# Any James Clavell, Barry Eisler, or Belle & Sebastian Fans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909 "2005-09-16T02:29:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shibumi\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Shibumi\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shibumi_II)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909/1 "2005-09-16T02:29:52Z")
James Clavell- author of such masterpieces as Shogun and King Rat. Pick one up only if you want an adventure and you have time to spare (average of 1000+ pages each). After getting through the tedious part of learning the characters and their motives, it is your highest priority in life to find out how they turn out. Barry Eisler - a great new writter that writes great hit man novels. After you read him, your old childhood fantasies of becomming a hired hit man will come flying back to you. [Belle & Sebastian](http://www.belleandsebastian.com/home.php) - great band that you just need to hear in order to tell whether or not you like them or not. I know it seems as if im just promoting my favorites (I am) but it would also be nice to see if anyone out there shares my interests. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909/2 "2005-09-16T02:34:52Z")
I love Belle and Sebastian, and there have been a few threads about them on the SDMB: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=270552&highlight=belle+sebastian](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=270552&highlight=belle+sebastian) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=252960&highlight=belle+sebastian](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=252960&highlight=belle+sebastian) Aw nuts… here are all the threads that came up upon searching for “belle and sebastian”: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=1131128&pp=25&page=1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=1131128&pp=25&page=1) ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909/3 "2005-09-16T02:36:46Z")
After hearing “Step Into My Office Baby” on a local college station, I had to check out B & S. I do like _Dear Catasrophe Waitress_ quite a bit, though the overall vibe is, errm, a bit twee? I especially like “You Don’t Send Me.” ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909/4 "2005-09-16T03:03:27Z")
> [@Mal Adroit](#): > > After hearing “Step Into My Office Baby” on a local college station, I had to check out B & S. I do like _Dear Catasrophe Waitress_ quite a bit, though the overall vibe is, errm, a bit twee? Shit, that was considered their _dark_ album. If you think that stuff’s twee, wait until you hear _Tigermilk_! ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909/5 "2005-09-16T03:09:06Z")
So warned! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909/6 "2005-09-16T03:23:35Z")
> [@Shibumi II](#): > > James Clavell- author of such masterpieces as Shogun and King Rat. Pick one up only if you want an adventure and you have time to spare (average of 1000+ pages each). After getting through the tedious part of learning the characters and their motives, it is your highest priority in life to find out how they turn out. > > \. I devoured Clavell years ago. I got stuck on _Whirlwind_ Maybe I should try again. I’ve never been big on hit men, but I see you like Trevanian as well. My fav was _The Loo Sanction_ (1972) I’d forgotten all about him… so who else have I forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909/7 "2005-09-16T03:39:50Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I devoured Clavell years ago. I got stuck on _Whirlwind_ Maybe I should try again. I was like that, too. Devoured most of Clavell as a kid, almost the entire series (Shogun, Tai-Pan, Noble House, and King Rat) then got stuck on Whirlwind when I found it. It’s really very good, but the problem with it, I think, is that it takes even longer than usual for him to build up the characters to the point where you really care about them. The only one left for me to get is Gai-Jin (I’ve been told that Escape is just Whirlwind Lite)… I assume I’ll get around to it eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-james-clavell-barry-eisler-or-belle-sebastian-fans/321909/8 "2005-09-16T03:55:28Z")
If you like B&S, may I suggest the relatively unknown [Kings of Convenience](http://www.kingsofconvenience.com/). Great band.