The Honourable Schoolboy

What Hacker News says

1. pseudolusDec 2020
   Surprised that the 'The Honourable Schoolboy' hasn't received more mentions or discussion. Nominally a George Smiley book, it was the character of the 'honourable schoolboy' - Westerby - that dismantled the romanticism usually found in espionage thrillers. A very poignant end.
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2. coleiferNov 2019
   le Carré is one of my favorite authors. I was happy to see the article cover The Honourable Schoolboy, which is certainly overshadowed by some of his others, but which, to me, always packed the hardest emotional punch. After reading le Carré, it's impossible to see the world in the same way again.

   I especially recommend getting the books on tape, the English readers really bring the stories to life.

   For another excellent series, check out Martin Cruz Smith, Gorky Park (Arkady Renko series).

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3. dynamite-readyAug 2019
   The whole Karla trilogy was great, but I enjoyed The Honourable Schoolboy the most. Loved the detail.

   Read the books before I watched the recent Tinker Tailor film.

   I think they utterly miscued the description of Jim's capture (if you please excuse the spoiler). In the book, I thought that part really helped to anchor the scale and scope of the trilogy.

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4. grue2May 2017
   Look into The Tourist/Milo Weaver trilogy by Olen Steinhauer. The third book (An American Spy) is where you'll find the US/Chinese intrigues (and an incident that has a similar ring to it as the above news article). I recommend the full trilogy, as the first two books set up the third.

   You might also try The Honourable Schoolboy by John Le Carré. Set primarily in Hong Kong, it's part spy novel, part sweeping tour of Southeast Asia just as the last dominos are falling to Communism in the 1970s. Although it's technically in the George Smiley series, I don't think you really need to read those in any particular order.

   Steinhauer if you like beach reads/page turners. Le Carré if you like a more literary slow-burner.

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5. maydApr 2024
   I do agree that the "Deutschland 83/86/89" TV series was great espionage drama, but I also think your Eurocentric bias is showing. I have often wondered why Asia has been continuously overlooked in the espionage TV drama stakes. Even John LeCarré's "The Honourable Schoolboy" never got adapted to the screen. My conclusion is that it is not due to a lack of good material but due to political and cultural reasons. Westerners are uncomfortable with portraying Asian geopolitical adversaries such as Communist China and North Korea because they don't want to be accused of racism. When was the last time you saw or read a tale about Chinese spies? Sadly, this has resulted in a vast, unexplored region of espionage drama being totally ignored. I wonder if they make Asia-focussed spy drama in Japan?
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6. jonstewartMay 2017
   I've read just about everything by Le Carré, including, of course, The Honourable Schoolboy. I might check out Steinhauer. I think I read something by him, but can't remember what.
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