Karla's Choice

Karla’s Choice feels exactly like one of le Carré’s original books about The Circus. The writing is richly descriptive and the world of the spies enchantingly labyrinthine, blending together the gentlemanly approach of the 1950s with the new ruthlessness required of the 1960s.

Like a le Carré it took a little time for me to settle in as a reader. There wasn’t an easy entry point and it was a case of having to acclimatise to the density of the text and the fact that nothing is told directly, it has to be inferred and mulled over slowly. You can’t read this in a hurry, it has to be savoured and the detail held under the tongue to extract the full depth of flavour.

True to form for The Circus, nothing is telegraphed. Although show more George Smiley may know what direction the plan will take and feel satisfaction as the pieces fall into their allotted spaces, as a reader it’s all there to be discovered. The plot has to be revealed rather than guessed at.

What also emerges is a deep respect for le Carré’s moral architecture. Loyalty, betrayal, duty and compromise are not abstract ideas but lived pressures, pressing in on the characters from all sides. The Circus is not romanticised, but neither is it stripped of its peculiar codes and courtesies; instead it exists as a place where decency survives only by constant negotiation with necessity.

Harkaway understands that the true tension in these stories does not come from action but from consequence. Conversations matter more than confrontations, silences more than revelations. The emotional stakes are quiet but exacting, and when harm is done it is rarely dramatic. In that sense, Karla’s Choice succeeds not by imitating le Carré’s voice, but by inhabiting his discipline. I hope that the author feels proud of the way in which he has captured the complete essence of his father’s work, which cannot have been an easy thing to take on.

Highly recommended. show less

Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway (2024 Penguin Viking pp310)

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes.
Would I recommend this book?
Strongly.
To whom would I recommend it?
Anyone who enjoys a well written novel and is interested in stories of espionage and the Cold War.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
I referred to a few maps of the countries and cities involved. I also looked up the details of some authors and poets that were mentioned along the way. I also took note of some quotable quotes from the book; some quotes that were humorous, some that were wise and instructive.

Nick Harkaway took on a daunting task, to write a book in his late father’s literary universe and to emulate his father’s style of storytelling and show more writing. This was a task that he was asked to carry out; not an arrogant impulse or a desire to use his father’s legacy for his own promotion and benefit.

My opinion has been, and continues to be, that Nick Harkaway was the only person who could have written this book. He grew up with the atmosphere of John Le Carré’s books around him; he was very close to his father and travelled to many places with him that would boost his knowledge of the world George Smiley moved in; and he was reluctant to take on the job. In addition, he is a skilled writer who has demonstrated his ability to write in different styles and genres. I do not believe anyone else is better qualified to write a George Smiley story than Nick Harkaway, and the proof of the pudding is [Karla’s Choice].

Reading this novel I found myself having the same sensations as when I read “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”, and the rest of the George Smiley novels. These was not an iota of evidence that this book was not written by John Le Carré. show less

This was an excellent story featuring George Smiley. If anyone was to take up the mantle of John le Carré, nobody fits the bill better than his son Nick Harkaway. As Harkaway explains in his author’s notes, he literally grew up with George Smiley and has absorbed the various voices and mannerisms of the Smileys who have come down the line. This story is set between the events of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and, as you might expect from the title, sheds some light on the origins of Smiley’s counterpart, Karla. To say more is to risk oversimplifying the plot or spoiling events, but suffice it to say that these characters are in good hands in this book. It’s making me want to go back and read show more Tinker Tailor again... show less

A Triumphant Return to the Circus

"Karla's Choice" is a masterfully crafted spy thriller that seamlessly blends the legacy of John le Carré with Nick Harkaway's own distinctive voice. This is not just a worthy addition to the Smiley canon; it's a superb novel in its own right, capturing the essence of Cold War espionage while exploring profound questions about morality, loyalty, and the human cost of deception.

Harkaway expertly navigates the intricate world of the Circus, bringing familiar characters like George Smiley, Peter Guillam, and Toby Esterhase to life with fresh insights and depth. He also introduces compelling new characters, like Susanna Gero, whose journey from innocence to a dangerous awareness of the world's shadows is show more both captivating and heartbreaking.

The plot is a tapestry of intrigue, weaving together multiple storylines and timelines that converge in a satisfyingly complex climax. As Smiley investigates the disappearance of Ferencz Róka, a former spy with a troubled past, he uncovers a web of secrets and betrayals that reaches back decades. The story moves at a brisk pace, keeping the reader guessing until the very end.

What sets "Karla's Choice" apart from other spy thrillers is its exploration of the moral complexities inherent in the world of espionage. Smiley, forced back into the shadows after his retirement, grapples with the consequences of his past actions and the compromises he has made in the name of national security. The novel also shines a light on the personal sacrifices made by those who operate in this clandestine world, the quiet tragedies that unfold behind closed doors.

Harkaway's prose is elegant and evocative, painting vivid pictures of Cold War Europe with a keen eye for detail. He captures the atmosphere of suspicion, the constant tension, and the moral ambiguity that permeated this era. The dialogue is sharp and believable, revealing the characters' personalities and motivations with nuanced precision.

"Karla's Choice" is a must-read for fans of le Carré and anyone who enjoys intelligent, suspenseful fiction with a touch of moral complexity. It's a story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page, prompting reflection on the choices we make and the sacrifices we are willing to endure in pursuit of what we believe in.

The full Deep Dive review of this book can be watched from our YouTube channel...
https://youtu.be/b8LOb80yE2w show less

Just When I Thought I Was Out...
A review of the Viking US hardcover (October 22, 2024) with reference to the simultaneously released eBook.

