Noble House
Encyclopedia
Noble House is a novel
by James Clavell
, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong
in 1963.
It is a massive book, well over 1000 pages, with dozens of characters and numerous intermingling plot lines. In 1988, it was adapted as a television miniseries for NBC
starring Pierce Brosnan
. The miniseries updates the storyline of the novel to the 1980s.
The Noble House also is a nickname of Struan's
, the trading company featured prominently in most of Clavell's novels.
, Ian Dunross
, struggles to rescue Struan's from the precarious financial position left over from his predecessor. To do this, he seeks partnership with an American
millionaire
, while trying to ward off his arch-rival Quillan Gornt, who seeks to destroy Struan's once and for all. Meanwhile, Chinese communists, Taiwanese nationalists, and Soviet spies illegally vie for influence in Hong Kong while the British government seeks to prevent this. And nobody, it seems, can get anything done without enlisting the aid of Hong Kong's criminal underworld. Other obstacles include water shortages, landslide
s, bank run
s and stock market crash
es.
In Noble House, Dunross finds his company the target of a hostile takeover at a time when Struan's is desperately overextended. He is also embroiled in international espionage when he finds himself in possession of secret documents desperately desired by both the KGB
and MI6. The novel follows Dunross' attempts to extricate himself from all this and to save Struan's, the Noble House.
Struan and Company is based on Jardine Matheson
which continues to exist to this day as an Asia based trading company. The chief character, Ian Dunross, is believed to be a composite character of two real life Jardine-Matheson tai-pans, Sir Hugh Barton
and Sir Michael Herries
.
Rothwell-Gornt is based on then Butterfield and Swire, now known as Swire Pacific. Quillan Gornt is based on two Swire taipans John Kidston 'Jock' Swire and William Charles Goddard Knowles.
Unlike the other Asian Saga novels, Noble House is not closely based on a specific series of events, but is more a snapshot of the 1960s in Hong Kong
, and serves as a capsule history of Jardines in the 1960s,http://www.jardines.com/profile/history_1960.html against the backdrop of the impending Vietnam War
, under the spectre of the recent Kim Philby
defection. The story opens on Sunday, August 18, 1963, and runs for a week span of November 1963, covering the days just prior to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Some events do mirror actual events, but not the timelines. In 1961 Jardine Matheson became a public company
, with the initial offer oversubscribed by some 56 times, which is attributed in the novel to tai-pan Ian Dunross. In 1963 the Hongkong Land
subsidiary of Jardine (fictionalized as Asian Properties) opened what was then the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which has today become one of the world's leading hotels. The Dairy Farm subsidiary of Jardine moved into the supermarket
sector in 1964 with the acquisition of Wellcome
(fictionalized as H.K. General Stores), the big supermarket deal clearly paralleled in the book. A Jardine representative office was established in Australia in 1963, fictionalized as the next assignment of Linbar Struan. The big set-pieces — the fire on the boat and the landslip — are also closely modeled on real happenings.
A major difference between the original novel and the later miniseries adaptation is that the television version changes the setting from 1963 to the late 1980s, and updates visible technology accordingly, as well as the general atmosphere. Constantly referred to is the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, which was (at that time) forthcoming.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by James Clavell
James Clavell
James Clavell, born Charles Edmund DuMaresq Clavell was an Australian-born, British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and prisoner of war...
, published in 1981 and set in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1963.
It is a massive book, well over 1000 pages, with dozens of characters and numerous intermingling plot lines. In 1988, it was adapted as a television miniseries for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
starring Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
. The miniseries updates the storyline of the novel to the 1980s.
The Noble House also is a nickname of Struan's
Struans
The Struan family and company is a fictional family featuring heavily in many of the Asian Saga novels by writer James Clavell...
, the trading company featured prominently in most of Clavell's novels.
Plot summary
Noble House is set in 1963. The tai-panTai-Pan
The term tai-pan was originally used to describe a foreign businessman in China or Hong Kong in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Cantonese colloquialism is now used in a more general sense for business executives of any origin...
, Ian Dunross
Ian Dunross
Ian Dunross is a fictional character in James Clavell's novel Noble House, and a minor protagonist behind the scenes in Whirlwind.Dunross is the 10th tai-pan of Struan's, who rose to that office in 1960 and took the company public. Prior to this, he was a lifelong Struan's employee, a son and...
, struggles to rescue Struan's from the precarious financial position left over from his predecessor. To do this, he seeks partnership with an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
, while trying to ward off his arch-rival Quillan Gornt, who seeks to destroy Struan's once and for all. Meanwhile, Chinese communists, Taiwanese nationalists, and Soviet spies illegally vie for influence in Hong Kong while the British government seeks to prevent this. And nobody, it seems, can get anything done without enlisting the aid of Hong Kong's criminal underworld. Other obstacles include water shortages, landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s, bank run
Bank run
A bank run occurs when a large number of bank customers withdraw their deposits because they believe the bank is, or might become, insolvent...
s and stock market crash
Stock market crash
A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock prices across a significant cross-section of a stock market, resulting in a significant loss of paper wealth. Crashes are driven by panic as much as by underlying economic factors...
es.
