I am grateful to Netgalley and Viking for an early sight of this book.
Nick Harkaway takes on the mantle of his father, John le Carré in creating adventures for George Smiley and the Circus.
This story of an attempt to unmask Karla, the chief KGB hood and bring him on board is set between The Spy Who Came in from The Cold and Tinker Tailor. Of course once one has read the latter the outcome of that cannot be unread so one knows who is the villain and who has betrayed whom.
Nevertheless this book reads just like a le Carré: the slow build up, the patient preparations and the burst of activity. Smiley is written as the perfect spy: skilled, knowledgeable and a master of psychology; but flawed and not as successful as he ought to be - but we know why. Don’t we?
The book is well written with just the right amount of obscurity, accurate time and place setting and credible characters.

A lifelong Le Carré fan, I opened this book with no little trepidation - and if I as a reader felt the weight of expectation, what must the writing of this have been like for Nick Harkaway! But with pages I was pulled back into a familiar and gripping world. Harkaway captures the mood perfectly, and some characters, Susanna in particular, benefit from a 2024 lens. Mission accomplished.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

‘Karla’s Choice’ is a book by Nick Harkaway, son of the well-known author John Le Carré, who passed away a few years ago. The book is written in the style of Le Carré’s Cold War spy novels and includes several well known characters from those books including the much-loved George Smiley who plays a leading role. The story takes place in the decade between two of Le Carré break-out works; ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’ and ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’. For anyone who has enjoyed Le Carré’s spy novels, this book is an unexpected treat. An opportunity to revisit with some well-known and much loved characters.

During the period after ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’ , George Smiley, who I expect will be familiar to most readers of this new book, returns from retirement to assist the UK Intelligence Service, MI-6, (also known as The Circus) in what he hopes is one final operation. These are Cold War years, the 1960s, inhabited mostly by men and some women who’s characters and world-views have been formed by the events of WW II. The subsequent separation of Europe into a Soviet-dominated Eastern Block and a Democratic-leaning Western Block adds the backdrop to a story of disrupted, damaged lives and relationships.

The early chapters of the book provide the background. A grey and cold London inhabited with emigrés from Eastern Europe. People are not always as they appear and when one emigrée suddenly goes missing around the time a Soviet assassin arrives in London, naturally the Circus takes an interest. And of course, nobody knows this world better than the recently retired MI-6 officer George Smiley. Coincidentally in East Berlin, arrests, accusations and nefarious activities are taking place and these may in some way be related to events in London.

The plot, taking place in various European locations and places more distant, develops slowly, introducing the colourful cast of characters we have come to expect in these novels. The author captures the 1960s atmosphere nicely, especially London and the Circus office which seem to have changes little since WW II. European locations are clearly ‘continental’ and almost unknown from the European cities of today

Readers who have enjoyed Le Carré’s spy novels and characters will enjoy revisiting old Circus ‘friends’. Familiar names play large and small roles in this book, including Esterhase, Hayden, Prideaux , Guillam and the magnificent Connie, in her prime as the holder of knowledge not found in the Circus filing system. Smiley uses all these sources to join the dots and formulate a plan. Smiley’s nemesis, the Russian Karla, plays a role in these events of course. Also Smiley’s wife Ann, once again playing an influential character albeit largely in background to the main plot.

The author helpfully provides a recap of events from ‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’, which assists the reader as the plot slowly unfolds. The War is still a major presence in the minds of many of the characters as another War, not necessarily Cold, unfolds. Doctrinal differences between East and West influences events and human frailty plays an outsized role in how events play out. The author employs many of the characteristics explored in his father’s books. Deceit, betrayal, loyalty, self interest, self preservation. As in many of Le Carré’s books, private lives involving wives, girlfriends and families influence events and outcomes.

This is the world that George Smiley has re-entered and along with former colleagues and acquaintances, he takes on the challenge to put things in order, or at least to minimise damage.

Readers will enjoy some of the new Circus characters introduced, such as the several strong female characters in or around the fringes of the Circus. New aspects of older characters are revealed such as Smiley’s inherent kindness and loyalty. When a deceased former colleague is to be buried, he ensures the body has warm comfortable shoes for the funeral.

