Preview
  • Gai-Jin

  • The Epic Novel of the Birth of Modern Japan
  • By: James Clavell
  • Narrated by: John Lee
  • Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,640 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Gai-Jin

By: James Clavell
Narrated by: John Lee
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $23.36

Buy for $23.36

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

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.
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks for Dads


Let's show our appreciation for fathers—whether they're a birth parent, an adoptive parent, a father figure, or a dad-to-be. We all know how important these men are, and if you’re looking for the perfect gift for the dad in your life, an audiobook might just fit the bill. No matter your dad’s favorite genre, you’ll find the perfect listen in our guide, from informative histories to crime thrillers to touching memoirs to great celebrity comedies and beyond. Our collection of the best audiobooks for dads is sure to entertain and inspire.

What listeners say about Gai-Jin

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,002
  • 4 Stars
    429
  • 3 Stars
    152
  • 2 Stars
    40
  • 1 Stars
    17
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,125
  • 4 Stars
    248
  • 3 Stars
    76
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    10
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    848
  • 4 Stars
    361
  • 3 Stars
    190
  • 2 Stars
    42
  • 1 Stars
    24

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Compared to Taipan and Shogun this was mediocre.

Shogun in Taipan are epic books by the same author. This book was much less engaging. In addition, the performance was not as compelling. This may be due to the lack of depth and relation to some of the characters. The voices of all the Japanese characters sounded very similar. Also some of the Japanese word pronunciation was incorrect. If you don't speak Japanese then that won't bother you. This book was just okay. I'm glad I finished it, but I'm also glad it's over.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

great book. I'm sad to see it end.

I had hoped for an ending as legendary as shogun and tai pan. this book was good all the way through.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

In so many ways so much better than a movie

Books have such better character development and plot and scenery if you use your imagination. This is a fantastic way to enjoy James Clavell's brilliant writing, and the performance enriches the remake with the accents and characters and inflections.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars

John Lee's telling of this story was excellent.

Another Clavell work that is excellent in both depth of character and story. Please to anyone interested start with Shogun and follow the tale. You will enjoy the journey.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Awful reading

The reading of this book was awful. The accents were terrible and often the book would say a person yelled or raised their voice and the reader would actually read it quieter. The book itself wasn’t as good as the first two but wasn’t awful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent and riveting

The narrator did an amazing job with all the voices and accents. Really enjoyed listening to this epic story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gotta love Clavell!

I truly enjoy all of his novels. So rich in history, detail and culture.

The reading and acting are superb!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not as good as Shogun or Tai Pan but still good

not as good as the first two chronological books but still good. the ending was better than expected.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Another James Clavell Book

This is the third book I read from the Asian Saga series. I have come to expect James Clavell' novel to have extensive background and details of building his characters and the storyline. I have enjoyed the first two books of the series, but I just cannot stomach this one. Maybe because I finished reading Sho-Gun then went straight to Gai-Jun. The storyline and the plot twists were all so familiar.

Even though I came to appreciate the amount of details he put into developing all the characters for the first two books, I have grown tired of learning every tiny detail. Imagine writing a novel of everything you do in all 365 days of the year. That's how I feel about reading these books. After listening to 30+ hours, I just had to stop. I really wanted to like this one as I had enjoyed the previous two, but it was becoming too much of the same thing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Typical Clavell Brilliance

If you enjoyed the first two of Clavell's Asian Saga, Gai-Jin won't disappoint. Maybe not as good as Shogun, but then again, what is? John Lee's reading was very good as usual.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful