Are Prideaux and Haydon lovers?
During his time at Oxford, Prideaux befriended Bill Haydon, who recruited him to MI6 for his athletic prowess; the book heavily implies that the two men became lovers, with Prideaux becoming agitated and defensive when he hears people speak ill of Haydon in his presence.
Who is George Smiley based on?
The Man Who Was George Smiley The Life of John Bingham Le Carré revealed shortly before the Iraq War that the model for Smiley was the author and MI5 officer John Bingham, the 7th Baron Clanmorris.
Why did Prideaux shoots and kills Haydon?
Prideaux does not kill Haydon because he was a traitor to his country, he kills him because he was a traitor to him personally, not just by giving him up to the Russians in Budapest, but because he refused to respond to Prideaux’s homosexual feelings towards him and forced Prideaux to suppress his authentic self.
Who killed Bill Haydon book?
Under interrogation, Haydon reveals much of his secret past to Smiley and plans are set in motion to exchange Haydon for Western agents held in the Eastern Bloc, but before this happens he is killed while still in Circus custody. It is strongly implied, though never stated, that the killer was Prideaux.
Who is Steed Asprey?
In the world of the Circus, Steed-Asprey is an intelligence recruiter of the old school. He’s also Smiley’s mentor and a character who looms large in the early Circus books.
What is the best spy novel ever written?
40 Best Spy Novels of All Time
- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
- The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum.
- Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett.
- The Innocent by Ian McEwan.
- Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews.
- The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
What happened to Roy Bland?
Roy Bland: Second in command of London Station to Bill Haydon. Recruited by Smiley at Oxford, he was the top specialist in Soviet satellite states and spent several years under cover as a left-wing academic in the Balkans before being instated in the Circus. Control: Former head of the Circus and now dead.
Who is George Smiley’s wife?
Smiley proposed to Steed-Asprey’s secretary, the Lady Ann Sercomb. The war was over. They paid him off, and he took his beautiful wife to Oxford to devote himself to the obscurities of seventeenth-century Germany.