Series
Status
Available
Description
Fiction. Literature. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML: 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. From the Paperback edition..
User reviews
LibraryThing member uryjm
A belter of a novel, wrung from the author's own experience of life in a Japanese POW camp. The book is concerned with how men interact with one another in such a pressure cooker, and how moralism and character wilt in extremis. The book pulls few punches, and there is very little redemption in the
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end for any of the characters, and a lot of venom about the unfairness of war (captured in the small vignettes of life at home for the loved ones left behind). This is a classic piece of high tension writing, the pace never flags and the impact is considerable. How did men come through the experience? By being men, with all their faults, strengths and frailty, and they did prevail despite it all. Show Less
LibraryThing member Katie_H
This is the first volume in Clavell's "Asian Saga" and was written about the Japanese prison camp of Changi located in Singapore, where the author himself was held as a POW during the late stages of World War II. "The King" is a successful wheeling and dealing American. Using capitalistic
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initiative, he concocts many money-making schemes, the most shocking of which, involves breeding rats to sell as "rabbit" meat. He generates feelings of hatred or envy in others, but everyone wants to be close to him in order to experience the material rewards that he provides. He befriends an honorable British officer, Peter Marlowe, who acts as his interpreter and learns that many ethical dilemmas may be relative. One of the most fascinating aspects occurs after the end of the war, when many of the POWs are fearful to return to normal life. There are moments of excitement and drama, but mostly it is a testament to the strength and adaptability of the human spirit. The story will be most interesting to those who enjoy military, historical, and cultural topics. Show Less
LibraryThing member caobhin
got the book from Bob several months back - engrossing read, especially towards the end when you want to know what happens to the poor guys. clear opinions from the author on capitalism, religion, and the role of the US in WWII and it's cultural differences with it's allies
LibraryThing member TadAD
Good, solid Clavell. Not up to Shōgun, but worth reading.
LibraryThing member santhony
The final novel in Clavell's Asian series which kicked off with Shogun. This book is set in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
Clavell was a prisoner of war of the Japanese during WWII & this book is about living in such a camp. It's an incredibly good, yet horrible story. It's not really like 'One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch' except that it does give a pretty granular look at just how far from the human norm
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people can adapt. I can't say much else without a spoiler, so I'll just say that it won't ever be your favorite book to read over & over, but it's a 'must read once'. Show Less
LibraryThing member soylentgreen23
I'm going to persist with the Asian Saga, even though I'm not really a big fan of Clavell's writing anymore. I thought 'Shogun' was great, but 'Taipan' and 'Gaijin' were too much work. Fortunately, as a piece of writing, 'King Rat' is much better - and it should be too, as it is practically
That said, it is hard to communicate the horrors of the prison of war camp, and I don't think that this comes nearly as close as others that I've read.
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autobiographical.That said, it is hard to communicate the horrors of the prison of war camp, and I don't think that this comes nearly as close as others that I've read.
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LibraryThing member drewfull
My favorite Clavell novel. He writes about the Japanese POW camp with the familiarity of a man once imprisioned in such a camp. His characters battle with their own morality is the driving force behind a surface story which on its own is captivating.
LibraryThing member jayne_charles
This took a little while to get into, partially down to my lamentable lack of knowledge of matters military - rank and so on. Also I found it almost impossible to visualise a camp housing such an astronomical number of people. I had to watch a bit of the film just to get my bearings.
But this was a
I found myself wondering why, every time he is referred to, Peter Marlowe has his first and second names welded tightly together. He is never 'Peter', never just 'Marlowe', always both. I'm sure there must be some significance to this, I just don't know what it is.
But this was a
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superb story of suffering, near-starvation, survival and wheeler dealing. The relationship between the main characters ('The King' and Peter Marlowe) was fascinating and well drawn. I found myself wondering why, every time he is referred to, Peter Marlowe has his first and second names welded tightly together. He is never 'Peter', never just 'Marlowe', always both. I'm sure there must be some significance to this, I just don't know what it is.
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LibraryThing member DRFP
Perhaps it was this book's brevity, compared to the "epic" nature of Clavell's other novels, that left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed.
This is definitely a good book but Clavell, and an interesting look at life inside a Japanese POW camp, but the book didn't have the lasting impact I expected it
This is definitely a good book but Clavell, and an interesting look at life inside a Japanese POW camp, but the book didn't have the lasting impact I expected it
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to. Show Less
LibraryThing member briandarvell
Great story and totally unique way of looking at the prisoner experience. Even a lot of the character development had some meat to it which was intriguing. Would recommend highly.
LibraryThing member Arbitrex
Clavell's best novel IMHO (warning: it reads much differently from his others, this is no Shogun or Taipan). The POW story alone is gripping, but there's a central question that resonates - what parts of your soul would you give up to survive? It makes for a rather satisfying and haunting ending
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with the follow up question: what kind of man would those choices make out of you, when you become free? Show Less
LibraryThing member Pondlife
An interesting and engrossing novel. I found this difficult to put down, and ended up reading it in two days.
