The Secret Pilgrim - John le Carré (Alfred A. Knopf, First Edition, 1991)
The Secret Pilgrim - John le Carré (Alfred A. Knopf, First Edition, 1991)
This Alfred A. Knopf first edition (1991) is of interest to collectors of John le Carré first editions, Cold War spy fiction, and 20th century British literary fiction.
About: US first edition, first printing of le Carré's valedictory George Smiley novel, dedicated to Alec Guinness - the actor who immortalised Smiley on screen. Presented in the bold, iconic yellow and black Knopf dust jacket. A handsome copy of a significant title in the le Carré canon.
Details:
- Title: The Secret Pilgrim
- Author: John le Carré
- Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York
- Publication Date: 1991
- Edition: 1st Edition, First Printing
- Binding: Hardcover
- Dedication: For Alec Guinness, with affection and thanks
- ISBN: 0-394-58842-8
Synopsis: First edition Knopf imprint, original dust jacket, final George Smiley novel, dedicated to Alec Guinness. Desirable for bibliophiles and le Carré collectors.
Review: John le Carré's The Secret Pilgrim (1991) is the final novel to feature George Smiley, framed as a series of reminiscences told by Ned, a retiring Circus officer, to a class of new recruits, with Smiley himself present as a silent, watchful presence. Elegiac in tone and rich in moral complexity, it serves as both a summation of le Carré's Cold War world and a meditation on loyalty, conscience, and the cost of a life lived in the shadows. The dedication to Alec Guinness, who played Smiley in the celebrated BBC adaptations, adds a further layer of literary and cultural resonance.