Tai-Pan - Review
Link to the author's (J. Clavell) personal website
Genre: Fiction
Publication Type: Book
Tags:
- Average Age of Main Characters (28)
- Length (7 / 10)
Series: Asian Saga
Link to Goodreads
Blurb: Dirk Struan was the ruler - the Tai-Pan - of the most powerful trading company in the Far East. He was also a pirate, an opium smuggler, a master manipulator of men, a ruthless intriguer and a mighty lover.
Set in the turbulent days of the founding of Hong Kong in the 1840s, Tai-Pan is the exciting story of a man and an island. For Dirk Struan was determined to transform the barren island called Hong Kong into the brightest jewel of the British Empire. And the opium run was the surest most dangerous way for him to achieve riches beyond imagination....
Review: A beautiful thriller based around Hong Kong and merchant competition. I loved the rivalry between Struan and Brock, and found that the book had a deep cast of interesting characters. The side characters were given time enough to flesh out their distinctive personalities, and the story utilised them really well. I'm a bit of a sucker for merchant based plots and this hit the sweet spot for me, so might be a bit biased.
The author did a great job of describing Hong Kong during the time period, and it elevated the already good story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the authors interpretation of Hong Kong during the time, and how it bled out and influenced the characters. I also have to credit the setup for future books, which I believe was done gorgeously and is a great example of a self-contained book that leaves room for a larger series. Massive recommend from me, and doubly so because it's the prequel to Noble House that is somehow even better.
See the series review here.