Inspirational Writers: James Clavell 

A brilliant story, isn't it? But if you read any other books of his, you'll find the same detailed research underpinning his stories. They're all truly compelling and fascinating in the way they look at the Asian cultures - Clavell manages to bring those cultures to life and explain them to English readers with sympathy and without making the reader feel that they're being force-fed!

My favorite book

Less known but powerful, The Children's Story, short story or television production. If considered carefully, an unnerving little tale.

They do make for a fascinating series. I was iffy about picking up other books by him at first, because I was so invested in the cast he created for Shogun, but even books like Whirlwind, about the Iranian revolution, were just as involving, for want of a better word!

I was hesitant to pick up Shogun to begin with because all I knew of it was a bad television mini-series from my childhood! Glad a friend convinced me.

They don't tai pan on does tho

Very much the same as me. I can remember the joy, hearing of his book Whirlwind when it came out, and the absolute joy of reading his work again. As with all the best writing, it reads as though it was effortless. It takes a lot of effort to make a book read as if it was easy to write!

Glad you liked it. It is a brilliant story!

I have to reread Shogun soon, I think. It's been too long - a brilliant piece of work because of the history, his understanding of the differences between the Japanese way of thinking and the English, and because of the detailed politics involved, and how he makes it so clear. Thanks for the comment.

Taipan definitely deserves a mention.

Certainly better late than never, my friend. The great thing is, the books he wrote followed certain themes and families, creating a lengthy saga that is never less than gripping. I hope you enjoy your discovery of this great writer!

Sorry to take so long to respond - ill health and deadlines! And now it's coming to TV again, apparently! Looking forward to that.

Many thanks - and I'm glad you love it too. Wait till the ending - phew!

Same here, Peg. He was wonderful at pulling readers into different cultures.

My pleasure! And it's impressive that you agreed to take on a book with 1,200 pages (I know - I'm re-reading it now!)

Can't disagree with that!

Tha Last Valley

I think I have too! An excellent story, and he was a master story-teller!

I would try Whirlwind again. I found it as compelling as any of his other books - rather similar to Wilbur Smith in his prime, really. I love his writing.

Whirlwind was very dry

I loved it on my second read!

Couldn't agree more. Whirlwind is fantastic. Made me empathize with characters whose actions and ideologies I strongly disagreed with. That's powerful stuff

Give King Rat a try, I really enjoyed the characters in that one

Very glad you liked the video, my friend. I know you're enjoy the Clavell stories again - and I will have to read Noble house again too. It's been too long!

Superb book, and brilliant plot and story. Thanks, Jeff!

It is a superb book, but so are all his others. I can highly recommend all of them!

Thanks so much for that, Art. I completely agree. And what a brilliant idea he had, linking the stories of his families over the centuries to show how things changed for them. Superb series.

Many thanks! James Clavell was one of those fabulous writers who managed to give a real atmosphere to the periods he was writing about, as well as an understanding of what was, to most Brits, a very alien culture.

Totally agree! I have to reread them too now!

I agree, although it's a rather bleak story, isn't it! My mother-in-law's family were in Singapore when it fell. She and her brother were sent off on boat to Australia for the duration, but her mother was torpedoed off Sumatra and caught by the Japanese, while her father was captured in the city. Both were held as POWs during the war, and the only comment I had from my wife's grandmother was, after watching Tenko was, she wished life had been that exciting. It was just plain boring!

@@writerlywitterings Yes... a very bleak, harrowing, and ultimately pessimistic book to say the least - but a great story and well written. Thanks for the interesting information regarding your family's experience during WW II. I was in Singapore a couple of times and can't imagine being held prisoner there under primitive conditions. Just the climate is enough to finish you off: HOT! HOTTER! & DAMN HOT! And when it rains.... 🤯 Good to hear from you! 👍

@@jimw.4161 It's one of those countries I'd love to visit, but sadly not on my income!

@@writerlywitterings Put it on your list... In fact, include all of South East Asia: Vietnam; Cambodia; Laos; and Thailand. They are all much more affordable than Singapore. Having said that, Singapore is a great tourist destination with everything you could ask for: great hotels; great restaurants; world class airport; excellent transportation systems; and SAFETY - but very expensive. If you do ever go.... treat yourself to an outstanding Indian buffet lunch at the Tiffin Room inside the Raffles Hotel. Expensive? Definitely - but worth it once in your life. The Tiffin Room is my #1 favorite restaurant in the world. Seriously... it's that good.

@@jimw.4161 Haha, I'd dearly love to. However, on an author's income, it's not going to happen, sadly. Books only pay a pittance, I'm afraid. A holiday in France is out of the question, so going to the East ... I'm afraid not!