“I didn’t want him to be cold…he did a lot of standing around, waiting…”

The plot is complex, multi-faceted and compelling. Events unfold; the morals and methods of problem solving by the Circus and Moscow Centre are compared. All of which leads to a dramatic climax, even involving a car chase ! The conclusion is, as is commonplace in the better spy novels, a little ambiguous, morally dubious for some, sadly unfortunate for others.

I enjoyed this book, the familiar characters and locations, the slow moving and ultimately dramatic plot with an ending leaving the reader wanting more. In this case, we know from Le Carré spy novels, what happened next ! Nevertheless I do have some reservations. At the time of Le Carré most successful books, the Cold War was an ever-present phenomena. Berlin, indeed Europe was divided and the Soviets were clearly the untrusted and aggressive enemy. Spy activity was a reality in the cities of Europe. Le Carré’s books seemed contemporary, urgent and authentic. I loved them. Today I’m an older, hopefully more mature reader and while this new book is not bad, neither is it a wonderful new Circus novel.

I wonder what Le Carré would make of it. Possibly he would think it was a project worth doing and the results a somewhat successful one-off novel. I expect George Smiley, either old or young, could be written into numerous ‘new’ Circus books. I hope not. Perhaps he should be allowed to retire quietly and spend more time with his academic books. And of course his soulmate Ann. We have never really come to know her very well. Perhaps that is best. Some secrets should remain private; even in the grey world of lamplighters, scalp hunters, pavement artists and of course Control, on the top floor of the Circus, in a darkened, wood-panelled room.

Great. True to the le carre narrative. Settle back into Smiley's world and don't come out until it's over

When John Le Carre died he was keen to see his literary legacy live on. He specifically asked his family to do so, leading to a number of successful TV adaptations of his work and the publication of his letters (A Private Spy). Based on this wish, the family asked Nick Harkaway, Le Carre’s youngest child, if he would be interested in writing a book in Le Carre’s Circus continuity and featuring spy George Smiley. Harkaway is an established author in his own right, although he has mainly stayedd away from espionage, working successfully in new weird (The Gone Away World, Angelmaker) and crime (Titanium Noir). In the introduction to Karla’s Choice Harkaway says that he felt daunted but honoured to be asked and has delivered a fitting entry into this well loved series.
Karla’s Choice is set in the period between The Spy Who Came in from The Cold and the ‘Karla trilogy’ which starts with Tinker, Tailer, Soldier Spy. George Smiley has retired from the Circus (MI6) and is living a bucolic life with his wife Ann. But the head of the Circus, Control, has other ideas and when a Hungarian émigré comes in with a story of a Russian hitman who has had a change of heart and his missing target, her Hungarian boss, he asks Smiley to come in and help. Thus begins a hunt for the missing man who is also being sought after by a Russian agent known only as Karla and Smiley is back in the game.
While it is not true to say Karla’s Choice is pastiche it is written in a style that it reminiscent of this earlier phase of Le Carre’s work the 1960s and 70s. It is an espionage story in the classic vein – slow and methodical until there are short bursts of action. All of the characters from the existing canon are back but this is really Smiley’s book. That and an origin story for his ultimate nemesis, Karla. Harkaway has well and truly fulfilled the brief here. Providing a narrative that fits neatly into the existing continuity, delivering an insight into the missing years of the Smiley biography, and leaving the door open for more.

An excellent pastiche which could almost be mistaken for the genuine article.

Well written, plotted and credible, this was an excellent and exciting read which has whetted my appetite to go back and re-read all the originals.

Thank you.

