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King Rat Asian Saga James Clavell Books

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King Rat Asian Saga James Clavell Books

This is the fourth of five excellent volumes in Clavell's asian masterworks. It reads well, connects well to the other volumes, and is a massive read compared to most works of fiction. This book is the shortest of the set, quite short in fact in comparison, but still about normal book length.

The Kindle version I received contained extra sections that were edited out of the original work, and frankly, I can see why. After reading a bit of the extra content, and knowing how the book was originally structured, I just skipped the new stuff (frankly, I think the original editor was right: it doesn't fit or flow well.) You should read the introduction, which explains the rationale for including this other material.

Having said that, still, highly recommended both on its own and as the fourth in the whole series. Be sure to read the books in order for the most enjoyment; they're connected although quite distant in time from one another, and by reading them in order, the history of the current book you're reading will be deeper and your comprehension of what is going on, and why, will be much better:

1) Shogun -- read first
2) Tai-pan
3) Gai-jin
4) King Rat
5) Noble House -- read last


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King Rat Asian Saga James Clavell Books Reviews

I first read this in the early 80’s as I was progressing through Clavell’s Shogun series; while I have read most of the books of the series a couple of times, I hadn’t with this one as I lost the paperback copy during a move. I found myself thinking of it quite a bit over the years, which for me is unusual based upon the number of books I read a year, and was glad to see it available on .
This is what I would consider a timeless book, Clavell’s writing is just as fresh today as when I read it over 30 years ago, and you feel as if you are a participant in the prisoner camp instead of just a reader. What a great read. While part of the series, it really could be a standalone to the Shogun series. I would highly recommend this book no matter what your favorite genre may be.
A story of survival in the WWII prisoner-of-war camp at Changi, Singapore. Like a rat, an American corporal known as the King uses his wits to survive and adapt in the prison camp. He has had a rough life and after the war will probably be sent to military prison for his activities in the camp. His life at Changi is probably the most successful period of his existence. At one point he devises a successful scheme to breed rats and to sell their
meat to the officers as that of the small mammal called a mouse-deer or Rusa tikus which is considered a delicacy. It is about the size of a rat. Although there is a lot of resentment toward the King, his machinations keep the other prisoners alive and striving. As news of the war's end reaches the camp, the King's incredible network of power crumbles and his future looks grim. The King is based on Clavell's experience as a prisoner of war.
The first-published but chronologically-fourth book of the Asian Saga, KING RAT follows a group of allied POWs in a Japanese internment camp in Singapore during World War II. The story revolves around “The King”, an American prisoner who hustles his way into a life of relative comfort amidst scarcity, sickness, and desperation. The descriptions of life in the crowded and under-provided POW camp are realistic and horrifying, but the real message here is about the psychological impacts of abuse and confinement on the thousands of young men locked up in Changi. Life in a POW camp is terrifyingly boring but constantly stressful. The men are on edge all the time but have nothing to do. While there is very little action per-se in KING RAT, there is an ever-present threat of violence that keeps the story on a knife edge.

Still, even under the direst circumstances, we see light-heartedness, laughter, enjoyment, friendship, competition, and jealously. Hierarchies emerge and a natural order takes over. The ability of humans to adapt to their conditions and retain their sense of self is seen here from Clavell’s first-hand perspective. The fact that KING RAT was largely based on Clavell’s own experiences as a POW during World War II in the very prison he centers his tale on gives the novel gravitas and a great deal of authenticity.

One major plot line that I didn’t expect but was important for the book focused on transgender acceptance and psychology. A RAF pilot who plays female characters in performances ends up fully embracing the life of a woman. The hesitancy of Sean’s friends to accept Sean-the-woman, the psychology underlying Sean’s transition, and wanted and unwanted attention from the sexually-starved male prisoners are all examined, probably less carefully than would be acceptable by a modern author of Clavell’s stature.

The book ends with the prisoners being released and their realization that they have been changed forever. Many are unsure of their place in the world after surviving Changi, especially after seeing themselves in the eyes of the healthy soldiers sent to free them. The King’s time on top has come to an end and his reaction is powerful.

The exploration of human interactions and ethical nuance while under psychological and physical strain, make KING RAT Clavell’s most important novel content-wise. I did not enjoy it as much as I did SHOGUN or TAI PAN, two of my favorite novels, which had better pacing, characters, and especially settings, but this one is certainly worth reading and thinking about.
This is the fourth of five excellent volumes in Clavell's asian masterworks. It reads well, connects well to the other volumes, and is a massive read compared to most works of fiction. This book is the shortest of the set, quite short in fact in comparison, but still about normal book length.

The version I received contained extra sections that were edited out of the original work, and frankly, I can see why. After reading a bit of the extra content, and knowing how the book was originally structured, I just skipped the new stuff (frankly, I think the original editor was right it doesn't fit or flow well.) You should read the introduction, which explains the rationale for including this other material.

Having said that, still, highly recommended both on its own and as the fourth in the whole series. Be sure to read the books in order for the most enjoyment; they're connected although quite distant in time from one another, and by reading them in order, the history of the current book you're reading will be deeper and your comprehension of what is going on, and why, will be much better

1) Shogun -- read first
2) Tai-pan
3) Gai-jin
4) King Rat
5) Noble House -- read last