King Rat

Asian Saga: Chronological Order #4

by James Clavell

A conflict between a powerful black marketeer and his fellow prisoners at a Japanese POW camp leads to tragedy

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, War, Classics, Historical, Asia, Japan

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

James Clavell, born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell was a British novelist, screenwriter, director and World War II veteran and POW. Clavell is best known for his epic Asian Saga series of novels and their televised adaptations, along with such films as The Great Escape, The Fly and To Sir, with Love.


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James Clavell. (2007, November 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:16, November 14, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?t...

Reviews

[Agnieszka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Changi was set like a pearl on the eastern tip of Singapore Island, iridescent under the bowl of tropical skies. It stood on a slight rise and around it was a belt of green, and farther off the green gave way to the blue-green seas and the seas to infinity of horizon.

This beautiful opening line is like a promise of fantastic adventure, exotic trip, it evokes some delightful place, a mystery island you always dreamt about but it is anything but it. Changi was the inhuman Japanese camp for the war prisoners, for people whom the only sin was that they lost their war and didn't die.

I had read some camp stories already but mostly European, and though my knowledge of the war on the Pacific is only basic this one felt very reliable to me. Not only because it is based on facts from Clavell’s life who himself was a prisoner of Changi camp in Singapore and thanks to it the whole story, being still the work of fiction, gained air of realism and credibility; not only because it is a gripping, well paced reading, also because it reads as an excellent study of characters and morality in extreme situations. And is pretty damn well written.

The two main characters of the novel are the men representing totally different approach to life: pragmatic and smart, self-made American named the King and Peter Marlowe, somewhat uptight English guy, well-educated and brought up in the family with military traditions. Both in readers and other prisoners the King arouses mixed feelings. Disgust, sympathy, antipathy, open hostility and then again admiration. For his cleverness, business sense and good fortune he’s the object of jealousy and hatred but the King is not a thief. He just has a flair for organizing his life easier and seize any opportunity to gain some money and money will give him the rest. The food, medicaments, cigarettes and something less tangible: sense of power.

Though set in particular time and place it's a fictional account but I think Clavell did fine work here not only showing animosities between ordinary soldiers and officers, confrontation between the King and other prisoners, especially rivetingly is shown conflict with provost marshall Grey, but also indicating different attitudes and class differences of three main national groups of prisoners: British, Australians and Americans. King Rat is a clash of personalities, a display of cynicism, lack of scruples and ability to adjust to any situation in the camp. But also an extraordinary courage, solidarity and commitment. It's about a price you are willing to pay to survive and principles you could sacrifice to make it. There is no easy explicitness here, no distinct line between that what you can accept and not feel irretrievably corrupted. It teaches you that to outlast the camp, like on the outside in fact, you need to be a part at least a small group, that the camp is not a place for a lone wolf. But it’s also about a fear what life would be alike after Changi since no one escaped the camp unchanged, that place made them, then reshaped and destroyed, and how one can forget about atrocities prisoners were subjected to.

King Rat has a whole bunch finely drawn figures but it’s the King and Marlowe that have our interest. I liked the dynamics between them, the way their relationship developed, what they went through and lessons they learnt from themselves. And though I’d like to see them leaving Changi and arm in arm going towards setting sun I somewhat felt the ending, sad as it was, to be more true.

And if someone prefers more concise review, please, here it is. Of rats and men.

[Galina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Сега знам защо тази книга е толкова популярна, защо е класика.
Защото е драматично-иронична песен за войната, мъжеството, приятелството, смъртта и дома. Защото в нея има всичко. Има страх, примирение, безразличие, има надежда и любов.
Любимият ми цитат:

Питър Марлоу се придвижи между Дънкън и корееца и прикри капитана така, че той да поизостане от хората си и да излезе отстрани. Колоната се точеше по пътя, но майката и детето не направиха никакъв знак. Когато Дънкън се изравни с тях, погледите им за миг срещнаха неговия. Двете забелязаха къде падна малката бележчица, но продължиха напред, като че ли нищо не се е случило. Дънкън ускори ход и се загуби сред тълпата мъже, но знаеше, че те са видели бележката му. Знаеше, че ще продължат нататък, докато всички пленници и цялата охрана отминат, а после ще се върнат да вземат листчето и ще го прочетат. И тази мисъл го правеше щастлив. "Обичам ви! Липсвате ми! Вие сте всичко за мен!" пишеше на бележката. Посланието бе винаги едно и също, но винаги звучеше по новому, както за него, така и за тях, защото думите бяха написани с искрено чувство, а това бяха думи, които си струваше да се казват отново и отново, и отново. Хиляди пъти.

