Gai-Jin: The Epic Novel of the Birth of Modern Japan

The only bad thing about this book is that it didn't keep going. Or at least a sequel taking the characters to another level. I had read Shogun twice with around a 10 year separation and enjoyed it as much the second time as the first. With Gai-Jin I had read it around 15 years ago and this time around enjoyed it even more. And I liked it better, though not much, thanShogun. One reviewer downgraded this book because of so many characters. All of the characters were interesting, human and intelligent. Loved the complexity. He also didn't like the inaccuracy of history. Too bad. This was a fun, interesting, hard to put down book that I thoroughly enjoyed. My only problem is that I put the rest of my commitments on hold in order to keep reading. Really wish there was a more direct sequel. I've started Nobel House the other day and so far, not thrilled. I had read it before and found it ok though not nearly as good as Gai-Jin which is my favorite Clavell novel.

This might be the weakest of Clavell's books in respect to tight plots and action--HOWEVER. As an epic historical fiction it ranks with the best. One plot decision about two thirds through the book really tied it all up into a worthwhile bundle. Once you finish this--and hopefully the preceding books in the series--you will have an excellent understanding of the West's complex history with Asia and Asia's view of the West.

The book was not a first edition like advertised, but for the price, I kept it anyway.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that if you love historical epics at some point you're going to make the acquaintance of James Clavell. His six volume Asian saga is legendary; has been made into movies and mini-series and gone through countless printings. And as someone who loves nothing more than an absorbing historical epic (especially a nice long one) it was inevitable that I would get around to the series one day.But though they may be famous and revered, Clavell's books are also a lot of work to read. Crammed full of history, cultural details and political machination they can be tiring to read so even though I really, really loved "Shogun" it was a long time before I sought out the sequel, "Tai-Pan", which, while not as action packed as its predecessor (in fact it was a little tedious at times), was still strangely wonderful. And then I moved on to "Gai-Jin."Spanning four months the novel reveals the tensions and struggles of the isolationist Japan against the white men determined to break into the trading markets. Most of these traders are either characters from "Tai-Pan", now 21 years older and hopefully wiser, or their descendents. Basically the novel is made up of the strife between the Japanese and the Gai-Jin (the white men), Japanese fractions against other Japanese fractions, the lives of the white people living in their designated village and an assortment of not so romantic romances.Clavell's writing style is very soothing and descriptive and has always reminded me of James Michener. But in this novel, which boasts an impressive page count of 1236, the writing becomes tedious. Yes, there is action, adventure; romance, family conflict and a great deal of political strife but after about 500 pages it all started to loose its appeal and I started counting down to when I'd be finished. By page 1000 I had no more will to go on.To be clear, there's nothing really objectionable about the rest of the book; but after a certain point reading this novel became a chore instead of a joy. And just dragging myself through the dry spots, as I sometimes had to do in "Tai-Pan" didn't work here because there were just too many stretches where nothing happened. In addition there was not nearly enough character development. From the very beginning of the novel to after the ordeals the principal players went through most of the characters were flat and uninteresting. The exception to that rule was that what small changes that did occur in certain characters were completely inconsistent and constantly shifting.I enjoyed a great deal of this book, really I did. But the tedium of the last 1/3 or so of the book made it something to slog through instead of enjoy. The experience of reading this did have me thinking for a time that I should give up on Clavell's saga, but my experience with  Shogun  and  Tai-Pan , as well as the favorable reviews for  King Rat , " Noble House and  Whirlwind: A Novel of the Iranian Revolution  helped me quickly discarded that notion.Three stars and the possibility that someday I'll give it another shot to see if my perception of it could be changed.If you want to read this book make sure to read "Tai-Pan" first, or most of the relationships between the trader's families just won't make sense. Reading "Shogun" isn't necessary to understand the story but it makes an excellent background to the culture and history of Japan. And it's a truly excellent book.

Excellent customer service, well packaged and item was as described.

R.I.P. James Clavell, you are missed."Gai-Jin" was the late Mr. Clavell's last novel in his Asian Saga, and while not a perfect final effort, it is certainly a very good one IMHO, a lot better than many of my fellow readers here are giving him credit for. Sure, the plot does get a bit slow and challenging at times (Clavell's writing style doesn't have the breakneck, non-stop page-turning power of my other favorite fiction authors like Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, or Frederick Forsyth), and it gets a tad confusing keeping track of all the two-faced characters and trying to figure out whose side they're really on....but then again, this is true of every Asian Saga novel to some extent. In spite of the aforementioned minor flaws (plus the historical technical error of describing Gatling guns as being used in the American Civil War in 1862, when in reality it'd be two more years before the "Gat" made its way onto the battlefield), I found it overall to be very readable, and much quicker & easier to get through than Clavell's second-to-last novel in the Saga, that being "Whirlwind." In fact, I daresay it's Clavell's second-most readable and fast-paced novel after "Noble House" (my all-time personal favorite of the Saga).The book gives a fascinating look at Japan in 1862 as the country began to make its transition from the Shogunate to the more modern and at least semi-Westernized phase of its history (cannons, desire to build a modern navy, "stoku kompeni" [sic], etc.). There's also neat historical and cultural references and tidbits such as the rise of the Krupp arms factory. Moreover, "Gai-Jin" fills in some gaps of the between "Tai-Pan" (set in 1841) and "Noble House" (set in 1963), such as how Tess Struan became known as the Hag, and how Rothwell-Gornt became the successor to Brock and Sons....plus some backstory on what happened in Japan after the events of "Shogun" (set in 1600), especially the legacy and descendants of Lord Toranaga and (to a much letter extent) the legendary Anjin-san, John Blackthorne. And oh yeah, we get a look at Royal Navy Captain John Marlowe, ancestor of Peter Marlowe, the protagonist of "King Rat," a supporting character in "Noble House," and based loosely on Clavell himself.As a side note, the Japanese and Chinese sexual euphemisms and metaphors are quite memorable and humourous (was the latter intentional or unintentional on the author's part??), such as "Jade Gate," "Golden Gully," "Celestial Stalk," "One-Eyed Monk," and "Clouds and Rain."Again, R.I.P. James Clavell.

The story never stops or even slows down. I read this years ago and decided I should try the classics again and I am not disappointed. Characters are clear and more is learned of each one the further along in the book. Once again, I am thoroughly pleased by the writing and pictures in my mind from this author. Well worth the money spent.

A great little yarn, rich with character and atmosphere.

A James Clavell book that keeps you enthralled from the start to end .Fascinating bookA Must Read .

A continuação da saga do Oriente mantém o mesmo poder de atração dos demais livros de James Clavell. Ao se iniciar não dá para parar e é uma garantia de noites em claro sem desgrudar do livro!

James Clavell really knows how to tell a story and this is a 1000 page blockbuster about Japan as it is opening up to the modern world.