... bit long being four books in total but a great read nonetheless
935128
A bit long being four books in total but a great read nonetheless. Written in true Twain style with his signature wit intact.
3313192
This book is notably longer than the first 4.  The first half of the book is the best of all of them.  However, the second half of the book would have been better as its own story.

Also, I was afraid this book wouldn't be the same since the author changed.  However, he did a very good job with dialogue and style, keeping true to the first 4.  In fact, his stories were better. More complexity (although still an easy read) that made them enjoyable and deeper than most westerns.  However, split this book into two.
577762
I was surprised I liked the book so much, you really do need all four books which is the down fall of this book. It could've been a two to three book series....
4791775
This is the fourth of five excellent volumes in Clavell's asian masterworks. It reads well, connects well to the other volumes, and is a massive read compared to most works of fiction. This book is the shortest of the set, quite short in fact in comparison, but still about normal book length.

The Kindle version I received contained extra sections that were edited out of the original work, and frankly, I can see why. After reading a bit of the extra content, and knowing how the book was originally structured, I just skipped the new stuff (frankly, I think the original editor was right: it doesn't fit or flow well.) You should read the introduction, which explains the rationale for including this other material.

Having said that, still, highly recommended both on its own and as the fourth in the whole series. Be sure to read the books in order for the most enjoyment; they're connected although quite distant in time from one another, and by reading them in order, the history of the current book you're reading will be deeper and your comprehension of what is going on, and why, will be much better:

1) Shogun -- read first
2) Tai-pan
3) Gai-jin
4) King Rat
5) Noble House -- read last
1000162
I really liked the way this book wove in the three preceeding books and brought them all to a conclusion. I did think it weird that it took the fourth book of a trilogy to do that.
3847355
Very good

Read in conjunction with its three predecessors, I like the building sense of descending melancholy as things approach their end.

The last 30 or 40 pages hurt, but it was wasn't avoided. There were no last minute escapes or desperate plans.

You do get the sense that entire chapters of potential story were cut (or never written) in order to get the book to its conclusion within the existing word count. Months and years of "adventure" are just summed up in a sentence or two.

I'm very much looking forward to the last book.
3116012
Did not know the book would be 800 pages long when I bought it at first, but it was a great read nonetheless. Wasn't too familiar with American History from the JFK time period, so some parts of the books that had real life historical figures were hard for me to fully appreciate, but my limited knowledge did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel.

If you enjoy the TV Series, I would recommend the novel as it presents a different take on the same story, a take I personally enjoyed a lot more.
3479963
I enjoyed this book serie for many reasons, but honestly its mostly to do with the scaling that takes place over the course of all the books. Its not rushed but still fun and the author does a great job of pulling the "ol switcheroo" on you, you think you see something coming but then something that took place 3 books before becomes relevant. Ill be waiting for the next book.
2026350
The third installment in the Long Pass Chronicles Series, i was interested to see how Tara, the author, would portray Dennis as a hero since in previous books hes been the bad guy.  As the saying goes Not everything is as it seems.

I loved the first two books in the series for various different reasons.  The characters, their stories, the obstacles they each had to overcome to be their true selves these are just some of the main ones.  With Tackling the Tight End I find myself liking the book a lot more than loving it.  The writing is still strong, and I enjoyed the diversity as well.

There was just something - maybe it was Dennis home situation that was just way too much; that he went along with it as long as he did; his lack of sharing/providing information about his past/home life that could have proven helpful I cant pinpoint it exactly.

Overall a really good read that moves the series along.  Im extremely happy Tara includes diverse characters in her stories adding a deeper level of realism to heartfelt stories.
1221452
This is the fourth and final book in The Raj Quartet by Paul Scott. I found it to be a little more tedious than the first three, as though Scott needed to get in more of the politics and history before he finished. These four books need to be read in order--they can't stand alone. The story is of the end of the British Raj in India and covers 1942 to 1947. It is full of amazing characters and understanding of the relationships between the British and Indians, told from a British perspective but one that is sympathetic to the views of Indians as they sought and then achieved independence from Great Britain. Overall, I give the whole series five stars, with this fourth book being slightly less captivating than the first three. But this is the volume that wraps up all the stories--not neatly, because the Raj didn't end neatly. I lived in Pakistan in 1961-62, and so these books brought back many memories and rung very true to me. Really amazing storytelling.
339282
I do wish there was a bit more to the ending, but other than that it was a great read
1395385
I wish this had been finished, but nevertheless a great read.
3937028
Found the story great and loved how the book was anywhere from about 50 to 100 pages longer than the previous books.
I noted than in this book and the previous ones in the series there would by a mistyped words such as using "be" instead of "me" I haven't noticed many but as i get enticed by reading i read the 400 page book in around 8 hours
781947
This was a great series of books with the exception of the last one.....and the last one wasn't terrible just so ......different in subject matter that I am still deciding if I can handle it. I loved all the stories and how they all intertwined so well.out of all the men I love Thierry the most and Rance the least. I can handle alpha males but he is borderline nuts and a little over the top for my taste.what happened with the grandma eventually didn't sit well with me although I understand the circumstances but by the end and the final book the timeline was a little thrown off for me. To sum up,it was well worth reading.
181786
I enjoyed all 3 books tremendously. I have not read anything of late that kept me coming back for just one more page as these books did. I finished all 3 books in just over a week - usually I have trouble finding time for reading, but these books had me squeezing in 'just one more section' many times.

I have read a number of the negative reviews and find that most complaints relate to the things I appreciated most. Examples are the plentiful details, the somewhat exaggerated characters, the non-US setting, and the lack of unquestioned reverence. There were some rough spots, which I assume were due to the translator, but they were not intrusive to me. (I read a lot of technical material, so am forced to endure some rather illiterate prose on a regular basis.)

It's a relatively light read, with plenty of detail to give substance. All I can say is try it and see if you like it - if so, you'll probably really like it.
2959348
I read all four books in this series and found each one enjoyable and intriguing.  They may be read individually, although I like how the characters are gradually introduced in the previous books and are expanded on in each successive one.  It makes for a larger story.
845944
The series as a whole is great, all of the books are 4 stars. I really like and dislike how long each story is. I think that if you are one of those detailed people you will love these, if you are wanting to skip through a lot of the extra and just want a quick story this is not for you. This is long and like I said very detailed. You will be reading for a while so keep that in mind before buying.

Because there is so much details, this is good and bad. I wanted to get to the point of each book and it just kept going like the energizer bunny. At the same time I wonder if it didn't have so much detail if I would be missing out and wondering. This is the love hate relationship I had the whole time reading. Its debatable. I honestly don't know what more readers could ask for other than different POV's. Everything is covered thoroughly.

It goes from the past to the present constantly. I felt like it could be a written form of Law and Order. That's the best way to describe it for me. There's enough left out that makes it a mystery if you will. I enjoyed my time with Tony and Claire. I'm looking forward to the next book written from Tony's POV.

I would recommend. Its not for everyone and should be only read by 18+.