This was a book club selection. It would not have been a book I would have chosen myself. Story line did not intrigue me. I read..Escape from Camp 14 about Korea and I found that a much better story...probably because it was real...this was a smattering of real history...but I became confused between the Chinese , The North and the South Koreans and what each wanted and what everyone was fighting for...which doesn't surprise me...I always wonder why people want to hate each other so much. I found this book a very violent read...the things that people do to one another...disgusting...and horrible. I didn't like all the sex scenes either...I skipped right over them..they were completely irrevelant to the story...(I don't like those scenes in movies either...less is more....I want to read or hear about the hero picking up the girl and taking her to the bedroom, a big, grand gesture...and leave it there...I already know what goes on in the bedroom and I find it completely boring to read about it on the printed page...it is merely a filler..and no point to it). In the end, this was at best a depressing read...The Headmaster made lots of wagers through out the entire novel....spoiler alert...he lost at every one of them....