King Rat by James Clavell
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(Mass Market Paperback - Reissue)
- Pub. Date: September 1986
- 480pp
- Sales Rank: 26,250
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Product Details
- Pub. Date: September 1986
- Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
- Format: Mass Market Paperback, 480pp
- Sales Rank: 26,250
- ISBN-13: 9780440145462
- ISBN: 0440145465
- Edition Description: Reissue
Synopsis
The time is World War II. The place is a brutal prison camp deep in Japanese-occupied territory. Here, within the seething mass of humanity, one man, an American corporal, seeks dominance over both captives and captors alike. His weapons are human courage, unblinking understanding of human weaknesses, and total willingness to exploit every opportunity to enlarge his power and corrupt or destroy anyone who stands in his path.
Gale Research
Set in Changi, the novel follows the fortunes of an English prisoner of war and his ruthless American comrade in their struggles to survive the brutal conditions. New York Times Book Review contributor Martin Levin observed, "All personal relationships [in the work] pale beside the impersonal, soul-disintegrating evil of Changi itself which Mr. Clavell, himself a Japanese P.O.W. for three years, renders with stunning authority."
More Reviews and RecommendationsBiography
James Clavell, who died in 1994, was a screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although he wrote the screenplays for a number of acclaimed films, including The Fly (1958), The Great Escape (1963), and To Sir With Love (1967), he is best known for his epic novels in his Asian Saga.
Customer Reviews
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Why waste your time?by Bibliophile_Bear
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August 18, 2009: This has GOT to be one of the all time WORST books on the market! There is almost ZERO character development, no plot of which to speak, and all-in-all a waste of time and money. I am sorry I purchased it. Mr. Clavell's book Shogun was most definitely an instant classic. This book cannot claim to be in the same room as Shogun, let alone on the same bookshelf or in the same series. There was no reason for the book. Only after I put it down and began the painful experience of reading the next novel in the series, did I realize he meant this as a transitional novel. Some of the characters reappear in that novel, but to what end? If you are looking for books by James Clavell, stick to Shogun and go no further. There's no point in King Rat or any of the others he wrote in this "Saga". Let the buyer beware. A Two star rating is far too high a rating. But then, I'm feeling generous today.
Powerful story from the Eastby Anonymous
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May 25, 2008: This is an incredible story of a little known side of WWII, that of the plight of prisoners in a Japanese camp. The story revolves around a group of prisoners in Changi. The main characters are Peter Marlowe, a British pilot 'I believe', and an American nicknamed 'The King' because of his status in the black market area. Pilots 'Shogun's Blackthorne' and skillful, but honorable traders 'Dirk Sturan' are to become central in Clavell's other works. Besides the central characters, there is the gay actor that loves to perform in plays, the engineer who builds a miniature radio, the corrupt British officer, the Japanese camp commander, the Chinese trader, and the scheming prisoners seeking to dethrone 'The King'. To me there is much interesting subjects of discussion in this book, all the more relevant today. It is a microcosom of our world. Why is 'The King' able to have coffee, eggs, extra rice, even cigarrettes, while the rest are undernourished? Is that morally right? I think at the end of the novel, Clavell has the answer, but let's apply this to a much bigger canvas: why should people starve in Africa, Asia, while the people of rich nations are fat, way way fat? The elaborate accounts of various trades are fascinating. 'The King', and perhaps Clavell, seem to have an innate understanding of how 'things work' in Asia, and they are able to thrive. Clavell, the ex-prisoner, would go on to write masterful novels of Japan, he is skilled as an interpreter, really making us understand the cultural differences, and clearly you can see he got his start here with this book. I also highly recommend the audio book, by Lee I believe, he brings to life the various accents, Chinese, British, Aussie. I have to disagree with the previous comment at the end of a decent review, that seems to say, because of the claim that only 2% died in Changi, it wasn't as bad as Clavell writes it. Well, first, I take a little more authenticity from someone who was actually a prisoner in the camp than an armchair historian. Secondly, Clavell never writes Changi was horrific, they have their gardens, their plays, their rice, their card games, their work parties, and worse - please, this was no picnic. Part of the authenticity of the book is that Clavell was there, and that gives it the vibrancy and power that make this Clavell's strongest book. Maybe not as grand as Shogun, or with as many characters and subplots as Whirlwind, but one you put down and really think.
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