[John Wiswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of Clavell's truly epic series of culture clash novels is a curiously autobiographical book. King Rat takes us to Changi, a Japanese prison camp during World War 2, where British and American soldiers are held in dire conditions. We watch as people cling to honor, duty and any semblance of structure for their own mental health and survival. Every observation about humanity in these conditions is more interesting because Clavell himself was held in a Japanese prison camp during the war. He controls his memories admirably in the novel, to create a very moving, but never selfishly irrational narrative. His control creates a story that is never too hopeless to lose its deeper meaning, and that embraces its characters as real people, rather than tools for social messages. Readers may be surprised by how entertaining such a dark story can be - authors don't usually go the route Clavell travels. King Rat has the least culture clash of Clavell's series, as most of the interactions are between the Westerners themselves and the major emotional crux is the captivity. For new readers, do not be daunted by the series - the books are tenuously related and can be read in almost any order you like. As this book is the shortest and deals with the most characters of our own cultures, it may be the easiest introduction to James Clavell, though some readers may prefer to jump right into the deeper culture clash of Shogun or Noble House. Regardless, please read at least one James Clavell book in your lifetime. There is no one in historical fiction or literary fiction quite like him.

[Петър Стойков · Rating 5 out of 5]

Цар Плъх описва битието в японски лагер за американски и британски военопленици забучен по средата джунглата, в който за да оцелееш трябва да си истински мъж, или истинско лайно.

Азиатската сага на Джеймс Клавел има само една слаба книга (последната - Търговска къща) и макар историческият реализъм далеч да не е най-силното й качество, не може да се отрече, че са мега интересни за четене, със завладяваща история за истински мъже в мъжки времена.

[Manny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not cool to praise James Clavell - and indeed, Shogun is extremely silly. I recall a couple of Japanese people cringing when I once was foolish enough to mention it (I believe they showed the series on Japanese TV).

But this book, which is based on Clavell's own experiences as a World War II prisoner of war, is pretty damn good. There's something universal about his description of camp life. He doesn't try and draw any moral, and there are no obvious symbolic associations, but at the end I found myself wondering what it was that I wasn't thinking about because I was so desperate to get enough food to stay alive. Or how someone who hadn't been subjected to those pressures would view me. It's worth reading!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this once decades ago, but Mom & I were talking about it one morning. When she got her hair cut later that day, she found a copy in their free book rack & loved it. My library has it in an audio edition, so I listened to it. It's a great fictionalized account of American, British, & Australians in Changi, a Japanese POW camp during WWII.

This audio edition has extra material from the original manuscript that's never been published before including an introduction written by Clavell's son. Clavell was a prisoner in the Changi POW camp that this book centers around. He wrote this during a screenwriter's strike in 1962, a fictionalized account of his own incarceration there. While he inspired the Phillip Marlowe character (Who also shows up in Noble House.) there really was a character who inspired The King. I'm not sure how much is fact or fiction, but think there's enough fact to put it on my 'sort-of-nonfiction' shelf.

The extra material are chapters covering the story of some of the women whose men are in the prison camp. They're a great addition. His mother had written to him weekly. On his release he received the letters. During his incarceration, he neither sent nor received any. His mother wrote all those letters not knowing if he was alive or not. Uncertainty is hell & the Japanese, although they signed the Geneva Convention, never ratified it nor did they follow it.

The Princeton Bio for James Clavell:
https://web.archive.org/web/201707080...
Wikipedia - James Clavell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cl...

IIRC, when I first read this decades ago, 98% of the American's in the Japanese POW camps died. Those are no longer the figures I'm seeing when I google this now & the Princeton Bio says only 1% of the prisoners at Changi died while Clavell says 90%. Overall, 1/4 - 1/3 of the prisoners died according to most sources. By all accounts, most deaths were due to disease & starvation exacerbated by extremely crowded conditions. Clavell does a superb job describing everything, although it's awful. Clavell, a 6' tall man, weighed 98 lbs when released from Changi, likely a bit more than half what he should have weighed. He writes that death was a mercy to some & many lost their health completely, going blind, losing all their teeth, among other horrors.

The end was the most interesting. The entire book is based on how horrible the camp is, yet what happens when the war ends? You need to read it to find out. Wow!

Wikipedia - Changi Prison
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changi_P...
The original prison was built to hold 600 prisoners, but the Japanese used it to hold 3000 civilians during WWII. This sort of overcrowding was apparently typical.

This was read by Dave Case. He had a lot to live up to since 3 others in this series were read by John Lee who absolutely wowed me. He did a good job.

Wikipedia - King Rat (novel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Rat...

Wikipedia - King Rat (film 1965)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Rat...
This doesn't follow the book precisely, but was still a great movie.

This isn't quite the correct edition. The ISBN doesn't match & the language is English, but the narrator is Dave Case & the publisher is Books On Tape, so close enough.

