Karla’s Choice (My rating: 5)
A Smiley novel
Who is the more British spy, James Bond or George Smiley? For my money, it’s Smiley. Not flashy – although he can move quite quickly when necessary – always deliberate.
John le Carré did not write detective novels per se, but he authored classic spy mysteries. His chief creation, George Smiley, makes his first appearance at the height of the Cold War in 1961 in Call for the Dead. There followed a series of novels built around Smiley, a number of which were made into movies or TV versions. The most famous may either be the 1965 The Spy Who Came In from the Cold starring Richard Burton or the absolutely riveting seven part BBC Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Alec Guinness as Smiley. (I have watched the latter twice and am sure I will get to again at some point.)
John le Carré’s son, Nick Harkaway, also writes books – I reviewed his excellent sci-fi Titanium Noir – but not about spies. Until now.
Last year, Harkaway – who did complete his father’s unfinished Silverview in 2021 – overcame his reluctance to take on something from le Carré’s ouevre. He released Karla's Choice in October 2024. Karla's Choice, a George Smiley novel set in the time period between The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The cover identifies Harkaway as the author but describes the book as "a John le Carré novel." And it is. Harkaway’s Smiley is the real thing. We get the Circus, Control and the cast from both of the other books in a plot that wanders through the Cold War landscape with le Carré’s not entirely happy ending. (A young refugee does find her natural career.)
I found dipping into the simple bipolarity of the Cold War a sort of relief from our current bagunça. Great to have Smiley back and hoping Harkaway takes the plunge again. I rate the book a 5.