Preview
  • The Honourable Schoolboy

  • The Karla Trilogy, Book 2
  • By: John le Carré
  • Narrated by: Michael Jayston
  • Length: 20 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (142 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Honourable Schoolboy

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: Michael Jayston
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $38.00

Buy for $38.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

George Smiley has become chief of the battered British Secret Service. The betrayals of a Soviet double agent have riddled the spy network, and Smiley wants revenge. He chooses his weapon: Jerry Westerby, "The Honourable Schoolboy", a passionate lover, and a seasoned, reckless secret agent. Westerby is pointed east, to Hong Kong. So begins the terrifying game.

©2009 David Cornwell (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"All the good things are there: the Balkan complexities of plot; the Dickensian profusion of idiosyncratic characters; and above all, le Carré's glistening social observation." ( Time magazine)

What listeners say about The Honourable Schoolboy

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    77
  • 4 Stars
    48
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    82
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    68
  • 4 Stars
    32
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

carré at his peak

loved every moment, takes you back to a time when the fear and lack of knowledge of China characterised its relationship with the West - fascinating how things have changed so much and yet so little. All intertwined with Soviet intrigue and international drug trafficking, this novel uses the revolutionary South East Asian theater of the early 1970s as a colorful backdrop to a timeless and fast paced spy story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Chipper Spy Story

Great fun overlaid with the musk of the Orient with a damp Emgland as a delightful counterpoint. Almost Boy's Own but Smiley brings it together in a way that takes the smile off your face.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

LeCarre's most literate novel; narrator improves

I've probably read this novel in print -- oh, I don't know, maybe 20 times. It remains my favourite LeCarre. There are just these little, subtle touches, like referring to the "traditional fake Rosewood veneer" of the CIA ("cousins") offices that are at once sophisticated, witty and exact. Michael Jayston -- who is British -- makes an OK fist of the first part, except that he "does" voices, and his efforts for women make them sound vague and bit daffy, especially Phoebe -- Craw's "little ship". But in the second part of the recording there is just a superb rendition of the scene between Westerby and Charlie Marshal which makes you fortive Mr Jayston the flaws in the rest of his reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A ripping yarn!

I fiund it's complicated twists and turns quite hypnotic. Indeed, I had to listen to some parts a couple of times before I got the drift. However, the story telling is so good, this was no hardship ...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Le Carre classic

Very well read, all characters were easily recognizable. The story line was quite gripping especially towards the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great story, but not Le Carre's best

This is an engaging and involving spy story that begins where Tinker Tailor ends. The characterizations are brilliant and the plot intricate and involved. However the plot doesn't capture the reader in the same way as Tinker Tailor or The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and the ending was somewhat predictably disappointing. Michael Jayston once again is absolutely superb reading this story and I can't even imagine reading Le Carre without hearing his voice. Still a good buy for those Le Carre fans, but those wanting to start off on the spy game i would definitely recommend The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and then Tinker Tailor first.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

George Smiley - a quintessentially English spook

Would you listen to The Honourable Schoolboy again? Why?

I read the book years ago and found this recording gripping

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Deepest English reserve mixed with Asian intrigue. A complex plot that will always stand another listen

What about Michael Jayston’s performance did you like?

Well told - handles the complexity well and brings the drama to life.

Any additional comments?

Listened to in order - Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy - Honourable Schoolboy - Smilies People. I have always been a fan of the story and the characters. Very English in context with the diminishing place of that country in world affairs whilst its legacy echo is still heard far and wide. A brilliant portrait of context in a world of changing priorities but with real characters and a stunning plot.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

An important book in the Karla Triology

What made the experience of listening to The Honourable Schoolboy the most enjoyable?

Michael Jayston usual excellent performance.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I really don't think the plot or the story was as strong as tinker tailor. It is an important in between book in the Karla Triology but I feel the plot got lost somewhere in the middle.

The was a lot of extra in the middle but just didn't seem to gel together like other Le Carre books.

Have you listened to any of Michael Jayston’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Michael Jayston always gives a top class performance, this book was no different.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, Unlike the previous book it just didnt have the same pull.

Any additional comments?

I liked the book but it felt like some vital ingredient was missing. Without ruining the plot for anybody the ending was a complete anti climax.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The honourable story

A great story! A slow starter I feel, but it grows on you all the way through!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!