I approached this book with nervous anticipation. A return of Smiley is something I would not have believed could happen. But a book written by the son of one of the greatest writers in the genre?
There is a huge caveat in the introduction to the book that aims to address such matters and any likely criticism. Taking everything into account, I think it has been written with the right intentions.
It took me some time to read the book. A mixture of savouring the story and, I suppose, not wishing to reach the last page.
Plugging into a gap in Smiley’s history is a good move. It allows further development of characters and the introduction of a couple more. It also sets the scene for further books which I truly hope will now appear.
I won’t spoil the story but it was good to find out more about Karla’s background. It will be interesting to see if this does continue as a theme in future books or if more standalone stories are explored. I think that it would be a good move to have Smiley work on other things that are perhaps inching towards the denouement that is Tinker Tailor.
I wasn’t disappointed with this book which is perhaps a relief and requires a tip of the hat to Nick Harkaway. Looking forward to more.
Note : An advance copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review of the book.
This review was posted to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.co.uk on 28 October 2024. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karlas-Choice-John-Carr%C3%A9-Novel/product-reviews/0241714907/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews

I did worry about this. It is now fifty years since I read my first Le Carre, 'The spy who came in from the cold' and I recall being simultaneously exhilarated and upset at the finish. I subsequently read every novel Le Carre wrote and enjoyed them all, even if there was something of a decline in his latter years.

So now his son, Nick Harkaway, takes up George Smiley and offers the reader a tale set just after the events of 'The Spy who came in from the cold', and featuring all the characters from the Circus, as well as Karla's rise to power in Moscow. There is a big risk here of disappointment. But there is also the promise of something every George Smiley fan would want, more to read.

I have to say: I enjoyed this immensely. It is not simply a homage to John Le Carre's novels, but a worthy addition. An opportunity to bask in nostalgia, Harkaway not only constructs a narrative as oblique and unsettling, but captures dialogue, characterisation and philosophy as convincing as his father. It is as though you are reading a newly discovered Le Carre novel, almost. There are a few new characters to add to the mix, which adds interest. There is a suggestion there will be more stories to follow. I would welcome that very much!

Smiley defines what he is trying to do as an attempt to fight a war with rules and some form of civilised decency. Karla, his opponent, must choose between that sort of war, or absolute ruthlessness.

A long-awaited return visit to the Circus

When it was announced that a son of the late, great literary spymaster, John le Carre was going to write the ‘missing’ George Smiley novel, it was met with a mixture of excitement and scepticism. Would he be able to follow those enigmatic pen strokes of his father? Would he be able to capture the comradeship and antics of those lovable characters of the Circus - the headquarters of le Carre’s secret department in London? And what of Karla himself? A man who Smiley actually met once, and who since that meeting had held onto George’s personally scribed lighter, a present from his estranged wife, Ann, like a teasing trophy, and from then on, was always lurking in Smiley’s shadow, a Soviet spymaster behind it all since Alec Leamus met his death at the Berlin Wall in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold then the exposure of the Circus’s surprise bad apple in Tinker,Tailor Soldier Spy to Smiley’s triumph in Smiley’s People.
Karla’s Choice has turned out to be the novel that Smiley fans have long awaited for - the void between the aftermath of Leamus then Smiley’s faceless battle with his Soviet nemesis. From the opening chapter featuring the revelations of a defecting assassin and the sudden disappearance of his target, a dissident Hungarian publisher, the scene is set for George to enter stage right and take control to not only track him down but give him the opportunity for a game of oneupmanship with his old Russian sparring partner, bringing in all those familiar names and welcoming new ones, along the way. Harkaway’s approach and style has more than just hints of his late father, and as I read the lengthy descriptive narratives and the mesmeric dialogue, I could easily hear le Carre’s melodious voice in my head as if he was on stage reading out an extract from it. However, let’s not take it all away from the writer of Karla’s Choice. His son, Nick has approached it all by giving it his own personal flair, executing it in a way that I feel will bring a whole new set of Smiley readers to the fold. For the aficionados, the le Carresque elements which made the Smiley novels so believable in spy genre are all there. There’s the intrigue, the tradecraft, the twists and the turns, all eloquently captured and entwined giving the iconic images, thoughts and feelings of the Cold War.
I wouldn’t say that Karla’s Choice is a real page-turner, but this is a good thing, it’s a novel which you can dig deep into, savouring the plot’s complex structure like a decent malt whisky. As you finish reading that final paragraph, fans will know there’s a lot more to the Smiley story that could lead up to Tinker Tailor… spurning the idea that maybe Mr Harkaway could be returning to the Circus again in the not too distant future.

