Karla's Choice: A Novel of John le Carré's Circus

by Nick Harkaway

The Cold War as it was is over, so Karla’s Choice cannot on the face of things be an image of the now. On the other hand, the pressing need to choose compassion – be it for conscripted enemies, refugees, future generations or ourselves – has never been more stark. Eric Hobsbawn said the twentieth century was short, but you could answer that we’re still waiting for it to end.

“I bad thee, when I was distracted of my wits.”

Duchess of Malfi

Unalarming and unambitious. It’s a subtler choice than you might think. Not everybody in an organisation needs to be a bright star – someone has to plod along and fill in all the gaps.

Gap, narrative

Mosley at Cable Street.

Oct. 1936, Mosley led a fascist march, there was violence

I’m not religious. Well, you know my feelings on that: it’s one of the unkindnesses of modern life that there’s no excuse for it, any more.

From somewhere backstage came the rich, damp odour of ink, and the nameless but immediately recognisable scent of hot metal.

Smell

Guillam nodded. ‘Russian Orthodox,’ he said, as if this explained everything. ‘You don’t feel the pull at all, do you? Religion?’ ‘No,’ Smiley said. ‘I suppose I may have, when I was a child. But, as instructed, I rather put it away.’ Guillam shrugged. ‘And that’s the C of E,’ he said. ‘You want to try it with the blood-and-guts version. My mother’s people are Catholics, but even that has nothing on the Eastern sort. It’s formidable. That’s why Lenin cut down all the spires.’

‘The Stasi aren’t shy of physical violence – and intellectually disaster is appealing. Literature tells us sorrow is more profound than joy – a very Russian perception, as it happens. As I live longer, I’m the more convinced that our valorisation of pain is what makes our world so bleak. We anticipate it, we approve of it, and in doing so we make it. We need a better way.