I highly recommend reading this book ONCE in any format. I can't recommend a reread. That would be masochistic unless you let at least a couple of decades pass. It's not pleasant, but really good.

[Христо Блажев · Rating 5 out of 5]

Царят е един – при хората и при плъховете: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...

В това издание за първи път открих и историите на жените, които се промъкват в разговорите и спомените на мъжете – тези страници липсват в първото издание на книгата, както пише дъщерята на Клавел в предговора, и липсваха и в онова издание с меки корици и огромни жълти букви на корицата, което толкова обичах. Да, те не променят нищо – но придават още един нюанс на тази иначе строго мъжка история. Защото това са истории на жени, които също са жертви на войната, която е отнела мъжете им – пряко или преносно. И особено историята на жената на Грей поне малко балансира неговия образ и гибелен гняв, започващ от първото изречение на книгата.

CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...

[Allen Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

King Rat?? I think not. I'm overthrowing you with a 2 star rating and now you can be Consul Rat at best. Blame Evie, not me.

DNF at 50%.

I just didn't care. Everything I love about Clavell, just in a time period and situation that I just don't care about so I never got pulled in at all. I never wanted to read it.

Plus, the audio included ENTIRE SCENES not in the book and I have no idea why. Absolutely bizarre. I don't think this is a bad book, especially for you WWII buffs out there, but not for me.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 5 out of 5]

ВСВ. Японски концлагер. И да, по-зле е, отколкото можете да си представите…

Голяма книга, трябва да се прочете!

[Plamena Anova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Не 5, ако имаше как и 10 звезди щях да ѝ дам... Разкошна книга. Не ми се искаше да свършва. От тези, които после ти оставят книжен махмурлук... просто стоиш, гледаш в точка, не можеш да излезеш от историята и да се върнеш към реалността.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 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.

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A (perhaps) more nuanced and complete review can be found here: https://youtu.be/WXr4na44a-g

Clavell's debut novel is the story of life in a Japanese POW camp, and was semi-autobiographical. This seems odd to consider as part of his "Asian Saga" as it really touches upon other themes, and appears to have no tie-ins to the rest of the books. (Unless some of these characters end up in Noble House, book 5). Additionally, this story lacked the East vs. West narrative that made so many of the other books compelling. At times the narrative was incredibly meandering, and honestly dull. But Clavell's conclusion - especially the last 50 pages - was quite strong. I wish that a lot of the themes he explored so well at the end had been incorporated into the text, which honestly had a lot of frippery that seemed inconsequential. 3.5/5

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of ‘King Rat’ by James Clavell takes place in an enclosed small wartime POW camp with imprisoned English, Australians, and some Americans. Japanese soldiers guard the camp which is surrounded by jungle and Malay villages. It is standalone despite being labeled as #4 in the Asian Saga.

There is not much food, no medicine, incredible heat and biting insects. Soap is rare, privacy almost nonexistent. Men die every day from disease and despair. Clothes have rotted away and sarongs and rags are all that's available so rank is made known only by arm bands and a slight difference in living huts. Rank and class are important to the British who try to maintain discipline but there is corruption and theft of food.

The Americans are under the thumb of a superb entrepreneur who manages to have nice clothes, lots of food and Japanese money through great risk-taking in black market trading of food, soap and medicine. He is called the King and the other men are for forced to do his bidding such as light his cigarettes and tolerate his cooking of rare delicacies such as fried eggs while they starve, hoping for his table scraps in exchange for deals with labor, watches, lighters, and rings.

The King works hard in getting the deal, forging unholy alliances with villagers, Japanese and Korean guards as well as the allied prisoners. People survive longer because of him if they have something to trade. Although he is only a corporal, he is really the king of the camp. However, almost everyone dislikes him to some degree. Staying alive is difficult for all including the King, but he has way more comforts than the others. While the King and his operations are in the center ring throughout this compact book, there are several sideshow plot arcs which illustrate the horror of an imprisoned society of men forced to compete for few resources.

Attempts are made to conduct educational classes which quickly fail. They also try to have religious services regularly. Most of the men are morally compromised to some degree after almost four years as prisoners. Most are fearful of the future, not sure if wives and children survived or waited for them as letters are almost never sent or received through the Japanese.

All in all, a suspenseful story on the top layer, but also a deeper layered exploration of human desperation and survival in a deformed, temporary, artificially civil society. However, the novel is still a quick interesting read. The author was clearly aware of the bad taste left behind when character and morality are tested by suffering, death and uncertainty.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I was nearing the end of this hard-hitting novel, I started wishing I had counted the number of times I saw the word "eyes". Seems I saw that word more often, a lot more often, than any other.

Eyes. ~representing the hierarchy of power, the levels of it in and on all sides of the life inside this POW camp. Because what this novel comes down to is its theme of control: the enforcement of it, the conditions of it, the fear of it. On display, it's palpable and it's total.