Wonderful! He is one of those writers who never disappointed. I wish more people would read him to get a perspective on how people were and how they behaved - and why!

Agreed. My oldest is 17 now and I will introduce him to Shogun soon. Clavells life story reminds me of Hemingway.

Oh, you really must, Alan. Excellently researched, and brilliantly told. The characters leap off the page at you, too. He really was an inspiration to me when I was planning to write.

I have to reread Noble House. I can recommend Whirlwind, too. That was a fascinating read.

I have to admit, I tried to read a couple of Alistair Macleans recently - and couldn't. Dire writing, sexist, racist, misogynistic - just dreadful! In comparison I tried some Desmond Bagley titles, and they were really good. Strange how some authors hit a mark somehow in their time and others improve with age!

Ah, well, he was a fabulous writer and creator of worlds. Really looking forward to the new version of Shogun on TV soon! Sorry to take so long to respond - ill health and deadlines!

@@writerlywitterings I wish you good health my friend

Yes, I've read that one too - but for me, I think Shogun is still my favourite - he was a fabulously creative and inventive writer, and could write about utterly different cultures and attitudes with such clarity and understanding. A true master.

Thanks, Vishaan. Hope you like his books too!

Wow! I've always wanted to travel to Asia - sadly I suspect I'll never be able to, so I'm quite jealous!

@@writerlywitterings Best decision of my life. Never even suffered the usual culture shock. Like a fish to water.

That's a new book/author to me. I'll look him up - thanks!

Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it!

My pleasure. All the Clavell books are worth reading. He never lost his skill at storytelling!

I wasn't aware of that. The original wasn't bad (apart from Richard Chamberlain, who was never dirty or nasty enough!)

Looking good so far

I was rather the same. I wanted Shogun to just keep on going. I loved that book, and it put me off reading his later novels. I was, like you, very glad I did!

Thanks for the comment, Geraint. It was a brilliant series of books. Enormously powerful stories, all the more impressive since they were based on real people. Many thanks!

I only saw that there was to be a TV series on it yesterday. As you say, poor casting - but then again, there was that film about the capture of the Enigma machine by a US submarine some years ago. The Enigma was captured by the Royal Navy over a year before America joined the war, so historical accuracy was never Hollywood's strongpoint!

He really was a great writer - especially since I love his angle of using the same families over the centuries, and kept them going well. Thanks, my friend, for the comment - I'm only ashamed that I cannot reply to your name because I cannot read cyrillic!

@@writerlywitterings It's Constantin (like Constantinople), my name. I don't know how Clavell does that, but I love him most for his dialogues. They seem so real even nowadays :)

@@pasdpasse439 And you never feel that you are being preached about the history. Nowadays all too many authors try to impose 21st century thoughts and feelings on historical characters - Clavell didn't. He showed how people really were, and that is more important; that we understand our ancestors. Many thanks, Constantin (and apologies for not taking time to look for the cyrillic alphabet - it was pure laziness while I'm working on other things right now). I hope you have a great week!

Hope you love it too!

Yes, I have to look them up. And reread the books!

@@writerlywitterings Of course, you don´t recommand the serial SHOGUN in the video,, but the script is well written and the actors are great!!! The serial pushed the book selling to new hights. So did Noble House!

Hurrah! I found it packed into a box with a copy of Clive Cussler's Mayan Secrets which I forgot I had bought and nearly bought again yesterday because it was on sale!

:-)

:-)

:-)

I agree - but try Shogun too!

Oddly, Gai-Jin is the one I haven't read yet. I'll have to now! Thanks for the comments, Dagdrums. It's good to hear from people who enjoy the videos!

@@writerlywitterings I admit I've been saving Whirlwind. With Gai-Jin you'll find sort of a rewritten Tai-Pan. When in doubt, read both! I loved Shogun too. What's not to like? Especially the ending.

@@writerlywitterings What did you think?

Hi, Mark, and thanks for that. I don't know ... the mini series was good in so many ways, but I just thought that Chamberlain was miscast. He didn't come across (to me) as a freebooting semi-pirate, as he should have. But it's a matter of taste with all these things, isn't it? I'm still keen to think who could play the characters in my books - I should be so lucky!

@@writerlywitterings I agree, Mike, Chamberlain was forever Dr. Kildare to me. If they redo Shogun let's see Downey Jr or Hugh Jackman as Blackthorne (or Flashy for that matter).