In Noble House, Dunross finds his company the target of a hostile takeover at a time when Struan's is desperately overextended. He is also embroiled in international espionage when he finds himself in possession of secret documents desperately desired by both the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
and MI6. The novel follows Dunross' attempts to extricate himself from all this and to save Struan's, the Noble House.
Struan and Company is based on Jardine Matheson
Jardine Matheson Holdings
Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited often referred to as Jardines, is a multinational corporation incorporated in Bermuda and based in Hong Kong. While listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Singapore Exchange, the vast majority of Jardines shares are traded in Singapore...
which continues to exist to this day as an Asia based trading company. The chief character, Ian Dunross, is believed to be a composite character of two real life Jardine-Matheson tai-pans, Sir Hugh Barton
Hugh Barton
Sir Hugh David MacEwen Barton was a former Chairman and Managing Director of Jardine, Matheson & Co. from 1953 to 1963....
and Sir Michael Herries
Michael Herries
Sir Michael Alexander Robert Young-Herries MC was the Chairman and Managing Director of Jardine Matheson & Co...
.
Rothwell-Gornt is based on then Butterfield and Swire, now known as Swire Pacific. Quillan Gornt is based on two Swire taipans John Kidston 'Jock' Swire and William Charles Goddard Knowles.
Unlike the other Asian Saga novels, Noble House is not closely based on a specific series of events, but is more a snapshot of the 1960s in Hong Kong
1960s in Hong Kong
1960s in Hong Kong continued with the development and expansion of manufacturing that began in the previous decade. The economic progress made in the period would categorise Hong Kong as one of Four Asian Tigers along with Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.-Background:Economically, this era is...
, and serves as a capsule history of Jardines in the 1960s,http://www.jardines.com/profile/history_1960.html against the backdrop of the impending Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, under the spectre of the recent Kim Philby
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
defection. The story opens on Sunday, August 18, 1963, and runs for a week span of November 1963, covering the days just prior to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Some events do mirror actual events, but not the timelines. In 1961 Jardine Matheson became a public company
Public company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
, with the initial offer oversubscribed by some 56 times, which is attributed in the novel to tai-pan Ian Dunross. In 1963 the Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land
Hongkong Land is one of Asia’s leading property investment, management and development groups with premium commercial and residential property interests across the region. It owns and manages some five million square feet of commercial space in Hong Kong’s Central Business District serving...
subsidiary of Jardine (fictionalized as Asian Properties) opened what was then the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, which has today become one of the world's leading hotels. The Dairy Farm subsidiary of Jardine moved into the supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
sector in 1964 with the acquisition of Wellcome
Wellcome
Wellcome is a supermarket chain owned by Jardine Matheson Holdings via its Dairy Farm subsidiary. The Wellcome supermarket chain is one of the two largest supermarket chains in Hong Kong, the other being PARKnSHOP. Wellcome also operates supermarkets in Taiwan under the Wellcome name...
(fictionalized as H.K. General Stores), the big supermarket deal clearly paralleled in the book. A Jardine representative office was established in Australia in 1963, fictionalized as the next assignment of Linbar Struan. The big set-pieces — the fire on the boat and the landslip — are also closely modeled on real happenings.
A major difference between the original novel and the later miniseries adaptation is that the television version changes the setting from 1963 to the late 1980s, and updates visible technology accordingly, as well as the general atmosphere. Constantly referred to is the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, which was (at that time) forthcoming.
Main characters
- Ian Dunross - Tenth tai-pan of Struan's, who rose to that office in 1960 and took the company public. Prior to this, he was a lifelong Struan's employee, a son and grandson of previous tai-pans. During World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Dunross served as a fighter pilot until being grounded after being shot down. Dunross finds his company the target of a hostile takeover from his arch-rival Quillan Gornt at a time when it is desperately overextended. He is also embroiled in international espionage when he finds himself in possession of secret documents desperately desired by both the KGBKGBThe KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
and MI6. Though one of many characters in the novel, Dunross is the only one involved with all the main plot lines. In the 1988 NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
miniseriesMiniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Noble House, Dunross was portrayed by Pierce BrosnanPierce BrosnanPierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
. - Quillan Gornt - Gornt is the tai-pan of Rothwell-Gornt, a major Hong Kong trading company based on the real company Butterfield and Swire (known today as Swire Pacific). As a descendant of Tyler BrockTyler BrockTyler Brock is a fictional character in the novel Tai-Pan. He is the Tai-pan, or "supreme leader" of Brock & Sons Trading Company, and the novel's antagonist. He is married to Liza Brock and has several children, including his sons Gorth, Morgan and Tom, and daughters Tess and Elizabeth...