I had thought of rewatching Bryan Forbes' film of this novel - but I first wanted to read the book. (There are still too many books that I've only seen film versions of.) Though it's been a long time since I've seen the film, I remember it well-enough to know that a good half (possibly more) of the book isn't in it.

As I recall, the film doesn't really offer an adequate depiction of the squalor of the camp - or the misery caused by camp leaders sadistically unwilling to abide by agreed-on humanitarian behavior. ~which, again, goes back to control and those drunk on power. I wouldn't say that the novel is particularly graphic in its description of any of the cruel treatment; Clavell's skill is such that the effect is there all the same.

Kept from the film as well is the book's numerous sections covering homosexuality - something oddly kept from just about *every* war film, a rare exception being 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'. One would think it would appear more often, in some form, in accounts of worlds (at the time largely) without women. However, the homosexuality depicted in 'KR' isn't the desire of men for other men because they're *men*; it's the offering of and the desire for a human form when presented (verbally or visually) as an approximation of something feminine: essentially a type of heterosexual fever dream.

That said, there is one very brief 'observation' re: desire which, though subtle, is memorably erotic in its strictly man-for-man component.

About the film, Clavell said "my feeling is the film failed because Forbes took away the story thread and made it a composite of character studies." (Wikipedia) That's sort of an odd remark since the book's main strength is as a composite of character studies. There isn't really a plot, per se. There's an atmosphere of dread, despair and deceit, but the characters are the plot.

Certain detailed sections of what Clavell calls the "story thread" (i.e., the depth of the covert business practices of protagonist Corporal King) were brought to the bare minimum for the film - still, the film was probably never going to be as overtly dramatic as 'Stalag 17', 'The Great Escape' or 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'.

But that doesn't make it less powerful. Again, Clavell's skill is sharp in re-creating the arena of pain in his semi-autobiographical work. It seems he did not forget a thing; not what anything looked like or smelled like... or felt like. (A number of internal monologues for various characters are particularly impressive.)

'KR' is a rather fast read. You almost don't have to exert yourself or think much; just let the no-fuss writing style propel you forward. In a way, it's not like reading at all. It's often like listening to someone telling you a very involved tale around a campfire.

[Dax · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was Clavell’s first novel, and it shows a little bit. A step or two below ‘Shogun’ and ‘Taipan’, but that’s an awfully high bar to set. Loosely based off of Clavell’s personal experiences in Changi POW camp during WWII, ‘King Rat’ is slower paced than you might expect. Nevertheless, it is entertaining with solid character development. The conclusion is a bit muted and surprisingly introspective, but I think Clavell was looking for an accurate depiction of his experiences in Changi, rather than a crowd pleasing prison break. Overall, a good book. Especially considering he wrote it in 9 weeks.

[Cititoare Calatoare · Rating 4 out of 5]

"E usor sa mori. Un chin sa traiesti."
Un roman captivant, plin de actiune dar si de notiuni istorice despre prizonierii de razboi din lagarele japoneze. Atat de bine este scris incat in 1965 s-a facut si un film pe baza acestei carti: King Rat se numeste.

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale of survival under brutal conditions in a prisoners of war camp,during World War II.Not too impressed with Clavell's other books,but this one is his best.

[Yigal Zur · Rating 4 out of 5]

a real good story teller. not easy to be a master.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

King Rat by James Clavell. "And in no time at all they were arguing and swearing and no one was listening and each had a very firm opinion and each opinion was right". Clavell's debut novel based loosely on his own life spent in Japanese prisoner of war camp Changi, Story centres around 2 fictional characters an American "King" who is a very successful black marketeer, and British RAF pilot Peter Marlowe whose language skills forthrightness endears him to King.
Story is basically of these two involved in one ridiculous sometimes hilarious episode after another definately more ridiculous episode, surrounded by other resourceful prisoners hanging out of each others pockets in bands of two's and three's called a unit. woe be tide if you cheated your unit, you were good as dead if you went lone ranger. So sometimes story felt jaded and some brutalities left unsaid guess public weren't yet ready as in later war stories came out. Clavell concentrated on his understanding of of it all. I found my self laughing "what the hell did I just read" I appreciate eating an egg more than ever now. I actually have empathy for Rats. I now question is it really "stealing" or it just being "liberated" I appreciate having an electric stove I'm thankful for having the ability of wearing a shirt. I'm not curious at what rat meat tastes like I feel like ironing my shirt while I'm wearing it. I feel risky. I feel thankful for every moment I'm breathing. Remembering War stories of the men and women involved is important so that we can rail against further war, simplistic but hey what else can we do.

