As the author of a series of popular novels known as the Asian Saga, written between 1962 and 1993, and a talented screenwriter, Clavell often explored the influence of East and West on each other in his works. The heroes of his works are trying to understand the culture and philosophy of Asia. Conflicting relations and conflicts on a national basis, which always lead to human casualties, are shown in his works, because James Clavell until the last days remained an ardent individualist and anti-fascist. A huge influence on the writer's work was made by the experiences and hardships suffered in captivity. Its unbending character was formed during the Second World War, the events of which served as an impetus for the creation of strong-spirit characters, in many ways similar to the author.
Childhood
In the city of Sydney on October 10, 1924, the family of the British Royal Navy captain Richard Clawell replenished - he had a son, James Clavell. The biography of the future writer was full of various changes from an early age. When the baby was only nine months old, the family moved to England. By type of service, Captain Clavell often had to change his place of residence, so James had a chance to visit many port cities. Hong Kong and his father’s stories of adventures on the Yangtze River made a special impression on him . Then the boy became interested in oriental culture and the study of foreign languages.
Youth
Brought up on the stories of his father and grandfather, who was also an officer of the Royal Navy, James Clavell dreamed of a military career. He imagined how he would plow the ocean and perform feats, like the heroes of his favorite literary works. After graduating from high school in Portsmouth, young James, obeying a sense of duty and family traditions, chose a career in the Navy, but because of poor vision he did not pass the selection and in 1940 entered the British Royal Artillery.
War years
When the fire of World War II broke out, James was in Malaysia. In one of the battles, he was wounded, for some time the 18-year-old fighter managed to hide from Japanese soldiers in a local village. But in the end, he was captured and sent first to a prison on the island of Java, and then to the hellish Chang camp near Singapore, where he remained until the end of the war. Writer James Clavell later said that surviving in a prison camp where only one out of 15 experienced torture, illness, and hunger helped him to convince himself that the person was stronger than the circumstances and the environment in which he was located. The author never publicly shared his pain and impressions of the experience, but transferred them to the novel “Rat King”. After being released from captivity, Clavell returns to England, having by that time the rank of captain. James's military career ended after an annoying motorcycle accident that forever left him lame.
Life and career changes
The young man has to reconsider his plans for later life, and in 1946 he enters the University of Birmingham. This decision becomes fatal, because at the university, James Clavell met actress April Stride, feelings flared up between them, and on February 20, 1951, the lovers got married. James later became the happy father of two daughters, Michaela and Holly. Since his wife, by the nature of her activity, spent a lot of time at film studios, Clavell also often had to be there. So unnoticed, James discovered a creative vocation and began to work as a distributor of films.
Screenwriter and Director
In 1953, Clavell decides to try his luck in the United States. Having received an invitation to work in a pilot television project, he moves with his family to New York. He does not manage to achieve the desired results immediately, therefore, in order to feed his family, the future famous writer does not disdain to work as a simple worker during the day and write scripts at night. His talent and interest in cinema give the first serious result in 1958: according to his script, the film “The Fly” is shot, which later became a classic of the thriller. In 1959, the film “Watusi” was released according to the script by Clavell, and although the famous Michael Kane plays the main role in the film, the film did not receive critical reviews from critics. The ambitious screenwriter does not intend to put up with this state of things, he believes that the picture failed due to the incorrect presentation of the plot. Now, James Clavell intends to independently manage the entire production process of the film and in the same year he makes the film “Five Gates to Hell”, where he acts as a screenwriter, director and producer. Then, in 1960, the film “Walk like a Dragon” was shot, and in 1963 the film “Big Escape” saw the light of day. The plot of the film told the story of the escape of prisoners of war from the camp carefully guarded by the Nazis. The film brought Clavell great success and an award from the Screenwriters Guild for the best screenplay of the year. Another change is taking place in the life of the director and screenwriter: in the same year he receives US citizenship.
First novel
Clavell is pleased with the success and beloved work, but they do not help to forget about all the horrors of war and captivity that he went through. The wife advises James to write about those events and express his feelings on paper in order to get rid of the contradictions and personal conflicts ripping him apart, transferring them to the characters of the book. So in 1962, the first novel "The King of Rats" was published, in which the author described much of what was happening in the Changi camp. This is the first book in a series known as The Asian Saga. Later, the American writer James Clavell recalled how hard it was for him to work on the book. Drafts of each page had to be rewritten dozens of times in order to achieve an atmosphere of events taking place in the novel. The book instantly became a bestseller, and three years later a film was made based on the novel.
Writer James Clavell: his works
In 1966, Clavell published the Tai-Pen novel, and although critics are not so unanimous and enthusiastic about the book, over time the novel is made into a movie. Clavell continues to write scripts and make films, usually military-themed or thrillers. The writer publishes the most famous and popular novel “The Shogun” in 1975, the book is sold out in huge print runs, and in 1980 the novel was filmed. The film attracted an audience of over 120 million, and Richard Chamberlain, who played the main role of the British navigator, who found himself in Japan, instantly rose to the top of popularity. On Broadway, the work was staged in 1989, and later a computer game with the same name appeared.
The writer does not bypass the attention of the children's audience, and in 1980 the Children's Story was published. The theme of the East has always been interesting and close to the author, so he continues to work on a series of books from the Asian Saga. In 1981, the book The Noble House was published, telling about the events that took place in the sixties of the twentieth century in Hong Kong. Then, in 1986, the reader gets acquainted with the novel “Whirlwind”, which tells about similar events that took place a decade later in Iran. The cycle ends with the historical novel Gai-Jin, which takes place in nineteenth-century Japan. The book was published in 1993. In addition to writing, screenwriting and directorial work, Clavell, who from childhood was fond of oriental culture and spoke many languages, is engaged in translations of ancient books. So, in 1983 he manages to adapt, translate and publish the famous book of Sun Tzu “The Art of War”.
Personal life and beliefs
Colleagues in the creative workshop noted that the American writer and screenwriter James Clavell had a solid character. He could be stern and coldly polite with people whom he did not know, even if they were influential. The huge success of the author's works made him a millionaire, but at the same time, Clavell never chased money, creativity was always paramount. Publishers say that the writer eschewed advances and did not tolerate the deadlines. He said that he had some capital to write what he considered necessary, at his own pace. His daughters recall that the writer James Clavell was never a public man. Photos, in which the author is depicted at work, make it clear how much creativity meant to him. His family has always been a quiet haven where the writer could hide from the obsessive press. Once he even admitted that he can only trust his wife and daughters in this life. Since the family had enough money, the author often took the helm of his own helicopter and retired to write works in one of several houses located in the USA, Austria or France. Together with his wife, they traveled a lot, especially in Asian countries.
Until the last days, James Clavell continued to work, but many projects were not implemented due to a serious cancer disease, with which he struggled for a long time. Ironically, the writer’s life ended after a stroke that overtook him on September 6, 1994 at a hotel in Vevey in Switzerland. He died a month before his seventieth birthday.