[jyl]

I re-read the book before seeing the movie. My friend did as well.

He regretted having re-read the book, as he felt he'd lost the excitement and suspense of puzzling out the plot.

I, remembering from 20 years ago what a dense story Tinker Tailor was, felt that the plot would be difficult to understand, and wanted to enjoy the performances and atmosphere without being confused for 90 minutes.