It is spring in 1963 and George Smiley has left the Circus. With the wreckage of the West’s spy war with the Soviets strewn across Europe, he has eyes only for a more peaceful life. And indeed, with his marriage more secure than ever. But Control has other plans. A Russian agent has defected, and the man he was sent to kill in London is nowhere to be found. Smiley reluctantly agrees to one last simple interview Szusanna, a Hungarian émigré and employee of the missing man, and sniff out a lead. But, as Smiley well knows, even the softest step in the shadows resounds with terrible danger. Soon, he is back there, in East Berlin, and on the trail of his most devious enemy’s hidden past.
I love The George Smiley novels so was intrigued to read this, especially as who better to write than the son of the books. Afterall another son has carried on his father’s books & they are so good. I thoroughly enjoyed it & was drawn in from the start & found it hard to put down. It fits seamlessly into the Smiley series & found it hard to believe that the original author hadn’t written it. A complex story with lots of twists & turns that had me hooked.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

Eager to read this because I so enjoyed the Smiley novels written by Nick Harkaway’s father, John le Carré, I was bemused by a Smiley who indulged in a frivolous purchase for his wife whilst in a dangerous situation, in anticipation of some conjugal joy. Nor had I expected that Smiley could drive. Having said that, Harkaway has produced a complex thriller in the style of his father, with some excellent asides and rhetoric. The era is finely drawn, as are the international tensions, and the momentum galloped towards the end of the book. I shall be interested to see where the author and his elegant writing takes the sequel(s).

Unlike many potential readers, I came to Le Carré through his son, rather than the other way around. Harkaway writes a great speculative thriller (though the likes of Edie Investigates have echoes of the post-war espionage world of his father), with quite a different, and distinctive, style. I have, however, also dipped into some of the original Le Carré, prior to watching Gary Oldman etc al in their wonderful rendition of Tinker, tailor.., and so had a reasonable grounding in both style and content. Like most fans, I was not entirely optimistic about Harkaway's ability to expand the series whilst keeping it true to the originals, but overall I think major kudos are due to Le Carré junior.
Especially considering this isn't his era, Harkaway draws a meticulous picture of 60s Britain/Europe, the political situation, and the possible motivations (springing from detailed back stories) of our protagonists.
It is far easier to get period detail correct on film, once the visuals (clothes, buildings, newspaper headlines etc) are right, all is convincing, but it is far harder for someone not born in a particular time to make the inner thoughts and motivations of people several decades previous credible; to do that in the style of someone else, and that someone your famous and esteemed father, is even more difficult, I would imagine, and there are only a couple of negligible clauses very sparsely scattered, that pop out as anachronistic. For the most part, the characters, the plot, the pacing, the larger philosophical issues, the personal angst, all are effortlessly extended in this welcome new addition to the Le Carré cannon.

My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Nick Harkaway knows he’s treading on hallowed ground in continuing (or rather interpolating) the work of his father David Cornwell, better known as John Le Carré. I am one of those he refers to as having an ‘attachment to George Smiley and the Circus … so deep that any slight touch of his hand is enough to bring them joy’, thanks to the excellent BBC Radio 4 adaptations with Simon Russell Beale as Smiley. And while I’ve watched and listened to some of the stories, I’m not sure I had actually read any so I decided it would be fun and worthwhile to read The Spy Who Came in from the Cold first, to reacquaint myself with the murky goings on of the Circus and to better compare father’s and son’s styles. So I came fresh from the story of Alec Leamas in Berlin; Karla’s Choice picks up just a few months later.
A Le Carré connoisseur might be able to detect the change in pen but I couldn’t see the joins. Le Carré depicted a grey post-war pre-swinging 60s world, and especially London, that as a 50-year-old I never could have known. That I have a nostalgia for it is an indication of his memorable characters and atmosphere, and I think Harkaway has successfully continued both. I liked the pacing of the plot: from a relatively steady start, to the mention of Hans-Dieter Mundt for the first time at the halfway point, to Karla himself appearing fully two-thirds of the way through. Then once the action starts, it’s a helter-skelter to the finish.
I think you could read this as a standalone novel but there’s an extra frisson of enjoyment if you know the outcome of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. When I say that the reader has to do no little work, and that some references are subtle to the point of elliptical it’s a compliment, so acclimatisation to this espionage world helps to distinguish this lamplighter from that scalphunter. The only problem with that is that close reading and avid page-turning don’t go especially well together; I want to read it again to get the full effect. If you’ve enjoyed any of Le Carré’s stories before, why wouldn’t you want to explore more of his wonderful creation, George Smiley? As far as I’m concerned, this is to be added to the Smiley cannon.

