" was his rooting around for a "mole." Well, that and Alleline's efforts at pumping up his Witchcraft nonsense in order to get Control ousted.
Anything at that point contrary to Alleline's plan that Witchcraft was his baby and all else was a lie would have sent the shutters down on Irina.
So, in the eyes of the three and Alleline, to suggest a mole suddenly was tantamount in that mob to going off your nut.
So, even if Irina had arrived to tell her tale to Alleline, he'd have shared it immediately with Haydon and, well, as an above poster pointed out, Irina's life would have been on a short timeframe at that point.
Pushed in front of a Tube train at the first opportunity, no doubt.
Ironically, the diary was the true and better way and it got to the right people after Ricky absconded--Lacon and Smiley.
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MAC-16
9 years ago
Firstly I will say about the subject was there any evidence that Merlin's material was fake? If it was fake it might have been "found out", it was of course information that was not deemed that important.
Now the last post - I think you are throwing Alleline under the train, an ambitious man, an Empire builder too be sure but no evidence to say he would have killed to cover up his mistakes.
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amyghost
9 years ago
It would more likely have been Haydon who'd have had the girl killed to protect his cover. Alleline would have pompously dismissed her, but there's no way that Alleline could hear her story without Haydon's knowing about it. Once that happened both she and Tarr's lives wouldn't have been worth much.
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MAC-16
9 years ago
Killing her could not erase what Alleline had heard, I think Haydon runs if he shes speaks to Alleline.
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amyghost
9 years ago
Alleline has no reason to accept her story, and very many reasons for rejecting it. Haydon is pulling Alleline's strings, so why should he run?
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