, he is the blood enemy of Ian Dunross and the entire Struan's company, which Gornt seeks to destroy. Gornt schemes to persuade millionaire Lincoln Bartlett to partner with him, rather than with Dunross. He uses whatever devious and underhanded means available to accomplish this, while trying his best to seduce Bartlett's partner and vice-president Casey Tcholok. Quillan Gornt is loosely based on the composite of two real life Swire taipans John Kidston "Jock" Swire and William Knowles. - Lincoln Bartlett - American millionaire, head of Par-Con Industries. He is a devotee of Sun TzuSun TzuSun Wu , style name Changqing , better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi , was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed, and who is most likely, to have authored The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy...
and views business as a kind of war. He believes in corporate espionage and misleading his partners as he vies for advantage. But he is an honest businessman according to the rules that he accepts, and he does not engage in illegal activities. He is in love with his Executive Vice President, Casey Tcholok. - Casey Tcholok - Kamalian Ciranoush (K.C.) Tcholok, vice-President of Par-Con Industries. Casey is charged with putting together a partnership deal with Struan's, a deal which is critical to save Struan's from ruin. In the meantime, Bartlett is exploring doing the deal with Struan's rival Quillan Gornt. Casey finds herself being drawn to both Gornt and Struan's tai-pan Ian Dunross, while watching with dread as Bartlett falls in love with Gornt's protege Orlanda Ramos.
- Robert Armstrong - Armstrong serves as a police inspector in Hong Kong. Because of his skill and intelligence, he was promoted to Special Intelligence, a branch concerned with counter-espionage.
- Phillip Chen - He is a director and fourth compradore of Struan's, and a descendant of the company's founder, Dirk StruanDirk StruanDirk Lochlin Struan is the fictional main character of James Clavell's 1966 novel Tai-Pan. The title comes from a Cantonese term that Clavell loosely translates as "supreme leader", and Struan is the taipan or head of his own trading company in China, Struan's...
. His full name is Phillip T'Chung Sheng Chen. - Roger Crosse - Senior superintendent, director of Special Intelligence, meaning he is the senior British intelligence officer in Hong Kong.
- Brian Kwok - Hong Kong police Superintendent, working in Special Intelligence. He is being groomed to be the first ever Chinese assistant police commissioner. He was sent to Hong Kong from mainland China at age 6, won a scholarship to an English public school at age 12, two years later in 1939 moved to Canada because of the war. He served in the Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
in the VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
ChinatownChinatownA Chinatown is an ethnic enclave of overseas Chinese people, although it is often generalized to include various Southeast Asian people. Chinatowns exist throughout the world, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Americas, Australasia, and Europe. Binondo's Chinatown located in Manila,...
, before transferring to Hong Kong. - Four Finger Wu - Wu Sang Fang is the head of the seaborne Wu, a large smuggling fleet. He is also a descendant of Wu Fang Choi, a Chinese pirate in "Tai-Pan" whom Jin Qua gave one of the half coins to, which he later redeemed to Dirk Struan. He boasts his fleet will smuggle anything, anywhere. This includes narcoticNarcoticThe term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...
smuggling. He has Old Friend status with Struan's, indicating that the two families have had a long working relationship and have built up a great deal of trust. Ian Dunross, the current tai-pan of Struan's, continues to cultivate this relationship, though he encourages Wu to avoid narcotics trafficking as being too dangerous. - Paul "Profitable" Choy is the son of Four Finger Wu, publicly known as his nephew. Unlike his father, he was educated in America, eventually receiving a Harvard MBA. His nickname Profitable comes from his skill at effecting tremendous business coups and creating huge wealth. Following the death of his father, Profitable took and redeemed Jin-Qua's half-coin to establish a Chinese stock exchange in Hong Kong with the aid of Ian Dunross, and to be appointed as a managing director of Struan's. By the time of WhirlwindWhirlwind (novel)Whirlwind is a novel by James Clavell, first published in 1986. It forms part of The Asian Saga and is chronologically the last book in the series....
, he has become the richest and most powerful Chinese businessman in Hong Kong. - Orlanda Ramos Half-Portuguese, half Chinese Orlanda Ramos was given to Quillan Gornt as a mu-jai, a gift given by a debtor (her father) to his creditor (Gornt) to settle his account. Gornt paid for her education until she was 18, at which time she became his mistress. Orlanda entertains Linc Bartlett during his time in Hong Kong, and the question arises as to whether she is truly interested in the CEO of Parcon, or merely seducing Bartlett into taking Gornt's side against the Noble House. Bartlett's growing attachment to Orlanda causes a great deal of tension between himself and Casey but he continues to be completely drawn to her in spite of any imminent danger.