A new entry into the George Smiley canon of books this time written by le Carre's son. This book is far better than we have any real right to expect given that Smiley is uniquely le Carre's character and being written by his son was no guarantee of success. Perhaps more wishful thinking than a real possibly. Any fears prove unfounded however and while Harkaway places his own mark on the characters, story and events, you still know you are in le Carre's world. There is a very welcome return of some beloved characters and by the time you close the book you are left with a profound sense of gratitude for a new story that would never otherwise have been told. The only remaining question is will there be any more and can Harkaway find a way to fill in any more spaces in the world of Smiley, or even, dare I suggest it, a non Smiley spy novel. If anyone can do it, judging by this success, then Harkaway can. Recommended.

This is the first of I hope of many continuations by Harkaway of his father, David Cornwall (John le Carré)'s series of books about the British Secret Intelligence Service (the 'Circus') in the mid-20th century. As Harkaway explains in his prologue, there were always intended to be more of these books, focussing on George Smiley, and indeed le Carré published a couple shortly before his death.
In Karla's Choice, we return to Smiley's heyday, the 1960s, and see George, who has temporarily left the Circus after the events of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, called back in a crisis (as of course would happen several more times and it's nice to see how Harkaway docks his Smiley seamlessly with the one in the previous books). In true le Carré fashion, an apparently minor event has set alarm bells ringing in the corridors of the Circus and someone is needed to attend to business.

So we get to see the Circus again, perhaps not quite in all its pomp but as a more powerful organisation than the burnt out shell it becomes later. And we also meet its denizens, not least the traitor who will be unmasked in earlier books (if you follow the sequence). I won't name them in case you haven't read the other books yet, but the knowledge of that person's later betrayal provides a frisson here when secrets are being discussed...

In the best tradition of these stories, Karla's Choice offers us an apparently dry narration enlivened by a lot of erudition and plenty of secrets - tradecraft, ruminations on the Cold War, both practical and moral, deeply rooted in history and, of course, humour. There is also the tension between the grizzled inmates of the Circus and a young woman - a Hungarian refugee, Susanna Gero - who is about to be immersed in their life when the secret world, the world of Smiley and Karla, reaches out for her. How and why it does that - and why her boss has disappeared - unfolds unhurriedly, but in detail, throughout the book.

The relationship that develops in this book between George and Susannah is complex. One is reluctant to keep playing these games, disillusioned even in his own mind, but still accepting of the twisted logic of the looking-glass war, if always on the verge of shaking its dust form his feet. The other is new to the whole scene but also, seems to have a more ruthless streak than him (as someone who crossed Europe for refuge - people were still allowed to do that in the 60s - as almost still a challenge, you think, surely she must know more than she's letting on?)

We also see various stranded and beached figures who will become the famous faces of the chronologically later stories - incipient alcoholic Connie, for example; Control, before the catastrophe that is a few years down the line. And of course George's wife, with Karla's Choice perhaps equally deserving of the title Ann's Choice...

All in all, a fascinating and thrilling addition to the Smiley canon, Harkaway showing that, yes, the menu is excellent and the chef really can cook.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free pre-publication copy in return for an unbiased review.

