Plot


I thought the ending of the film really let it down. Even in the post cold war era are we supposed to believe that we watch our intelligence officers change sides, sell information and then have a chummy hand-shake afterwards? If I remember the book correctly, le Carré shows none of that and you are left in doubt whether Katja gets out from Russia and whether Barley goes to Lisbon or not.

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I read the novel over ten years ago, but, yes, the novel is more ambiguous about the ending. If I remember correctly, The Secret Pilgrim, ostensibly a collection of short vignettes, provides a bit of an end cap to The Russia House.

The only second chance you get is to make the same mistake twice. - David Mamet

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