Reading order · 3 books · 1974 to 1979 · Set in London
Karla Trilogy in Order
The Karla trilogy follows Smiley’s long duel with Karla, the head of a secret department of Moscow Centre.
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Series facts
- Books
- 3
- Published
- 1974 to 1979
- First book
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- Latest
- Smiley’s People (1979)
- Setting
- Set in London
The reading order
Every Karla trilogy book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
3 books · Set in London
- 1Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy1974With George SmileyGeorge Smiley, forced into retirement, is secretly brought back to find a Soviet mole at the very top of the Circus.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Honourable Schoolboy1977With Jerry WesterbyJerry Westerby, a journalist and part-time agent, is sent to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia to follow the trail of Karla’s money.Buy on Amazon
- 3Smiley’s People1979With George SmileyAn old agent, a former Soviet general, is murdered in London, and Smiley is drawn into a final duel with Karla.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People in order.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | George Smiley | Jerry Westerby | Peter Guillam | Connie Sachs | Karla | Ann Smiley | Toby Esterhase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor |
| 2 The Honourable Schoolboy | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ||
| 3 Smiley’s People | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor |
Characters in the Karla trilogy books
9 characters from John le Carré’s chart, with the number of Karla trilogy books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| George SmileyIntelligence officer of the Circus | 3 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
| Jerry WesterbyJournalist and part-time agent | 2 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
| Peter GuillamSmiley’s loyal lieutenant | 3 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
| Connie SachsThe Circus’s memory on Soviet matters | 3 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
| KarlaHead of Moscow Centre’s secret department | 3 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
| Ann SmileySmiley’s unfaithful wife | 2 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
| Toby EsterhaseHungarian-born Circus officer | 2 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
| ControlHead of the Circus | 1 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
| Bill HaydonSenior Circus officer | 1 | Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 1974 |
Crossovers with John le Carré’s other series
- George Smiley: George Smiley also appears in 6 of its books