The truth was more complex: that the world could change in an instant from clear and kind to desperate and cold, and the trick to survival lay in knowing that instant before it happened, and not when. This was a skill he had once possessed, but could not guarantee until he tested it again.

This was a complete delight for several reasons. It was a resurrection of both author John le Carré, penname of David Cornwell (in the form of his son Nicholas Cornwell aka Nick Harkaway) and his greatest fictional character the spymaster and mole hunter George Smiley. It had the completely correct tone and style show more and structure of the best of Carré. It had the blessing of today's present-day top espionage writer Mick Herron (in the form of a blurb). And it even extended the world of Carré's Circus (his nickname for the UK Secret Intelligence Service/MI6) with a few choice additions.

See photograph at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/books/2017/03/08/geoge-smiley_trans_NvBQ...
Actor Alec Guinness as George Smiley in the 1979 TV series adaptation of [book:Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy|10073506] (1974).

Karla's Choice finds George Smiley pulled out of retirement by the Circus chief Control when a KGB assassin defects and his supposed target goes on the run. Control trusts Smiley above all the other top Circus agents and entrusts him with the mission to uncover the secrets behind both the kill order and to locate the intended victim. This takes Smiley through a labyrinth of assumed identities, false passports, defections, infiltrations, daring rescues and illicit border crossings. Too much detail would be spoilers.

As the title implies, the puppet master behind everything is the Moscow Centre (aka KGB) spymaster known only by the codename Karla, who is the continued antagonist in Carré's later Karla trilogy (1974-1979). The events in Karla's Choice take place shortly after 1963's The Spy Who Came In from the Cold.

Readers not previously familiar with Carré novels should know that there are spoilers here for both The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1963) and A Legacy of Spies (2017). Old time fans will only relish the return to the glory days of the Circus.

There was a bit of added delight in Harkaway adding some further nicknames to the Circus hierarchy in such groups and characters as the Bad Aunts, the Sheepdogs and Scalpel. Also that the nickname Scalphunters was a Bill Haydon invention which had irritated Control.

We can only hope that Nick Harkaway furthers his continuation series with additional Smiley and Circus intrigues and adventures. I started reading Karla's Choice as a hardcover, but found that I was highlighting so many passages that I just had to reference the eBook as well to save myself the work of transcribing quotable sections.

Trivia and Links
Nick Harkaway is the penname of Nicholas Cornwell, the son of David Cornwell aka John le Carré. His own previous novels are in the science fiction and dystopia genres. His most popular books have been The Gone-Away World (2008) and Titanium Noir (2023).

Read an excerpt from Karla's Choice at Penguin Books UK.

Read an interview with Nick Harkaway about the writing of Karla's Choice at NPR. show less

בנו של לה קרה מתחזה לאביו וכותב ספר שלכאורה סותם מרווח של עשר שנים בחייו של ג'ור'ג' סמיילי שמופיע בספרי אביו.
הספר כתוב מצויין. מרתק ואנגלי עד קצות אצבעותיו. דרש ממני להיזכר בכל גיבוריו של לה קרה ולבדוק הרבה ביטויים בריטיים לחלוטין בקינדל.
העלילה מורכבת ומסובכת עד מאוד. לפעמים ממש קשה לעקוב. הפתרון, כמו הרבה פעמים בספרי מתח, קצר ברוטלי וחותך את הקשר הגורדי.
הספר עוסק הרבה בהונגרים ובהונגריה מה שהגביר את חינו בעיני.

Written by the son of the grand master, this spy thriller involves Smiley timed in between ‘The Spy who came in from the cold’ and ‘Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy’.

We are in 1963, and Smiley has gone into retirement re-discovering the company of Ann. Yet a Hungarian publisher (Banati) has gone awol, and his secretary, Susanna, another Hungarian emigree, faces his assassin, A self-professed Russian agent (Miki) sent to kill Banati. Miki has an epiphany and confesses why he was sent and that he no longer wishes to undertake the killing. Susanna via via mobilizes help and ends up in the hands of C’s people. C relegates the case to Smiley, who reluctantly wriggles out of his planned holiday with Ann in Switzerland.

Next a goose show more chase materializes taking Smiley and Susanna to Berlin, Vienna and Budapest, ending with a risky extraction of both Susanna and Banati’s Hungarian wife from Budapest. Central in the case is a Hungarian network of old communist fighters (who knew each other from the Spanish civil war and a Jewish partisan network in Hungary during ww2). During the Hungarian rising Banati fears prosecution and betrays his old comrade. The latter however proves to have a stronger link with the Russian KGB and Banati flees to London to start his publishing house. Banati’s son has been caught in East Berlin by the Stasi and subsequently disappeared. This precipitates Banati’s disappearance – he tries to save his son, and even mobilizes his old friend whom he betrayed in the past. Smiley smells an opportunity, using Mundt, their agent and deputy head of the Stasi. What if they can turn Banati by saving his son. But then the shadow of Karla emerges. Mundt can’t do a lot, the son can not be traced. Next best, is to contact or extract Banati’s wife who is still in Budapest. Susanna decides to act on her own, and when she gets into a mess in Budapest, Jim Prideaux has to mobilize his network and Smiley and co come to their rescue. In the epilogue Smiley supposedly will meet Banati in Lisbon, but both Banati and his old comrade end up brutally murdered. That was Karla’s choice.

The style is very similar to that of le Carre, slow, meticulous and always keeping the reader in suspense. Once the plot becomes clear to the reader, it unfolds fast and merciless. A very nice instance of suspense, which le Carre could not make use of, but Harkaway can, is that we know who the mole in the British secret service is – Bill Haydon – and he plays a peripheral role in this story too. Let's hope Harkaway got a taste of his abilities and continues filling in some blank holes... show less