James Clavell (1921–1994)

I couldn't wait for this book to end. Boring and repetitive, sycophantic ("please grant me permission me to kill myself, sire") characters everywhere. Plot so convoluted and non-sensical, I rarely knew what was going on. The thinking ten, twenty moves ahead on the n-dimensional chessboard that was feudal Japan according to Clavell, made no sense at all. The spoiled nobility had no wisdom to offer. There were rare moments of courage in the thousand pages, but little else to propel me though show more this contrived, tedious narrative. What a waste of time. I would give it zero stars if it was possible. show less

I had read Clavell's other novels earlier this year. But it took me several months to get around to reading Whirlwind, the last of his Asian Saga chronologically. I simply didn't want to take on the Iranian Revolution, especially having dealt with its ramifications over the span of several decades earlier in my life.

Yet this turned out to be a mistake. Whirlwind is one of his better works, superior to Noble House and Gai-Jin and on a par with Shogun and a notch below Tai-Pan. It's also a show more departure in both style and format from Clavell's other works. Shogun and Tai-Pan were Occidental forays into the exoticism of the Orient. And at the same time, they were hard edged philosophical works expounding upon Clavell's libertarianism. Gai-Jin was a somewhat disappointing sequel to those two. Meanwhile, Nobel House is pure soap opera, a 1400 page story, as one wag put it, of Ian Dunross getting a loan. Aside from these, there is Clavell's first published book in the series, King Rat, which stands apart as a work of serious literature.

Whirlwind is different from all the above. Its epic scope is grander; its story more multifaceted; its genre, an historical political intrigue, something new as well. All of it weaving in six separate stories. In fact, Whirlwind could be said to contain six interrelated separate novels brought together under one overarching drama. Too, this is Clavell's only published novel that is contemporaneous to the events it described--Clavell having undertaken its writing in the immediate aftermath of the Iranian Revolution.

What of Whirlwind itself? As usual with Clavell, the story is compelling, an addicting read. Clavell is a master of the "and then" moment which most successful popular authors must have. No purple prose, here. Just raw, pithy descriptions served on a platter of adventure and mystery. There is a little romance as well, although that is by far the weakest element of the book.

And the most interesting figure of novel? Perhaps the mullah Hussain, whose ambiguous thoughts carry us through the last few pages. A threat or a promise? Both? How odd, finally, to have the chronological story of the Struans end on a mountainside in northwestern Iran. Leaving the reader to deal with chaos breaking out back in the home berth of the saga, Hong Kong and the Far East. Would that Clavell had had the opportunity to tell us more about the Noble House. What would he have made of his precious China in the year 2018? show less

In this very slight short story, packaged in book form as a novella with many blank pages, Clavell focuses on an elementary school classroom immediately after a war, when the victors have made control of the educational institutions in an unnamed western country—evidently the US—a priority. Dressed in olive drab, a young, pretty, fresh-smelling nineteen-year-old enters the classroom. She is “New Teacher”. In her light, entirely unaccented, perfect English, she directs the show more children’s frightened teacher, an old-school elderly spinster, to the principal’s office, and then proceeds with an expert deconstruction of the American pledge of allegiance. In a few short minutes, the flag is dismantled—its cloth is cut, a piece is distributed to each student, and the flag pole is tossed out the window. God is shown not to exist, and prayer is, of course proved to be utterly ineffectual. No one, other than another human, will give you anything, New Teacher says. “Praying to God or anything or anyone is a waste of time.” In sweet tones, she also undermines parents and their old-fashioned ideas. The grown-ups with “bad thoughts” are being sent back to school to unlearn them. In fact, the father of Johnny, the only resistant student in the class, is one of them. Ultimately, though, even he submits to the teacher’s charm and gentle reprogramming. Candy is enough to gain power over his classmates, but New Teacher has to expertly employ a different strategy with him. She acknowledges—strokes—his intelligence and need for power by appointing him class monitor.

The last few pages of this little book present a reproduction of Clavell’s scrawling handwritten explanation of the genesis of the story. According to this account, years ago one of Clavell’s children asked for a dime as a reward for quickly, accurately, and fluently reciting the pledge of allegiance—without comprehending a single word of what she was saying. This apparently concerned him greatly. Not understanding what you’re signing on to, obediently and unquestioningly doing what you’re told, and being rewarded for easy compliance, as the story illustrates, sets you up to be indoctrinated, controlled, and exploited by others (including pretty, olive-drab-clad young women who are cogs in Dear Leader’s communist, atheistic oppressive system).

This is a facile, underwhelming little story, dressed up as a cautionary tale. It’s not quite clear whether the author thinks the pledge is a bad thing in itself (though I detected a slight whiff of horror at the possibility of a nation’s religion and belief in God being erased). What Clavell seems to be concerned about is citizens, even the youngest, not being encouraged to think about what they’ are taught. When an educational system values and fosters obedience and compliance in children, it consequently plays a major role in creating a society whose citizenry is vulnerable to manipulation and control—by its own government and others.

Who can argue with that? show less

This story takes place in a classroom somewhere in the U.S., with the feeling that a war has been lost. A new teacher is brought in to educate the youngsters while the old teacher is sent to the principal’s office, never to be seen again. This new teacher is young, enthusiastic, and friendly – exactly the type of person that sends warning signals to an adult, but easily wins over children with her alleged logic about loyalty and symbols, religion, and patriotism.

When one boy argues they show more always begin the day with the Pledge of Allegiance, she acquiesces then challenges the children to explain what it means. She kindly questions everything they have to say, gently leading them toward what we know to be the new party line.

An excellent short story that will make you angry and horrified. It warns how easily children can be manipulated by adults. A quick read at only 96 pages, it will, nonetheless, stay with you for a long time. show less