King Rat

Clavell's story of POWs in a brutal Japanese camp is brilliantly narrated by David Case. The characters and their reactions to prison life vary greatly. However, the King (an American) uses everyone for his own end; he's a master manipulator who keeps his victims perplexed as he routinely abuses them. Case's greatest asset is that he doesn't go to any narrative extremes--no matter how tempting the bleak and brutal story becomes. Each character, whether Australian, English, Scottish, is given distinction, with the Japanese and the female characters (few but vital to the story) being particularly effective. KING RAT offers an incomparable listening experience. S.G.B. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

February 1, 2000
King Rat is named after the central character in Clavell's spellbinding masterpiece about the brutality of prison camp life in Japanese-occupied, World War II Malaya. The King, an American corporal, seeks to dominate both captives and captors by his courage, profound insight into human frailties, and pragmatic American business techniques in a class-ridden society where Japanese and British actions are bound by bankrupt codes of "honor." The novel, originally published in 1962, is made more engrossing by flashbacks to the home front. Reader David Chase superbly transfers Clavell's genius as a writer to this superb audio. His skill lies in communicating the author's uproarious black humor and in his fabulous timing and phraseology. Highly recommended.--James Dudley, Westhampton Beach, NY

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