Gai-Jin
The Epic Novel of the Birth of Modern Japan
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
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By:
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James Clavell
About this listen
The dynamic epic novel of political upheaval and societal change in late 1800s Japan, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell
This epic novel by master writer James Clavell, loosely based on the Namamugi Incident and Anglo-Satsuma War that took place in the late 1800s, is a richly researched, panoramic view of Japan’s budding relationship with the Western powers, its sweeping societal changes, and the political upheaval that followed.
As Malcolm Struan, the son of Culum and Tess Struan, and a small band of Westerners travel down the Tōkaidō road, they are attacked by two Satsuma samurai, who mortally wound John Canterbury and seriously injure Malcolm, who then finds reprieve in the merchant village of Yokohama after a narrow escape facilitated by the unscathed Angelique.
Angelique Richaud, Malcolm’s penniless but beautiful French companion, is thrown into a world of political intrigue, fierce devotion, unstable family dynamics, blackmail, and secrets as the trading houses battle for supremacy.
With a cast of dynamic and fully recognized characters, Gai-Jin spins a tale of passionate love affairs, devastating loss, intense power struggles, and the fight to survive and thrive in a hostile new land that will leave listeners longing for another foray into Clavell’s extraordinary Asian Saga.
©2015 James Clavell (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.The story itself is as complex as ever, with a wide range of characters on both the European and Japanese threads. Once you have them straight in your head, they take you along with them, with every more twisted connections and secrets.
The narrator did a brilliant job, apparently coping with ease in switching from Scottish accents to English to French to Japanese to Russian to American.... you get the picture.
For me, then and now, the characters didn't capture my emotions as much as e.g. Blackthorne, or Dirk and May-May. But I enjoyed the story much more on this 2nd encounter, and rate it highly.
50h of epic listening!
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A Web of Warriors, Lies and Racism
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French Angel got on my nerves.
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Good but not great
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Amazing
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