Just grabbed a copy of "Shogun" by James Clavell from a second-hand book shop for 50c. Looks to be a pretty heavy book, the kind that would take me a month or two to finish. I read all the time but I'm not all that fast at it.
Anyone else read it? What did you think?
Anyone read "Shogun" by James Clavell?
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BonsaiSamurai
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Steve Hubbell
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Approximately 1100 pages of good, and I really enjoyed it. I read it about a year or so after I started reading Usagi, so I was definitely into the setting and time period, but was ignorant of all the things that die-hard Japanese historical purists were criticising it for. I re-read it again a bout a year and a half ago and still enjoyed it.
I remember watching some of the segments of the mini-series on television when I was a teenager (dating myself) but missed to much of it to appreciate the overall story back then. I re-watched it after having read the book, which made a big differance.
If you get a chance, check out some of the books about the real person that Blackthorne was modelled upon.
Abayo.....
I remember watching some of the segments of the mini-series on television when I was a teenager (dating myself) but missed to much of it to appreciate the overall story back then. I re-watched it after having read the book, which made a big differance.
If you get a chance, check out some of the books about the real person that Blackthorne was modelled upon.
Abayo.....
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Bryan Stone
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Angelcake the Fox
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Shogun is one of my fav books, by far. James Clavell's Asian Saga is one of the best series in modern popular fiction, as far as I'm concerned.
However, it is true that it isn't exactly historically accurate. However, at the same time it does something that alot of novels about Japan need to do.
It emphasizes the fact that mideval Japan was not an ideal place to live in. We would like to think that it was some kind of ideal world, filled with just rulers, honorable warriors, and beautiful maidens.
However, the sad truth is that it was a violent, bloody world. The caste system was really hard on alot of people. Furthermore, the Shogunate was a cruel, oppressive regieme that held the people under an ironfisted rule, and demanded absolute and upmost loyalty to the point of total submission.
It DID, however, humanize the people of that time period, even if it was just fiction.
Also, I encourage everyone to read up on the man that Blackthorne was based on.....A British navigator named William Adams, who was very fond of the Japanese and its people, even though he ended up there in rather unpleasant circumstances (he was shipwrecked on the island and more or less held prisoner there for the rest of his life). He also was the first foreigner to ever hold the title of Samurai (the Shogun apparently liked the guy a good deal).
However, it is true that it isn't exactly historically accurate. However, at the same time it does something that alot of novels about Japan need to do.
It emphasizes the fact that mideval Japan was not an ideal place to live in. We would like to think that it was some kind of ideal world, filled with just rulers, honorable warriors, and beautiful maidens.
However, the sad truth is that it was a violent, bloody world. The caste system was really hard on alot of people. Furthermore, the Shogunate was a cruel, oppressive regieme that held the people under an ironfisted rule, and demanded absolute and upmost loyalty to the point of total submission.
It DID, however, humanize the people of that time period, even if it was just fiction.
Also, I encourage everyone to read up on the man that Blackthorne was based on.....A British navigator named William Adams, who was very fond of the Japanese and its people, even though he ended up there in rather unpleasant circumstances (he was shipwrecked on the island and more or less held prisoner there for the rest of his life). He also was the first foreigner to ever hold the title of Samurai (the Shogun apparently liked the guy a good deal).
"But you should know this by now, Anjin-san. In this land of tears, death is our heritage."
-JamesClavelall, 'Shogun'
-JamesClavelall, 'Shogun'
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Joshua Pantalleresco
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Jeff_W
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I read Shogun about once every two years, it's a great book... I never got into the rest of Clavell's stuff though I'm not sure why.
Yoshikawa's stuff is incredible, Taiko is way way up on my personal list of books to read/recommend.
Not quite samurai, but this past summer I read the Chinese epic "Three Kingdoms" and that was amazing.
Yoshikawa's stuff is incredible, Taiko is way way up on my personal list of books to read/recommend.
Not quite samurai, but this past summer I read the Chinese epic "Three Kingdoms" and that was amazing.
Knowledge is Power -- Francis Bacon
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Lady Keiko_ronin Usagi
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