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The Honourable Schoolboy
The Honourable Schoolboy: A George Smiley Novel | John le Carre
Featuring George Smiley, The Honourable Schoolboy is the second installment in the renowned Karla Trilogy, the follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, which was the inspiration for the Oscar-nominated film starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy The Pigeon Tunnel, John le Carr's first work of non-fiction, will be available from Viking in September 2016 As the fall of Saigon looms, master spy George Smiley must outmaneuver his Soviet counterpart on a battlefield that neither can afford to lose. The mole has been eliminated, but the damage wrought has brought the British Secret Service to its knees. Given the charge of the gravely compromised Circus, George Smiley embarks on a campaign to uncover what Moscow Centre most wants to hide. When the trail goes cold at a Hong Kong gold seam, Smiley dispatches Gerald Westerby to shake the money tree. A part-time operative with cover as a philandering journalist, Westerby insinuates himself into a war-torn world where allegiancesand livesare bought and sold. Brilliantly plotted and morally complex, The Honourable Schoolboy is the second installment of John le Carr's renowned Karla triology and a riveting portrayal of postcolonial espionage. With an introduction by the author. John le Carr's Our Kind of Traitor is soon to be a major motion picture starring Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris, Stellan Skarsgrd and Damian Lewis. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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review
Trace
Mehso-so

Strong ending.

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Therewillbebooks
Honourable Schoolboy | John le Carre
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Yet another spy book

47 likes1 stack add
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

Okay. Let‘s be honest. This is a pick for me because it Le Carré, it‘s a Smiley novel, and part of The Karla Trilogy. It‘s an intricately plotted, detailed, slow burn spy novel set mostly in Hong Kong. BUT…this has not aged well. It‘s so racist, even the audiobook narration does a terrible job with the narration with non-English characters, which makes this a very narrow pick.

Leftcoastzen Nice cover though! 3y
DGRachel @Leftcoastzen Oh yes. The cover is gorgeous. 😍 3y
52 likes1 stack add2 comments
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DGRachel
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Second only to Smiley, Connie is one of my favorite Le Carré creations. I love her and I‘m so glad George brings Mother Russia back to the Circus. ?

vivastory I don't know if you saw this recent Guardian article, but I thought it was intriguing:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/sep/12/spy-writer-held-grudge-against-le-...
3y
DGRachel @vivastory I had not seen it. Thank you. It makes me want to find a copy of The Darkroom of Damocles to read. 3y
vivastory I was intrigued, too. Will definitely check it out, but going to read Le Carre first. 3y
43 likes3 comments
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DGRachel
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I can‘t believe this has a higher Litsy rating than Tinker Tailor. I just started my reread and I don‘t know if I want to keep reading. It‘s been probably 20 years since I read it the first time so I did not remember the bold anti-Asian racism and stereotyping. So, so racist. 😭

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Leftcoastzen
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#bookplates I dug this out, wanting to refresh my memory on Le Carré titles , forgot about this inside

emilyhaldi Love it 3y
LeahBergen Was he from the future? 😆 3y
KVanRead @LeahBergen I was wondering that too! 😂 3y
Leftcoastzen @KVanRead @LeahBergen 😂Yes , I did a double take about that number, figured he‘s cataloging his books but you never know , could be from the future!👏 3y
40 likes4 comments
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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

A lush, thoughtful read with plenty of deft turns of phrase. Best read after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, if only so you don't have the identity of the mole spoiled.

Dogearedcopy I'm listening to 'A Perfect Spy' now and then I have 'The Russia House' *and then back to George Smiley!* #Smileyistheman (edited) 6y
rabbitprincess @Dogearedcopy Yay! My next le Carré will probably be a re-read of The Spy Who Came In from the Cold ? 6y
Swe_Eva I still haven't gotten around to Tinker Tailor. In a reading funk at the moment too, so that's not helping. Gave up on the current book and started a new one yesterday that I'm hoping it's my way out. 🤞🏻 6y
rabbitprincess @Swe_Eva Oh no, a reading funk! I hope the new book does the trick. 6y
24 likes1 stack add4 comments
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bunneeboy
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Pickpick

Simply lovely!

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DGRachel
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Closed out my #manicmonday by reorganizing the bookshelves in my living room and bedroom to accommodate all the books I bought Friday and Saturday. I still have almost a full empty shelf left in my bedroom. 😱Oh, the possibilities! #awesomeautumnbooks

TrishB Definitely need to fill that shelf 😀👍 7y
LeeRHarry Lucky you 😊 7y
85 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
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Dragon George Smiley is my idea of a old world British Spy. I really liked the movie version of Tinker Tailor Spy from a few years ago. 7y
40 likes1 comment
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FaisalJ
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"Spy on your friends today, they're certain to be your enemies tomorrow."

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