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 | This article has an unclear citation style. (April 2020) |
| George Smiley | |
|---|---|
 Gary Oldman as Smiley in the 2011 film | |
| First appearance | Call for the Dead |
| Last appearance | A Legacy of Spies |
| Created by | John le Carré |
| Portrayed by |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Intelligence officer |
| Affiliation | The Circus |
| Spouse | Lady Ann Sercomb |
| Nationality | British |
George Smiley OBE[1] is a fictional character created by John le Carré. Smiley is a career intelligence officer with "The Circus", the British overseas intelligence agency. He is a central character in the novels Call for the Dead, A Murder of Quality, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy, Smiley's People, the upcoming Karla's Choice, and a supporting character in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The Looking Glass War, The Secret Pilgrim and A Legacy of Spies. The character has also appeared in a number of film, television, and radio adaptations of le Carré's books.
Le Carré created Smiley as an intentional contrast to James Bond, a character who he believed depicted an inaccurate and damaging version of espionage.[2] Short, overweight, balding, and bespectacled, Smiley is polite and self-effacing and frequently allows others to mistreat him, including his serially unfaithful wife; these traits mask his inner cunning, excellent memory, mastery of tradecraft, and occasional ruthlessness.[3] His genius, coupled with other characters' willingness to underestimate him, allows Smiley to achieve his goals and ultimately become one of the most powerful spies in Britain.[4][5]
The character is held in high esteem in Britain, where he has become a pop-culture icon on par with Bond.[4] The Guardian has called him "the sort of spy [Britain] believes it ought to have: a bit shabby, academic, basically loyal, and sceptical of the enthusiasms of his political masters."[6]
- ^ A Murder of Quality p. 167
- ^ Parker, James (26 October 2011). "The Anti-James Bond". The Atlantic. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
- ^ Bell, James (30 June 2016). "George Smiley: Nobody Does It Better". Eulogize This. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018.
- ^ a b Marsh, Calum (2 November 2017). "Why George Smiley is among the richest, cleverest and most fascinating characters in post-war fiction". National Post. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
- ^ Denby, David (28 February 2012). "We Are All Smiley's People". The New Yorker. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ "In praise of... George Smiley". The Guardian. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2023.