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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a damn good, realistic spy novel. Le Carre works the complicated plot from both ends, with spymasters in London putting the threads together and the field man in Hong Kong navigating minefields of intrigue. The characters -- all of them -- are fully developed and driven by real, human desires and fears, rendering the entire plot unpredictable until the end. Politics, diplomacy, love, lust, greed, mystery, suspense -- it is all there.
adventurous
fast-paced
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Similar to TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, this book is almost better in idea than in execution. I struggled with some sections because of how dry the prose was -- not that it was boring, but that it was passive and delivered in a stuffy way. The settings are great, the characters are interesting, and the plot is smart, but it doesn't completely come together in a captivating way. Part of this is by design, because le Carre's espionage is not James Bond, Jason Bourne, or Jack Bauer. It's older British men talking in smoky rooms, looks at old files and records. Someone compared le Carre to Dickens, and I think it's an apt comparison. Both writers are good, but they feel a bit like homework at times. With that said, it's hard for me to recommend this book, although I quite enjoyed it.
Knowing that this was part of the "Karla trilogy", I was expecting more... Karla... I suppose. The spectre of Karla looms over the story, but he makes even less of an appearance in THE HONOURABLE SCHOOLBOY than he did in TINKER TAILOR. Even so, I loved the change of scenery, and I loved that the book deals directly with the aftermath of TINKER TAILOR. It feels very much like a bridge novel, linking a beginning and an ending, with it only serving as a way to get from one spot to the next.
Knowing that this was part of the "Karla trilogy", I was expecting more... Karla... I suppose. The spectre of Karla looms over the story, but he makes even less of an appearance in THE HONOURABLE SCHOOLBOY than he did in TINKER TAILOR. Even so, I loved the change of scenery, and I loved that the book deals directly with the aftermath of TINKER TAILOR. It feels very much like a bridge novel, linking a beginning and an ending, with it only serving as a way to get from one spot to the next.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation
I struggled to get into this, and then ended up finishing the last 25% in one great greedy gulp. I enjoyed this more than I expected, since I had been warned that it wasn't as good as TTSS. Especially after finishing the trilogy, I appreciate how le Carré complicated the character's and the reader's relationship with the Circus and its effect on those in its. As always, excellently written, if frustratingly elliptical at times.
slow-paced
Not sure what to make of this one! The historical context was most interesting to me, the connections to the Vietnam War and dirty wars in Laos & Cambodia especially. Story-wise, I was invested all the way. I loved the Smiley sections and the legwork, but I didn't really understand Westerby's actions at the end or what he wanted in his deal with Ko. Also unclear on what Lizzie's deal was. I saw theories that Westerby acts the way he does because he wants to do something genuinely good instead of destroying more innocent lives, which spying forces you to do. It's an interesting idea! I think The Spy Who Came In from the Cold shows that more emotionally and effectively though.
There is a lot of casual racism and most of the women are two-dimensional. I don't think that's out of character for expat white British guys in the 70s, but it's a little off-putting to read.
Also the fact that Britain had a Colonial Office...yikes!
There is a lot of casual racism and most of the women are two-dimensional. I don't think that's out of character for expat white British guys in the 70s, but it's a little off-putting to read.
Also the fact that Britain had a Colonial Office...yikes!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes