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Summary: THe Best in the series (and that is saying a lot)
Review: This book is so incredibly packed with info, and it is only 478 pages. It was fantastic, moving, and well-written. It is said an authos best books are autobiographical, and this holds true here. Clavell was in a Japenese prison camp, and the charector of Marlowe is based on him. (that is made more clear in Noble House) Anyway, enjoy
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Summary: Lest We Forget.
Review: James Clavell is renowned for his works such as _Shogun_ and _Noble House_. This darkly autobiographical novel was, so far as I am aware, his first literary work. It remains his best.Clavell was a prisoner of the Japanese. He was held at the infamous Changi prison on the eastern end of Singapore island as described in the novel. Like the protagonist, Peter Marlowe, Clavell came from a good family, though due to his eyesight he was in the Royal Artillery, not the Royal Air Force (a little harmless wish-fulfillment, there). I think the novel impresses so many readers due to its stark simplicity and forthrightness, particularly in describing the moral dilemmas that confront Marlowe. With the issue of survival in the balance, does morality become relative? Marlowe concludes that the only man who could answer his questions, his father, is dead-- killed on the Murmansk run. But just as Changi is rebirth for Marlowe, perhaps it is the King-- the trader with the Japanese-- who becomes Marlowe's father and answers those questions. There are many, many layers to this book. I have read it many times and have always walked away with something new. As with the Changi experience, itself, I sense that there is never complete resolution. Clavell died several years ago. I hope that he found peace. Add this work to testaments like Iris Chang's, _The Rape of Nanking_, as a remembrance of what the Japanese did to the defeated.
Rating: 
Summary: Disapointing
Review: After Shogun one would expect much better. Compared with Shogun, King Rat is rather 2D. The plot is not as engrossing. I think readers will have a difficult time getting into the story. The ending is somewhat predictable (what do YOU think happens to all the prisoners?)and there are many things that are never explained (who is the informant that knew about the radio? ). On the whole an entertaining book, but it moves slowly and doesnt go anywhere (how exciting can life in a prison be anyway? :P )
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Summary: ...Where the american dream joins the american nightmare
Review: I read this book in a long London-Toronto flight. I just could not put it off. James Clavell continues to exercise its magic by creating a captivating universe that make us dream about the relative value of things. How much would you pay for a rat leg ? We follow the king in its daily rulings and dealings with its subjects, all prisonners of war in a Japanese camp during WWII. How can a corporal rule a camp and its general. How can cunning and ruthlessness elevate a man on a throne. This is a very strange american dream that is depicted in this novel. All rights reserved to The Reviewer Provided by courtesy to Amazon.com
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Summary: A Gripping Read!
Review: This book, like all of Clavell's historical fiction, pulled me in within the first five pages. The gripping story of life within a WW2 POW camp is disturbing, enlightening and dramatic all at once. The story centers around two characters and their reactions to the horror around them. As we get deeper into their lives we begin to get a picture of why life is worth living and the way that it should be lived. The ending of the book is much more telling than the end of most of Clavell's books and does a fine job of summarizing the book's overall purpose. By far, this is the best book that I have ever read by Clavell.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: Great book! Compared to Clavell's other works, this is a short book, although most of his works read very well. Also, "King Rat" has a great ending that really sums up the meaning of the entire book, as opposed to "Shogun," which was a great book, but didn't really leave the reader with one lasting "lesson."
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: This book is Clavells finest book, King Rat is one the finest views into a Prisoner of War. This book conveys the inner feelings of the two main characters the King and Peter Marlowe. The setting of the Changai prison camp is disturbly real, and treatment harrowing. This book is lavishly written and fast paced,filled with only the necessary description.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping.
Review: I borrowed this book from my grandfather, and I was amazed. Such an intricate, fascinating story of of human mental survival. It's incredible how some, when put in a certain situation, die easily, while others have what it takes mentally to survive. It is an excellent book and of all of James Clavell's, this is my favorite.
Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable read
Review: I read this when I was 15, so I don't know if it was 'deep' or anything, but I can say I enjoyed it quite a bit.
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Summary: A wonderful tale!
Review: This is a magnificent book. It details the horrors of war and the inhumane conditions POWs were forced to face, but it also is a carefully crafted tale of friendship, and how people can thrive in the most unlikely places. I disagree with the reviewer who thinks it is a depressing book - it is a novel of the human spirit, with a dash of good old capitalism thrown in for good measure. Again, it is a wonderful book. It will stay with you for a long time.
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