@@DAGDRUM53 Hugh Jackman would be very appropriate

Hi, Chen - from personal experience, you can read them in any order you like. The publishers demanded (and still do) that every book can be published as a stand-alone, and the Asian series certainly work as separate novels. There is a thread running through the stories, but it is not vital. I started halfway through the series, not knowing they were a series! THey're very enjoyable and well worth reading.

Thank you. The books look dreadfully thick. I do hope that the writing isn't too descriptive or long-winded. Thank you. I supposed you have read 'pillars of the earth's?

@@chenkeith7272 They are quite thick, but don't worry about that. They're full of great plot twists and turns, superb characters and scenes you will not forget! I'd recommend Shogun or Noble House as books to try first - only because they have stuck in my mind the most! Happy reading, my friend.

Hi, Michelle - that's really good to hear! It's always good to find people who love the books so much they want to keep them forever! I've got the opposite problem now, with bookshelves of past copies that I really ought to sell and make some space!

Cheers - I've had it for nearly 40 years now!

Yes. And the books behind me, and to the side (out of camera) and the books in my office too!. I'm a writer. I love reading!

My pleasure, my friend. Really glad you enjoyed the books!

What did you think of Shogun?

@@athenassigil5820 Shogun was excellent and so was Tai Pan. Shogun from start to finish was interesting, the characters from the minor to the major are deeply developed and it really makes for a great read. A mix of political intrigue, clash of civilizations, set against the backdrop of the Sengoku Jidai. I'm going to dive into Gai Jin soon, and already have King Rat and Whirlwind in the 'to read' stack. In all honesty I haven't been disappointed in any piece of the Asia Saga that I have picked up.

No idea. It was a while ago I last read it. But in those days I had more time to read, too, so it didn't take long. And it is a fabulous story. Why do you ask?

Thanks for that, my friend. I'll look up both titles.

@@writerlywitterings de nada. Y si quiere mas recomendacions, pongalo, y sigo! (me volví un lector sibarita, trato de leer lo mejor de lo mejor, y por supuesto, sifo a mis autores, por toda su obra.) Si le interesa la ciencia ficción, tanto en su vertiente rigurosamente científica (hard), como en space opera, purdo recomendarle a mi autora favorita :lois McMaster Bujold, puede empezar con "Barrayar", y su continuación, "aprendiz de guerrero", la primera es sobre los padres del protagonista , y su intrincado nacimiento, y la segunda ya con Miles Vorkosigan, un enano y genial estratega tactico, que sale adelante a base de inteligencia! Creo que quedará cautivado por ese derroche de imaginación, y coherencia! Todas sus obras son buenas! Y es de las pocas que ganó 2 años consecutivos, el premio "Hugo" (los "Oscar de la ciencia ficción), además de un" Locus", con las mismas obras. Otro genial autor de ciencia ficcion, pero en otro estilo, es Philip Joseph Farmer, con su obra "A vuestros cuerpos dispersos", que nos tebela adonde va la gente cuando muere. Tiene secuelas también interesantes, pero esta impresiona. Creo que de ahi sacaron los guionistas de Matrix, unas escenas de su película. Y ya si quiere novela historica de aventuras, tiene que leer a Wilbur Smith, son impresionantes sus descripciones de África, tiene varias sagas, tanto del sigli XIX y XX, como más antiguas, ambientadas en el Egipto faraonico. Colleen Mc Cullogh, es esencial para conocer la vida romana, lease "el primer hombre de Roma," la corona de hierba ", y sus continuaciones, son libros muy documentados, pero con unas tramas menos dinámicas. Si prefiere algo de Grecia, tiene a Kark Heinzgrass, con" Tamburas", en el siglo V antes de Cristo. O Nicholas Guild, con "El asirio", y "La estrella de sangre", en el imperio asirio. Volviendo a la sf hard, tiene a Arthur C. Clarke, con "Cita con Rama" de una nave espacial alienigena que llega a nuestro sistema solar, o "En las profundidades" sobre un astronauta agorafobico, trabajando bajo el mar. Y ahora que parece que vamos a Marte, lease"Homo Plus"de Frederick Pohl, es sorprendente, y tiene ya sus años. Nada más, espero haberle orientado un poco , pero son gustos personales, aunque primando la calidad. Un saludo cordial.

@@writerlywitterings y siento no poder responderle en inglés, que nunca fui bueno en idiomas.

I really would find it hard to pick a favourite of all his books. They are so well written, with superb larger-than-life characters set adrift in marvellous situations.

@@writerlywitterings can't argue that.