[Антоанета · Rating 4 out of 5]

Когато започнах да слушам тази книга в Сторител, първо реших, че не е точно мой тип книга и едва ли ще ми хареса. Постепенно обаче ме увлече и в един момент вече с интерес следях какво се случва в лагера Чанги.
Книгата е базирана на реален японски военен лагер за военопленници, макар да се твърди, че сюжетът е силно преувеличен на случилото се там. Реален или с доза измислица, историята е потресаваща. Лагерът Чанги е приютил хиляди пленени английски, австралийски и американски военни, които са живеели в ужасни условия, в глад и болести. А авторът не ни е спестил нищо от грозната картинка, която обрисува – миризмата, мухите, комарите, немитите тела, дупките за клозети без никакво прикритие, дизентерията, маларията, ампутациите... И макар вътре сред войниците да се запазва структурата на старшинството и да имат свои вътрешни правила, японците са тези, които определят главните правила, които дават дажбите с храна и дажбите с лекарства по свое усмотрение.
Това е една книга, която показва как се оцелява на подобно място; как човек да не загуби ума си и да съхрани духа си! Но и показва как по-голям шанс имат по-силните, по-хитрите, по-мъдрите. Защото Царят е един, а той съумява от нищото да изгради мрежа от подчинение, защита и раболепничене, но също така споделя придобитите благини с приятелите си и с приближените си. И макар, че на пръв поглед прави всичко заради парите и заради привилегиите, у мен лично той събуди дълбоки симпатии и беше положителен герой. Герой, който макар да въртеше забранена търговия и да печелеше значителни суми от това, не остави нито един човек, който му е помогнал без отплата – цигара, кафе, яйце, десетачка, стотачка и т.н. Той показа на всички как се оцелява и приятелството му с Питър Марлоу е доказателство за това.
Когато войната свършва, книгата показва и един много силен психологически момент – готов ли е войникът да си върне вътрешния мир и да заживее нормално? Къде ще се завърне; какво ще завари; ще има ли кой да го обича и кой той да обича; ще се приспособи ли към новите реалности; с какво ще си изкарва препитанието?
„Войната свърши, това е най-важното. Войната свърши и ние оцеляхме. Помниш ли какво ми повтаряше непрекъснато — че най-важното е човек да опази кожата. Ето, ти успя — оцеля. Какво значение имат техните приказки?”
„Защото цар винаги е най-силният — непобедим не само заради силата си, а заради хитростта, късмета и силата, взети заедно.”

[Jen from Quebec :0) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought his novel was just fantastic! (However, the entire saga of the King and the diamond was a lot of build up for a lot of nothing in the end, wasn't it?)

[Vasil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Нека първо да започна с едно признание - аз съм огромен почитател на Джеймс Клавел и неговата така наречена "Азиатска сага" ( 1. Цар Плъх 2. Тай Пан 3. Шогун 4. Търговска къща 5. Вихрушка 6. Гай Джин). За мен той е "мерилото" що се отнася до книги разказващи за изтока. Самият факт, че всеки, който напише каквото и да е по тази тема и след това критиците започват да го сравняват с Клавел, говори достатъчно къде се намира той, а според мен лично той е на върха. Винаги съм смятал, че за да напишеш книга за изтока е нужно изключително добре да познаваш техният начин на мислене, културата им, тяхното житие и битие, а Джеймс Клавел е имал възможността да живее на много места от така наречената "Общност на нациите". През 1940 г. като войник на Британската кралска артилерия той е изпратен в Малайзия, а по-късно като военнопленник е изпратен в лагер на остров Ява, а след това и в затвора Чанги близо до Сингапур. Това не ви ли напомня малко за хронологията на "Цар Плъх"?! Питър Марлоу първо се укрива на остров Ява, а след това заловен го изпращат в Чанги! В предговора на книгата Клавел казва, че това е измислена история и всяка прилика с героите е случайна, но до колко е вярно това….аз бих поспорил. Да, възможно е самият сюжет на книгата да е измислен, но имам МНОГО силни подозрения, че самите герои не са съвсем измислени.

