The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

3.5
Reading this book made two things very clear for me:
1. This is a landmark novel wherein LeCarre elevated what a spy thriller can be
2. No matter how brilliant a spy thriller is, they are just not my thing

I borrowed this from a friend because I mentioned a recent interest cold war history and wanted to read a classic cold war story, and when he offered this book, it seemed right on the mark. I recognized LeCarre's name, and reading the introduction, I learned that he was himself a British spy during the cold war, so it was definitely a good recommendation.
I don't think it's an exaggeration to say he's the Tolkien of spy thrillers. If you've ever seen an unusually good spy movie, chances are it was based on one of his books. This book is probably the best book of this kind that I've ever read. The twist at the end doesn't just surprise you (and because this style has been mimicked for 60 years, it might not surprise you at all) but it also makes you think. It makes a powerful statement about perspectives of good and evil, and questions the concepts of whether ends can justify means.
It was a great read and very cool.
Why am I rating it less than 4 Stars then? Because on a personal level, I just get uninterested in descriptions of espionage. Reading what's essentially transcripts of a fictional interrogation, interview and/or court proceeding never appealed to me as a reader. I find some of the games of guessing the whodunnit or the hidden scheme to be amusing, but I never feel engaged imaginatively or emotionally like I do with other genres.
It's an objective 5 Star book, and I really enjoyed it, but it's just not my style.