Frankie Cherry 

How well do you know the spy fiction of John le Carré? – quiz

Le Carre's espionage classic The Spy Who Came in from the Cold was published 50 years ago today. Do you know your tinkers from your tailors, your soldiers from your spies?
  
  


  1. What is John le Carré's real name?

    1. David John Moore Cornwall

    2. David James Moore Cornwell

    3. David John Moore Cornwell

  2. When did he write his first book, Call for the Dead?

    1. 1961

    2. 1960

    3. 1959

  3. What is the name of his novelist son?

    1. Nick Harkaway

    2. Nick Harraway

    3. Nick Hardiman

  4. Who played George Smiley in the 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy?

    1. Alan Rickman

    2. Gary Oldman

    3. Liam Neeson

  5. What is George Smiley's special area of interest?

    1. Modern German literature

    2. Medieval German literature

    3. Baroque German literature

  6. Where does John le Carré live?

    1. Bath

    2. Cornwall

    3. Oxford

  7. How is George Smiley said to clean his glasses?

    1. The thin end of his necktie

    2. The hem of his necktie

    3. The fat end of his necktie

  8. In Call for the Dead, who is the character 'Blondie'?

    1. Hans Dietrich

    2. Hans von Mundt

    3. Hans-Dieter Mundt

  9. Smiley versus Karla, the omnibus edition of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People, was originally published as...

    1. Questing for Karla

    2. The Hunt for Karla

    3. The Quest for Karla

  10. Where is The Constant Gardener set?

    1. Namibia

    2. South Africa

    3. Kenya

Solutions

1:C, 2:A, 3:A, 4:B, 5:C, 6:B, 7:C, 8:C, 9:C, 10:C

Scores

  1. 3 and above.

    Oh dear, time to call for backup help from HQ!

  2. 6 and above.

    Getting there, keep polishing your spy glass...

  3. 8 and above.

    Excellent work, you've cracked Le Carré's code!

 

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