Какво ме впечатли в книгата?!
Написана леко, неангажиращо, на места с ирония и сарказъм, тук-там с малко хумор Клавел ни "завира" в един свят, където една писалка е богатство, няколко кокошки са имане, чифт изпрани дрехи за преобличане са лукс. Свят, в който мерилото за имане и нямане, за чест и безчестие е така различно от заобикалящият ни свят…свят, в който милост няма, не съществува тази дума, погребана е някъде дълбоко в душите на затворниците. Свят, в които човешки живот струва по-малко от няколко грама ориз! Разказва ни колко нормално е да клекнеш и да се облекчиш със стотици хора около себе си, как вонята, мизерията, буболечките и болестите са си чисто и просто част от живота около затворниците. Нещо напълно нормално и обикновено. И между всичко това Джвймс Клавел успява да ни покаже и какво е чест, какво е човек да държи на думата си, да има ИМЕ и хората да те уважават.
В края на книгата си писателят ни поставя и една дилема за размисъл - дали Царят е виновен за нещо, дали е престъпник и измамник или просто е човек можещ да се оправя?! Правилно ли бе отношението към него от приближените му след появата на американските войници и освобождаването им?! Аз лично не оправдавам действията на хората около царя след тези събития. Не бяха прави да се отнесат така с него. В крайна сметка всеки, който е направил каквото и да било за Царя след това е получавал своето възнаграждение от него. Било то цигара, пари, храна, кафе или каквото и друго да е, но Царя винаги си е "заплащал". В един свят извън военнопленническият лагер нима не е същото?! Едни са лидерите, а други ги следват! Едни могат и знаят да се оправят, а тези, които не могат, следват и работят за можещите! Нима това в свят извън лагера е по-различно?! За мен това не бе оправдано отношение и Клавел, без да дава и натрапва своето мнение ни показа и двете страни в лицето на Питър и останалите от бараката на Царя.
Предполагам много хора не чели книгата ще се запитат "що за бруталности и гадории са описани в тази книга", но точно в това се откроява и още едно качество на тази книга и автора й. Клавел съвсем леко и неусетно ни потапя в този свят, разказва ни внимателно и без да се усетим и замислим ние сме приели всичката гадост на затвора и хората в него като нещо нормално. Не го ли усетихте и вие това?
Другият момент от книгата, който наистина ми въздейства силно (за поред път, това бе третото ми прочитане) бе последните абзаци. С прочитането им в мен остана усещането за носталгия, за раздяла с приятели, познати, обстановка, та ако щете и с врагове.
Наистина за мен Джеймс Клавел е невероятен автор, автор безкрайно въздействащ на читателите си. Книгите му, историите в тях, героите му, начинът му на писане за мен са неповторими, и е истинско удоволствие да ги чета.

[George K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Εδώ και κάμποσα χρόνια έχω στη συλλογή μου και τα τέσσερα βιβλία του συγγραφέα που έχουν μεταφρα��τεί στα ελληνικά (όλα, πλέον, εξαντλημένα!), και επιτέλους φέτος αποφάσισα να διαβάσω ένα εξ αυτών, για να δω τι εστί Τζέιμς Κλάβελ. Και έπιασα το "Ο βασιλιάς των αρουραίων", που είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο που έγραψε ο μεγάλος αυτός συγγραφέας, γιατί η αλήθεια είναι ότι ήθελα να τα διαβάσω με τη σειρά που γράφτηκαν.

Λοιπόν, δηλώνω απόλυτα ικανοποιημένος, απόλυτα ενθουσιασμένος. Από την πρώτη κιόλας σελίδα κατάλαβα ότι θα διάβαζα ένα εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο, έντονο και ρεαλιστικό ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα για τη ζωή σε ένα στρατόπεδο αιχμαλώτων πολέμου των Ιαπώνων στην εξωτική Νοτιοανατολική Ασία, και οι υπόλοιπες εξακόσιες και πλέον σελίδες με επιβεβαίωσαν πανηγυρικά. Ο συγγραφέας με την καταπληκτική, έντονη και άκρως εθιστική γραφή του κατάφερε να με κάνει ένα με τους πρωταγωνιστές της ιστορίας και να με ταξιδέψει πίσω στον χρόνο, στο περιβόητο στρατόπεδο Τσάνγκι της Σιγκαπούρης, και να νιώσω στο πετσί μου όλα αυτά που έζησαν χιλιάδες αιχμάλωτοι πολέμου, όλα όσα αναγκάστηκαν να κάνουν για να επιβιώσουν.

Το μυθιστόρημα αυτό είναι άκρως κυνικό και όχι τόσο σκληρό ή βίαιο όσο θα περίμενε κανείς από ένα βι��λίο που έχει να κάνει με τις συνθήκες σε ένα στρατόπεδο αιχμαλώτων πολέμου υπό τη διοίκηση των Ιαπώνων. Φυσικά, πρέπει να λάβουμε υπόψιν ότι ο ίδιος ο Κλάβελ ήταν αιχμάλωτος στο στρατόπεδο που αποτελεί το σκηνικό του βιβλίου, οπότε αν μη τι άλλο έγραψε για ανθρώπους και καταστάσεις που συνάντησε κατά τη διαμονή του εκεί. Επίσης υπάρχουν και ορισμένες μίνι ιστορίες για μερικές από τις γυναίκες των αιχμαλώτων, δίνοντάς μας έτσι την ευκαιρία να δούμε πώς ζούσαν και τι έκαναν κι αυτές, την ώρα που οι άντρες τους ήταν χαμένοι κάπου στην Ασία.

