Gai-Jin (meaning 'outside person', or 'foreigner' in Japanese) is based on an actual 1862 event, known as the Namamugi Incident, in which a British national was killed, and two others wounded, by samurai on the Tokaido highway near Kanagawa for not showing the proper respect for passing Satsuma daimyo (Satsuma is a province in the south of Japan, and daimyos were local heads of government in Japan's then feudal system) . In retribution the British navy bombarded the Satsuma capital of Kagoshima. These short-lived hostilities (known as the Anglos-Satsuma War) contributed to Japan's decision, after witnessing the easy destruction of Kagoshima by the British, to modernise its army and also to trade more freely with the Western powers.The Namamugi Incident forms the opening of the novel, and the rest of it is taken up with its consequences. However, on a wider scale, the book tells the story of the opening up of Japan consequent to Commodore Perry's arrival, in 1858, with the black ships and the 'unfair treaties' that were then 'forced' on the weakening Tokugawa shogunate. Even though little time passes and not much action takes place in the book, it captures the many strands of all the influences which caused Japan to reluctantly open to the world, frozen at almost a single moment in time. These events, ultimately, lead to the collapse of the shogunate and the whole feudal system in 1867 and the Meiji Restoration in 1868, though the novel doesn't cover events up to that point (just as Clavell's earlier Shogun doesn't cover any of the actual Tokugawa shogunate, only the events leading up to its formation).Reviewers complain that nothing happens at the end of the novel, that it is an anti-climax after the 1,200 pages or more of time and effort required to get to the end. Up until shortly before I finally gave up, this seemed to me to be excusable, because the book builds the reader up for a big British-led invasion of Japan that never did actually take place. It didn't happen, but in retrospect it is amazing that it didn't, and that Japan resisted Western aggression, was never colonised, and built up an army powerful enough to defeat one Western power (Russia, 1905) and then go on to give America and Britain a run for their money in WW2 and then to become the second largest economy in the world. This thwarted everybody's expectations, so it isn't it right that the book thwarts the reader's expectations and simply diffuses at the end? But, of course, I don't even know what happens at the end, because I didn't get that far! Does it end in the bombardment of Kagoshima by the British? That would be a good ending, and fairly dramatic.It's true that there isn't much development in the story, but Clavell delves deep into character and historical detail, focusing minutely on the spaces between the actual events (which are few and far between). After 800 pages little more happens than Canterbury is assassinated on the Tokaido and the British are demanding retribution from the shogunate, who claim that it is a matter for Satsuma rather than them. This stalemate just goes on and on. However, there are loads of interweaving subplots beneath this main historical story in which lots does happen, lots is thought and, perhaps most annoyingly for some readers, lots is said. All this explores in great detail the situation in Japan at this point in history and it is done with great understanding and empathy (though Clavell does occasionally get things wrong - for example talking about the use of incense in Shinto shrines. This mistake is minor but it undermines the reader's trust in his authority as a Japan expert).Gai-Jin, much more than Shogun, is a novel with an ensemble cast. There are many 'main characters'', none of which has the reader's total sympathy or support and none of which are drawn with a totally unsympathetic hand. Some reviewers have complained that this gives the reader no one to 'root for'. I think this method is fine in this book. After all, in life, nobody is absolutely wrong and nobody absolutely right. It all depends on the moral standpoint of the onlooker. Here Clavell suppresses any moral standpoint, never judging the actions of his characters, simply portraying them. This is a great achievement, though some may criticise Clavell for being amoral as a consequence. I think the opposite. This great understanding and sympathy suggests that he is a compassionate man, able to understand everybody's actions as they are motivated by different and conflicting agendas, whether it is the shishi and their sonno-joi movement to expel all gai-jin and restore power to the emperor, a British official and interpreter wanting to advance himself, or a French girl trying to use all her sexual charms to win the hand in marriage of the richest man in all Asia.Other complaints are of bad grammar, and these are valid, but the grammar is not bad enough to seriously distract the reader from the story, so this is relatively unimportant. The novel is certainly not badly written. Clavell again demonstrates his fluent and compulsive style. The pages turn and before you know it whole hours have slipped by. However, for me, not all the pages turned.I just want to address two issues about Clavell's narrative method in the book. Narrative method 1 - exposition on Japanese culture is often presented as memory or flashback of a Japanese character. Seems clunky but these things do need explaining to the majority of the target readership. I cant think of a better solution. Narrative method 2 - the omniscient narrator is reporting a conversation, then (memory or not?) he switches to an earlier time and what went on there. One reviewer said there was sometimes a memory within a memory. Cant remember that ever happening. Also, it was said by the same reviewer that within one character's recollections, the view of another character was expressed. This would be a flaw if it was a memory, but maybe it isn't - maybe it's just omniscient reportage.I would recommend this book, but certainly not over Shogun (and, from what other readers say, not over Tai-pan or Noble House). I probably won't ever finish it, as there's plenty of good stuff out there to read instead, and I gave this one a good shot. It's unusual for me to give up on a book (I also gave up on Catch 22 by Joseph Heller and On the Road by Jack Kerouac - can't think of any others), especially when I don't even think the book is bad, which is the case here. This book could really have done with some tightening up and cutting, as there's plenty of great stuff in it.
Welp, I'm done and somehow that seems the important part. My foray into pop lit has officially hit a wall. This book did have some redeeming qualities. There a lot of moving plot machinations and torn character motivations, but the moments of badassery were separated by too many pages of stupid shit that you really don't give a flying fart about. It is also the first Clavell book I read without an western archetypal hero. This was the third book in the Asian Saga, but the last one that Clavell penned, so as a geriatric prune eater, he seemed to have felt a need to put a pretty ribbon on the series and tie everything up. I could almost hear "Wild Horses" being covered in Japanese as the 100 page wrap up montage carried me to freedom from this drivel. My love for Shogun and Tai-pan really carried me through and probably kept me reading longer than I would have. It was almost as if these were the Godfather movies, Gai-jin being Godfather III-the Afterthought.Spoilers (as if you care)...Things that are awesome:Ninjas and Samurai - Fucking Ninjas and Samurai, nuff said.Japanese Concubines - The ability of the sideways snatch to politically motivate white folks and change the course of history never ceases to amaze me (i.e. The Beatles)Yoshi and Hiraga - While enemies, the most compelling characters in the story.The Fire - Too bad it took 700 pages too many to get there.Abortion Herbs - Looks like we were about 200 years late on the plan B there....Morphine - Turning sick people into pill addicted lunatics since 1850!Things that sucked:Angelique Richaurd - The female lead in this story and she makes no sense to me. Clavell seems to paint her as a manipulative, self interested cocktease (I ain't sayin' she a gold digga....), but in the same page space drums up sympathy for this poor victim. She has brief moments of strength and cunning followed by brief moments of crying and helpless crap. People in the settlement all want to bang her but all feel oh so sad for her. I really wish he would have taken her one way or the other, at least she would have been interesting. I may just hate her because she's French, in which case, I make no apologies.Where to bury [redacted] - 200 pages for a burial scheme!?!?!??! I think Clavell was thinking a little too much about his impending mortality (he died one year after it was published). Boring Characters that go nowhere - There is no less than 30 characters in this book that have no use to the plot and no draw to the reader.I suck - for taking 4 months of useful reading time to finish this 1300 page book, 6 pages at a time before bed. I suck.
What do You think about Gai-Jin (1994)?
Actually, I would respectfully submit that it does fill in some gaps between "Tai-Pan" and "Noble House," such as how Tess Struan became known as the Hag, and how Rothwell-Gornt became the successor to Brock and Sons. Also gives some backstory on what happened in Japan after the events of Shogun, especially the legacy and descendants of Lord Toranaga and (to a much letter extent) the legendary Anjin-san, John Blackthorne.
—Frank Pinelander
Aside a few mistakes (contradictions with earlier novels, such as the mention of May-May being Gordon Chen's mother when in Tai-Pan, she was not, among other things), this was a decent read.Like Tai-Pan, this plodded in some places, particularly through the later half of the book, but Clavell was rather ill and died shortly after finishing this. In my opinion, Shogun remains the best of the lot.Like Tai-Pan, the ending disappointed me. The reason I loved Shogon so much was because Blackthorne was completely immersed in Japanese culture and had to learn his way through or die. In Tai-Pan and Gai-Jin, much of the novel is centered on the actions of the Europeans, something I did not have too much interest in. I would have preferred to have a Shogun-esque story where the main character has to learn to acclimate to Chinese culture.The writing style though is solid, and is clearly well-researched, a definite plus for this book. I only wish that there was at least a chapter from Culum, Tess, and Gordon Chen's points of views, to show what has happened to them since Tai-Pan, and what happened to the deal set between Dirk and Jianqua, of which there is NO mention at all in Gai-Jin. It was a decent continuation of Tai-Pan in my opinion, but not as wonderful as Shogun. Overall, 3.5 out of five stars for this book.
—Delicious Strawberry
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.
—Christian Orr
