Switzerland, in the 1950s worked for the Intelligence Corps of the British Army in Austria interrogating Czech defectors, and at the University of Oxford spied on far-left student groups for MI5, the British security service. Rick Pym, the charismatic con man father of Magnus in the novel, is based on le Carré's father, Ronnie Cornwell. Ronnie was a confidence man and associate of the Kray twins, London organised crime figures. He made and lost several fortunes through elaborate confidence schemes, and was jailed for insurance fraud. Le Carré's biographer Lynndianne Beene describes Ronnie as 'an epic con man of little education, immense charm, extravagant tastes, but no social values'. Le Carré's relationship with his father was troubled, and he has said: "Although I've never been to a shrink, writing A Perfect Spy is probably what a very wise shrink would have advised me to do anyway." Literary significance and criticism Matthew Bruccoli calls it "the book that is and may always be Le Carré's masterpiece". Philip Roth said it was "the best English novel since the war". David Denby, writing in 2014, agreed with Roth's view. Adaptations A 1987 TV adaptation of the same name was produced by the BBC starring Peter Egan. In 1993, a BBC radio adaptation in eight parts by Rene Basilico was broadcast, with James Fox as Magnus Pym, James Grout as Jack Brotherhood, Brenda Bruce as Miss Dubber and Harriet Walter as Mary Pym. In 2017, a radio adaptation of the same name was produced by BBC Scotland, directed by Bruce Young, starring Julian Rhind-Tutt, Bill Paterson and Michael Maloney. In an audiobook recording of John le Carré reading aloud an abridged version of this book, he introduces the work as "THE Perfect Spy". References External links John le Carre discusses A Perfect Spy on the BBC World Book Club Novels by John le Carré 1986 British novels British spy novels Hodder & Stoughton books British novels adapted into television shows Novels set in Vienna Novels set in England Novels set in Greece Nonlinear narrative novels Novels set in Switzerland