Ναι, είναι ένα βιβλίο ολοζώντανο, δυνατό και εθιστικό, με έντονα σκιαγραφημένους χαρακτήρες που εύκολα συμπαθείς ή αντιπαθείς. Προσωπικά, κάτι τύποι σαν τον Βασιλιά ή τον Μάρλοου θα μου λείψουν πάρα πολύ, αλλά ακόμα περισσότερο θα μου λείψει ο μικρόκοσμος του στρατοπέδου Τσάνγκι, έστω κι αν είναι από τα μέρη που φυσικά δεν θα ήθελα ποτέ να ζήσω! Είναι από τα βιβλία που δεν ήθελα με τίποτα να αφήσω από τα χέρια μου (έλα όμως που δεν γίνεται να διαβάσει κανείς εξακόσιες σελίδες χωρίς σταματημό), και όταν το άφηνα πάντα ανυπομονούσα να το ξαναπιάσω. Σίγουρα σε λίγα χρόνια θα το ξαναδιαβάσω, ενώ ελπίζω σύντομα να βρω σε καλή ποιότητα και την ομότιτλη ταινία του 1965.

[Teodora Gocheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Чанги е остров в Сингапур, на който се намира едноименния лагер за военнопленници по време на Втората световна война, управляван от японците. Чанги е сцената, на която се развива действието в романа "Цар Плъх" на Джеймс Клавел.
Животът в лагера е като затворена екосистема, която сякаш се управлява и регулира от самосебе си. Сложна плетеница от военна йерархия и умения за оцеляване определят взаимоотношенията и веригата на командване в лагера.

Питър Марлоу, британец, е потомствен военен (лейтенант), за когото това не е просто препитание, професия или работа, а въпрос на лична и семейна чест. За него да бъде военен е дълг и ценност. Това до голяма степен изтъкава неговата личност, неговия характер и най-вече поведението му.
Престоят му в лагерът Чанги е преживяване, с каквото не се е сблъсквал никога и за което няма подходящ наръчник или инструктаж. Ценностната му система и принципи са в постоянен разрив с живота в лагера и поради тази причина, пред него изникват редица морални дилеми сред които и запознанството му с Царя.
Царят от своя страна остава неназован през цялото време освен с прозвището си, чина (сержант) и народността си (американец). Възможно е в края на книгата да е споменато името му, но ако е така, това обезличава неговия образ и аз очевидно съм отказала да запомня този момент. Не мога да възприема Царя като нещо различно от това, което е - хитър, предприемчив, находчив човек, който не се свени да интерпретира и използва ситуацията в своя изгода

Царят е събрал около себе си група от хора, които са му полезни, които използва, които възприема като "свои" и за които се грижи. Обича да показва превъзходството си, но не толкова като суета, колкото като белег на власт, който му позволява да защитава позицията си и който кара хората да искат да бъдат част от неговото обкръжение. Царят забелязва Питър Малоун и осъзнава, че младият мъж може да му бъде от полза. Взаимоотношенията им започват базирани на дребни услуги и постепенно прерастват в приятелство, което няма нужда да бъде назовано с тежки и тържествени думи. Нищо в лагера няма нужда от подобни категории.

Познанството му и взаимната работа с Царя от своя страна поставят Питър често в сериозни морални дилеми. От една страна той трябва да наруши някои от собствените си принципи, защото общите му дела с Царя го изискват, колкото и да това да е трудно и мъчително за него. От другата страна на везната е приятелството му с този човек, което за него е ценност само по себе си. Истината е, че затвореният климат на лагера не позволява на човек да пренесе ценностите и личните принципи от външния свят.
Разговорите между двамата са безкрайно интересни и показват на моменти като торнадо затворено в буркан, разликата в мисленето на британците и американците и как е възможно да говорят един същ език и да не разбират и думичка, от това което има казва другия.
Свикнали сме историите за лагерния живот да бъдат тежки, изпълнени с насилие, жестокост и унижения. Не казвам, че животът на военнопленниците в Чанги е песен. Храната е оскъдна, условията са ужасни. Но не това е акцентът, който Клавел поставя в своя роман. И това едно от нещата, заради които тази книга е шедьовър. Акцентът е върху хората и живота им в затворената микровселена на лагера. Новините са нещо външно, нещо забранено и нещо важно, но те остават някак далечни. На преден план е изведено съществуването и взаимоотношенията вътре в лагера - сделки, борба за надмощие, комар, сблъсък на характери, на идеи, дребни шмекерии, малките победи и големите загуби. И всичко това е вълнуващо.

Края на книгата е съвършен. Има хубава емоционална сцена, която построява моста с външния свят за всички тези мъже, затворени години наред в Чанги. Моментът, в който те най-накрая имат достъп до пощата, писмата от любимите им хора, които не са достигнали до тях, новините, които чакат, изолацията, която свършва. Както и шокът и страхът от мисълта да се завърнат в един свят, който е бил чужд за тях в продължение на месеци или години. Завръщане, което са чакали и желали с цялото си сърце. И какво означава за всеки от тях това. Много силен край.