This is based on the author's experiences in a Japanese POW camp, which adds to the realism. But it's a novel, not an autobiography, and it should be read with that in mind. I've seen a few
Maybe not quite as good as Shogun, but that's mainly because Shogun is so good that it's hard to live up to.
This is based on the author's experiences in a Japanese POW camp, which adds to the realism. But it's a novel, not an autobiography, and it should be read with that in mind. I've seen a few
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reviews which mark it down for factual inaccuracy, but I think that's missing the point.Maybe not quite as good as Shogun, but that's mainly because Shogun is so good that it's hard to live up to.
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LibraryThing member agdturner
It is hard to imagine the true horror of life under Japanese occupation as a foreigner in the second world war, but this story does a good job at helping to understand that horror. The story is about more than survival in an inhumane prisoner of war (POW) camp, it is about capital, class, military
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hierarchy, rules and regulation, friendship and social organisations. The story is told through the lens of the fictional yet personal stories of the characters and the relationships they have between them and the situation and suffering of their loved ones. Survival is king! Amongst any group of survivors there are those that are better off because they are lucky. It is a warning and an education to learn of the rat eat rat reduction of humanity in Japanese POW camps. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bridgey
King Rat - James Clavell *****
This is the first novel by Clavell that I have read. When I picked it up I didn’t realise that it was part of a group of six books he published called the ‘Asian Saga’. Although it was the first written, if placed in chronological order it is actually the fourth
What is it about?
The story is set in the Pacific, and focuses on a group of allied prisoners currently imprisoned in a Japanese camp called Changi. The harsh and intolerable conditions meant that only 1 man in 15 had the strength to make it through to see peacetime. As with normal everyday life the social structure of the camp makes up the bulk of the plot, where the human condition is such that many will do anything they can to survive, and some even make a living out of it. King Rat is an American soldier who doesn’t conform to normal camp standards, he is always immaculately dressed, has plenty of food and a small army of followers. How long can he maintain this way of life? With Jealousy rife and the camp guards always on the lookout it can only be a matter of time before the King becomes a peasant.
What did I like?
The descriptions of camp life are second to none; it’s hard to believe sometimes that this is a work of fiction. You feel the prisoners pain as yet another dose of dysentery racks their already emaciated bodies. You experience the British officer’s resentment as they are reduced to wearing rags while their subordinates have clean pressed clothes. You wince at the brutality of the guards as punishment is dished out again and again. Clavell is a writer that is not afraid to pull any punches and I respect him for that.
What didn’t I like?
There really wasn’t anything to criticise. This is one of the best books I’ve read for a long time
Would I recommend?
I can’t speak for any other of Clavell’s books, but I can certainly recommend this one. I can’t wait to try some more of his.
This is the first novel by Clavell that I have read. When I picked it up I didn’t realise that it was part of a group of six books he published called the ‘Asian Saga’. Although it was the first written, if placed in chronological order it is actually the fourth
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in the series. However, I don’t think there is any tenuous link that means it has to be slotted into the order of reading at a certain point. King Rat was written in 1962 but set towards the latter end of WWII, and is based upon a number of the authors own experiences.What is it about?
The story is set in the Pacific, and focuses on a group of allied prisoners currently imprisoned in a Japanese camp called Changi. The harsh and intolerable conditions meant that only 1 man in 15 had the strength to make it through to see peacetime. As with normal everyday life the social structure of the camp makes up the bulk of the plot, where the human condition is such that many will do anything they can to survive, and some even make a living out of it. King Rat is an American soldier who doesn’t conform to normal camp standards, he is always immaculately dressed, has plenty of food and a small army of followers. How long can he maintain this way of life? With Jealousy rife and the camp guards always on the lookout it can only be a matter of time before the King becomes a peasant.
What did I like?
The descriptions of camp life are second to none; it’s hard to believe sometimes that this is a work of fiction. You feel the prisoners pain as yet another dose of dysentery racks their already emaciated bodies. You experience the British officer’s resentment as they are reduced to wearing rags while their subordinates have clean pressed clothes. You wince at the brutality of the guards as punishment is dished out again and again. Clavell is a writer that is not afraid to pull any punches and I respect him for that.
What didn’t I like?
There really wasn’t anything to criticise. This is one of the best books I’ve read for a long time
Would I recommend?
I can’t speak for any other of Clavell’s books, but I can certainly recommend this one. I can’t wait to try some more of his.
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LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Like _Hiroshima Joe_, this book provides the reader with an intimate description of a Japanese prison camp during WW2. Grizzly in its detail, we can only be grateful that we only have to read about this hell.
LibraryThing member RalphLagana
I really enjoyed this book as a young teen. I read it in 7th grade and then again in 9th. Not sure how I'd feel about it today as a middle-aged man with years and years of reading under his belt, but I suspect it might hold up fairly well.
LibraryThing member hredwards
This is a very moving and touching story.
LibraryThing member sjeub657
this book is very boring
LibraryThing member NatalieSW
I don't know why I didn't read "King Rat" years ago when I read "Taipan" and "Shogun." This book was suspenseful, moving, and disturbing. Great read.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1962