Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Brilliant, compelling, complicated. The intricacies of the plotting and character are a marvel. And throughout it all Smiley seems never more than a shadow, but pulls the strings (sometimes literally) that slowly tie and finally unravel the entire story. Such a great character, so well realised.

Having read, I watched both the Alec Guinness (1979) and Gary Oldman (2011) adaptations, the former being far superior; Guinness really is Smiley.