Couldn't agree more - although not about Whirlwind. I have to admit, I just sat and read that one, and couldn't put it down. Strange how some books affect some people, but leave others cold! I don't disagree that Shogun, Tai-Pan and Noble House are his best works, though. King Rat was a great novel, but I almost felt it came from a different writer. He was working out his inner demons after the War, I imagine, with that one. Thanks for the comment, mate.

writerlywitterings I will say that I read Whirlwind immediately after all the others and I may have been saturated at the time. I am certainly open to reading it again because Clavell has been my favorite right up there with Frank Herbert since I was young.

Many thanks, Michael. My fourth will hopefully be born in a few months time!

Thanks!

@@writerlywitterings ok.

Si le gusta la novela histórica, "Manchu", de Robert Elegant, es una maravilla, lachina recién abierta a occidente, en el siglo XVI, las luchas de las dinastías,, y la llegada de la dinastia Manchu, al imperio chino, observada por un aventurero portugues, exmonje, y fabricante de cañones, es también un factor determinqnte en estas tramas. Y ya para terminar, aúnque no exhaustivamente, lease a Howard Fast, en "los inmigrantes", y "Segunda generación", transcurre en el San Francisco de 1096,con el terremoto de fondo (hay 2 libros mas de lasaga, pero ya los buscará, si lee estos. Otra obra preciosa, es "Max", también de Fast, y cuenta los principios del cine, con un protagonista de 6 años, que descubre éste, y se sube al carro de los directores, cuando crece. Hay un montón de libros por comentar, como "el adivino" de Pauline Gedge, una historia que transcurre en la era faraonica, y es maravillosa!

@@writerlywitterings si lee en español, he aquí a mi guionista favorito :Robin Wood, escribe para comics, que es otro mundo, alcanzó el exito con mss de 50 personajes diferentes, todos ellos profundos, y muy interesantes, shora se publica en youtu.be, sus obras , pero en formato video, viñeta a viñeta, y con muy buenos resultados. Nada que ver con el mundo de superheroes, rste autor, sus personajes son muy humanos, con sus valores, sueños, y defectos. Puede ver, para empezar, a mis 2 héroes favoritos:Nippur de Lagash, un exgeneral errante, en la Sumeria del 2.500 antes de Cristo, toda una leyenda, que encandiló a variss generaciones. El otro, es "Dago", un noble veneciano, traicionado por su mejor amigo, que con una daga clavada en la, espalda, es tomado por los turcos, como esclavo. La venganza es su motivación, aparte de sobrevivir como esclavo. Arraso en Argentina, y también en Europa, en Italia es un heroe nacional. Todo esto lo puede hallar en canal "el rincon de las historietas", de RU-vid, o solo escriba "robin wood, guionista, Dago, capitulo 1,y seguir la trama, hasta los 147 capítulos publicados, con una duracion entre 13 y 26 minutos /capítulo Haga la prueba , no se arrepentirá. . Y hay muchos mas personajes, como" Gilgamesh ", el inmortal sumerio, o Dax, un misterioso paranormal, durante la época de la guerra indochina, o" Savarese ", un policia siciliano, de estilo" el padrino ".

Thanks for that. I have not read John Jakes, but I'll have to look him up. However, Clavell is truly inspirational writer, I think.

Wilbur Smith does something similar.

Hair is going to be cut very soon, and the beard gets trimmed when it gets out of hand. But just now it's winter over here, and I'm not cutting it too short - it gets cold when I do!

Hi, André, and thank you for the comment. Yes, I had the same feeling, as though he was waiting for the logical end of British pirate-adventurers with the end of the last British toe hold in China. It's a shame - he would be fascinating on the way that China has changed in recent years!

:-)

I seriously hope not. James has been dead a while!

I agree - either Tai-Pan or Shogun, which is such a fabulous read for the politics and clash of cultures.

And I can't wait for it! Sorry to take so long to respond - ill health and deadlines!

@@writerlywitterings the first two episodes are out already !! :)

Blast - I didn't know. I've been too stuck into this latest book to watch TV for a few weeks! Thanks @@spanishjohn420

Ah, sorry, Rick - it was one of the things I had to drop because not many people seemed interested, and I had to push my book reviews sideways onto the WriterlyWitterings.com blogs instead. However, I'm always happy to return to such things. It's just that videos take a lot of time to record, edit, upload and work out the best way to get them on the internet, whereas I can write really quickly!

Very good. Because of my maculopathy, I find the subtitles rather difficult to read, but the atmosphere, the historical accuracy etc is fantastic. Infinitely better than the original. Mind you, it's also made me go back to the book (almost 1,000 words in now), which is still, to my mind, far better!

@@writerlywitterings Hulu has a dub version.