Quote:
Originally Posted by JSWolf
So yes, the Smiley series is a series. Fantastic Fiction and Overdrive agree with this. I've read some of the Jack Reacher series and so far each book has been mostly stand alone. Yet it is still a series.
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Yes, it's a series in the sense that there's a recurring character. I'm reading Le Carré's novels in their published order for that reason. It's not a continuing story, however. The reader gains little if any extra insight into
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by reading the preceding novels.
The important question, once everybody understands each other, is does it matter if you read
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold before the preceding novels? My opinion is no, it doesn't matter. The recurring Smiley character plays a minor role that, frankly, could have been filled by anyone. If you're interested in
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold but don't feel like committing to the series, by all means read the novel. It stands well on its own.