The many realisms of John le Carre

This article will explore themany different realisms of John le Carre's work, from the legacyof Nineteenth Century literary realism to the distinct tradition of"spy realism" that defined itself against the "spy romance"format epitomized by James Bond. Finally, this article will arguethat le Carre's works challenged dominant historiographies of theCold War. In doing so, le Carre's fictions pose questions tohistorians about the ways in which we understand and conceptualizethe so-called "real world of espionage", and wider political,diplomatic, social and cultural currents it is intertwined with.