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The Honourable Schoolboy

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About this listen

 George Smiley is one of the most brilliantly realised characters in British fiction. Bespectacled, tubby, eternally middle-aged and deceptively ordinary, he has a mind like a steel trap and is said to possess ‘the cunning of Satan and the conscience of a virgin’. Smiley, now head of the Circus, must rebuild trust in the shattered organisation. He is also determined to destroy his nemesis, Karla, and his spy networks. He recruits Jerry Westerby, occasional spy, occasional news reporter, full-time romantic - the Honourable Schoolboy of the title - and despatches him to the Far East, where, amidst the corruption and decay of former colonies, a new battle is about to begin... Starring the award-winning Simon Russell Beale as Smiley, and with a star cast including Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Steed and Anna Chancellor, this gripping dramatisation perfectly captures the atmosphere of le Carré’s intricate, intriguing novel, the second in the Karla trilogy. Espionage Mystery Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Fiction Detective Adaptation China
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This a good BBC dramatisation. The story is good and the cast really bring it to life.

A great drama

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An excellent book and superb cast make this a must listen to. The pace of the book is very good.

Excellent book and superb cast.

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Excellent cast, good dramatisation, but a weak story compared to Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People

A good dramatisation of the weakest Karla book

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Perhaps the best novel written by John Le Carre. The characters are wonderfully well described and the dialogue is superb. The description of countries I've never seen makes them come alive in my mind.

My most pleasurable read for a while.

The Honourable Schoolboy

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I must admit being a fan of the Bernard Hepton version of smiley I was sceptical but beale does a good job aided by a talented cast. a pacy retelling which keeps the essence of the book very enjoyable

classic story told well

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