Shogun (The Asian Saga Chronology)
by James Clavell
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Book Summary Information
Author: James ClavellEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-05-19
ISBN: 0385343248
Number of pages: 1008
Publisher: Delta
Book Reviews of Shogun (The Asian Saga Chronology)
Book Review: A brilliant success! Enjoyable, educational, and inspirational
Summary: 5 Stars
This is easily one of the most enjoyable and rewarding historical fiction novels I've ever read. John Blackthorne's adventures in pre-industrial Japan immerse the reader in the rich Samurai culture of that time in a way that is simply amazing. The drama, suspense, and action of SHOGUN are absolutely top-notch, making this much more than just an educational experience about Japanese culture and history, but a highly successful adventure story that keeps the reader engaged throughout the long book. The characters here are also extremely well done, being memorable, unique, and very believable. In all, this book has earned a top place in the list of my favorite books of all time, and I won't hesitate for a second to recommend it to any reader.
Based on the real-life adventures of the English pilot William Adams (1564-1620; named Miura Anjin and Samurai by the future Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu), SHOGUN tracks nicely with actual historical events that led up to the isolationist era in Japanese history. Indeed, nearly all of the characters in this book are based on real Japanese historical figures (but with slightly altered names). Knowing this only helps to make the intense drama of this story that much more powerful. The way James Clavell portrays the culture of the Japanese Samurai is simply amazing. Seemingly authentic, Clavell paints a picture of a proud and honor-obsessed society that, while unforgiving and often brutal, retains a tantalizing beauty and tranquility that the reader (and John Blackthorne) learns to admire. A culture as different from our own as you can imagine, the Samurai way of life as portrayed by Clavell is both scary and oddly attractive. When living around touchy men with swords almost looking for an excuse to test their blades, walking on pins and needles doesn't begin to describe the way Anjin-san must behave to survive. The strict and formal relationships between husband and wife, child and parent, or master and slave is jarringly inconsistent with what we take to be a fair and just society. But the cleanliness, politeness, respectfulness, and spiritual peacefulness are aspects of Clavell's 14-15th century Japan that most will find appealing, and will cause sadness that these times are long past and that this culture has all but disappeared. Certainly my favorite aspect of this book is its reliable-seeming reconstruction of this almost mystical Japan, and the legitimate historical nature of the story.
Of course, this is also a book full of fast-paced action, intense emotion, and engulfing drama. Blackthorne's interactions with the various characters in this book are wide and varied, from deeply connecting with initially strange-seeming people, to hair-raising standoffs with intensely dangerous adversaries. As the Anjin-san becomes immersed in the Samurai culture and begins to appreciate the various aspects of life in Japan, he undergoes one of the most dramatic (but believable) transformations of any I can think of in modern-day literature. Love, hate, peace, and frustration are at continuous conflict in his mind, but as his transformation reaches completeness he gradually learns to accept his karma, and take life as it comes. A very well-done and dramatic story at the heart of this epic novel.
Also, Clavell's writing style in SHOGUN is part of what makes it such a success. The way he is able to switch between different characters' viewpoints without missing a beat (or loosing the reader) is something that I don't believe I have come across before. And it works wonderfully here, as the story flows extremely smoothly from event to event, person to person, keeping the reader fully engaged and allowing Clavell to get whichever perspective would be best for individual situations to the front. Also, his willingness to use Japanese words in the dialogue was highly successful. Again without loosing the reader, Clavell incorporates common Japanese phrases throughout the story, rarely with a direct translation, giving even more authenticity to the already very believable story. Indeed, through the course of reading this book, you'll find that you actually learned a bit of conversational Japanese! If, like me, you find yourself looking forward to seeing your Japanese friends or colleagues so that you can greet them with "Kinnichi wa!", don't be surprised.
In all, I can't recommend this book enough. Well worth the significant amount of time and effort you'll spend on reading this one, SHOGUN succeeds in every way. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Domo Arigato, Mr. Clavell.
Summary of Shogun (The Asian Saga Chronology)
A bold English adventurer. An invincible Japanese warlord. A beautiful woman torn between two ways of life, two ways of love. All brought together in an extraordinary saga of a time and a place aflame with conflict, passion, ambition, lust, and the struggle for power...From the Paperback edition.
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