Noble House

James Clavell

Jan 2021 · Blackstone Publishing

About this ebook

Taking place over the course of an eventful week in 1963 Hong Kong, James Clavell’s Noble House is a masterfully woven novel of true suspense.

Ian Dunross, the current tai-pan of the illustrious yet financially troubled Struan empire, is racing to undo the damage his predecessor left behind and to once again stand on stable ground. And he’ll do whatever it takes—including striking a hard-fought deal with an American millionaire. But his rival, Quillan Gornt, has other plans. Suddenly caught in a dubious plot involving Soviet spies, Hong Kong’s criminal underground, and the hostile takeover of his company, Dunross holds nothing back in the fight for the Noble House.

Espionage, mayhem, and high-stakes betrayals make Noble House Clavell’s most prolific and imaginatively crafted narrative in the Asian Saga.

Ratings and reviews

What a beauty of a tale. I'll always prefer Gai-jin for the heartbreak that the various characters endure, but the Ian Dunross saga is a close second. I don't know if Clavell was influenced by the "rich guy in charge" flavour that would sweep 1980s television (Dallas was on the air in '78), but, me-oh-my, did Dunross' finger in everything ever have me turning the pages. There was no Dr. Hoag-ish character in this one that I identified with so closely, but I loved the further fleshing out of the Hag Struan legend towards the end of the story. Ah, if only the author had a bit more life to regale us with a story that dealt with her and Culum in the years after Dirk's passing, her rotten father and conniving brother Morgan as well; although I mostly enjoy literature that delves into the domain of typical relationships and the pain of seperation and loss that is normal in all our lives, a flashback shared of Orlov "fetching" young Tess from her father's ship would have such a juicy part of the legend, in addition to Tess' adoration of the hunchback for such heroics in a time of need. Gawd, I would have loved to see how Edward Gornt and Angelique helped to humble the Brocks, and how it was that Quinlan Gornt became the second house in Asia, again, seeking the ruin of Stuan's and all their spawn. Joss. Oh well. Mr. Clavell certainly gave us enough in these his life's works. This was probably my third reading of Noble House. Like a tea clipper rounding the Cape of Good Horn, I have little doubt I'll be back in time, enthralled once more by tales of pirates and their deeds, enticed by Noble House's fusion of 1960s geopolitics and the romance of Hong Kong's capitalist drive and intrigue.

I loved the whole series .

About the author

James Clavell (1921–1994) was a novelist, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. He is best known for his epic Asian Saga novels, which launched with the 1962 bestseller King Rat, and their televised adaptations. He also wrote screenplays for such films as The Great Escape and The Fly, and was a writer, director, and producer on To Sir, with Love. His books Shōgun, Noble House, Tai-Pan, and Whirlwind were #1 New York Times bestsellers.