I wasn't sure what I was going to make of this. I am a big fan of John Le Carre, and have enjoyed all the Smiley books. (Though a non-Smiley book of his is actually my favourite - The Constant Gardener, check it out if you haven't read it). I was intrigued at the chance to read more from Smiley and the Circus team but was unsure whether or not it would work having someone else write it. Harkaway is Le Carre's son, so if anyone were to do it it would make sense for it to be him. At times, the style is so well done you do forget that you aren't reading a Le Carre. Is this a good thing, or should the author be attempting to add his own style to the book? There are arguments both ways I think. On a few occasions in the book though I felt there were some attempts to make the characters feel less dated, in their attitudes and behaviours, presumably to make them chime better for a modern audience. I didn't think this really worked - they are of their time, the attitudes were of their time and that can't really be changed.

As an aside, I still don't think I understand the Smiley/Ann relationship all that well, and this book adds another dimension to that which merely adds to my confusion! Still, I think this is a good addition to the set of Smiley stories and I think if you are a fan of a spy novel then you will enjoy it.

4/5: A worthy addition to the Smiley-verse, which balances authenticity to the world it is written in with modern sensibilities and thoughtful reflections on life and choices.

Karla's Choice is a new addition to John le Carre's world of espionage and intrigue, authored by Le Carre's son, Nick Harkaway. This filled me with excitement and trepidation before I started: I enjoyed the original Smiley novels, and I'd been meaning to read Harkaway for a while, but the prospect of a poor pastiche would be quite the disappointment.

Fortunately, Karla's Choice is nicely executed. The novel has the same moody feel, dense prose and slightly unbelievable logic leaps as the original novels. Like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, it's at its best when there are spy or bureaucratic set pieces: there's a particularly well-done scene about an overheard conversation, and the climax is note-perfect. Like The Spy Who Came in From The Cold, this novel also subtly grapples with bigger questions: Are the ends worth the means? What is family and when should it come first?

Compared to the original novels, there are a few modernisations - the cast feels more diverse, and Harkaway spent more time than his father unpacking the steps taken, the reasons for them and the implications of those choices. This makes Karla's Choice slightly more approachable without feeling alien to the original books.

As for the limitations... the pace was quite slow, which coupled with the prose meant this was a book that took a little work to get through. Also - and I say this while being aware that it's best not to compare the book to some theoretical *other* book the author could have written - this was tied much more closely to one of the original books (The Spy who Came in From the Cold) than I could imagine Le Carre tying a book together. I found this choice rather distracting - like a shout for legitimacy, or a marketer's pitch - that drew me out of the world and drew unnecessary attention to the fact that Karla's Choice was written decades after the original novels.

All in all, this is an enjoyable read - but make sure you read The Spy who Came in From the Cold first. Finally, a big thank you to Nick Harkaway, Penguin and Netgalley for this advance review copy, provided in exchange for an honest review.

1963, George Smiley is now retired. However, when a Russian assassin seeks to defect, refusing to carry out his deadly mission, Control calls Smiley back for one final operation.

I feel that this one will be enjoyed by those who enjoy classic spy novels and that readers of the earlier books will appreciate the faithful portrayal of the characters by John le Carré’s son.

Karla’s Choice is a brave move by Nick Harkaway as he takes John le Carre’s most famous character George Smiley and writes a novel that fits in between two of the more famous books of the series.

I approached this book with some trepidation as I enjoyed le Carre’s novels but Karla’s Choice is a worthy addition to the canon with a typical spy novel evolving over its pages.

One to recommend.

A brilliant continuation of a story from the past.
This book is homage to John le Carre, written in his style by his son, and featuringing characters from the George Smiley novels. The first of these, "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold," was set in the early 1960s, and the followups date from the 1970s onward. This book is set in 1963 and attempts to fill the gap, and it succeeds admirably.
Nick Hathawy has captured his father's style of writing. Smiley5 works in a slow manner, gathering information, sorting it, and then acting on it when and where necessary. Whilst this is a very good story indeed, the use of this style, though accurate, I found a bit cumbersome in places, to the extent I had to take long breaks in it to read something more in keeping with the sharper, crispy style of today.
Giving a star rating to this book had me in a quandary, and to balance up what I have written, I ended up at 4 stars.