Много трудно се пише за класики и рядко си го позволявам, но истината е, че понякога забравяме да си говорим за тях. А тези книги са разкошни. Препоръчвам ви с цялото си сърце "Цар Плъх", ако не сте я чели.

Към блога

Five Finger Death Punch - Wrong Side Of Heaven

[Mr. Person · Rating 5 out of 5]

In King Rat, James Clavell succeeds in doing what countless other authors usually fail at: taken actual experiences from his life and distilled them into a gripping dramatic narrative.

And this praise is perhaps the most damnable understatement the book can receive -- Clavell isn't writing about "experiences," he is writing about the cauldron from which he was "reborn" -- his time in Changi, a Japanese POW camp in Malaysia during WWII.

And yet, the book is mostly comedic -- filled with the hopeful gallows humor of men who are living under the constant shadow of death. It's a story about survival and about friendship --- the true, unspoken kind that men shy away from when it is put into words.

Perhaps the most impressive piece of trivia about this book is that it is Clavell's first novel (of which he would write only 5 more, each a masterpiece in its own right). This is the most intimate of his books (taking place entirely in one setting, and dealing with a fairly small cast of characters), and in many ways my favorite.

The words "read this, it'll change your life" are dropped too often with books, but cannot be dropped often enough with this one.

[Márta Péterffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valós eseményeken alapuló regény, az angol tiszt, Marlowe az író lényegében maga volt. Túlélte a rettenetes fogolytábort, később nem csak író lett, hanem Hollywoodban forgatókönyvíró-rendező is.
/Ő írta pl. a korábban híres filmet: Tanár úrnak szeretettel, de a szinte egyetlen kedvenc horrorfilmemet is: A légy. Nem Rófusz, Cronenberg:)/
-Az angol, amerikai, ausztrál tiszteket Changiban/ Szingapur/ egy börtön-táborban zsúfolták össze a japánok, a II. világháborúban. Embertelen körülmények voltak, Clavell utal rá, hogy a külön összezsúfolt közlegényeknek még rosszabbul ment a sora.
De nem csak erről szól a regény, hanem felmutat különböző emberi magatartásokat, jellemeket lélektanilag is érdekes, minden szomorúság és keserűség mellett. Senki sem csak tisztán jó vagy rossz itt, a különbségek ellenére mindenki a túlélésért küzd, és nem marad makulátlan.
Ami végtelenül szomorú, az a szabadulásuk napjainak leírása, ezt a film is remekül ábrázolta.

[Джорджия · Rating 5 out of 5]

От тук тръгна любовта ми към Джеймс Клавел...

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

(UPDATE): Thought I'd read this again now that I'm living in Singapore for the next year. Still great, still one of the very few well-known books set in Singapore, (which is understandable if you've ever been here). And could still be 50-100 pages shorter - although I believe this is already Clavell's shortest work.

As good as most of them (and I'm looking at you Gai-Jin), it's almost a shame that Clavell today is known exclusively for his "Asian Saga," as he had quite a successful earlier career as a writer (and even director) in Hollywood. He wrote the screenplays for The Great Escape and The Fly among others, and both wrote and directed To Sir With Love and the underappreciated 100 Years War story The Last Valley, with Omar Sharif and Michael Caine. (Trivia point: he also co-wrote the screenplay for The Satan Bug, a middling Alistair MacLean I also recently reread. And bizarre "extra credit" trivia: his daughter played "Penelope Smallbone," Miss Moneypenny's replacement in Octopussy.)

(ORIGINAL REVIEW): First read this back in the late '70's, but then read it again in '99 when I was living in Malaysia and had spent some time in Singapore (where I later had my passport stolen on Millenium New Year's Eve, but that's a whole different story). Great novel first time around and even better the second -- without question Clavell's most personal and therefore greatest book -- worthy of six stars if they were available, since I already gave Shogun five!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brutally realistic account of soldier's survival in a Japanese WWII prison camp.

Clavell doing what he does best; making history come to life with very interesting and entertaining fiction.

Back for more...

i just found out that King Rat is in part autobiographical. Clavell was apparently a POW himself. That explains are great deal. i was very much awed that a fictional book could be so incredibly detailed and convey the day to day struggle of the characters so well. JC was writing from experience. Incredible!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clavell is better known for his later Shogun and other Japanese history novels, but this earlier novel about the lives of Americans and British POWs in a Japanese prisoner of war camp is a classic. The title character is an American with a true gift for survival in the underground economy of the camp, and the book raises many questions about what the most ethical road is to take in an impossible moral situation.