Shogun (Asian Saga, 1)

Wow. Yep, that's a five star book. And a long one at that! Over 1,100 pages of small type, coming to together into one hell of a story. I took my time with this, savoring it, and I'm impressed by James Clavell. He has crafted a story here that picks you up and places you, no, forcesyou into 1600 Japan. Studied historians may disagree (or may not, I don't know), but wow did he do an excellent job of immersing you in Japanese culture of that time. Through the eyes of stranded English pilot John Blackthorne (who will come to be known as Anjin) the reader is shown a living, breathing Japan. The discipline, the manners, the political manuevering, the brutality and utter loyalty of the Samurai; we get a front row seat. As Blackthorne deals with the language barrier and tries to survive in a foreign land, so too do we. Japan is subject to a precarious peace with the recent death of the Taiko, the once-peasant conqueror of Japan who has left behind a sole heir not yet old enough to inherit power. The Council of Regents attempts to hold the country together as all of its major players cultivate their own ambitions; Ishido and master strategist Toranaga chief among them. The presence of the Christian faith, brought to the island by the Portuguese; key trade partners and now residents of Nagasaki, complicates the political climate even further. The stage is set for a memorable tale. Beyond an intriguing plot Clavell cultivates some truly beautiful scenes, and has brought to life an enormous cast of characters, all with their own motives, loyalties, and dreams. Blackthorne, Toranaga, Mariko, Yabu, Alvito, Omi, Buntaro, the list goes on (and on). Yoshi Toranaga was an absolute thrill to read about; and god help anyone who thinks they've gotten the better of him. Though the book was lengthy, it could have easily continued with no complaint from me. Clavell has carved out a piece of time here and given us the full story, with a tangible feeling that the story had been barreling along before we were privy to it, and would continue to do so when we were done. I suppose I'll take that as a sign that I should read the next book in his Asian Saga. I did not choose to be what I am. It is my karma.

This is one of the best books ever written, and that is the hill I will die on. It just has everything for me. Great characters that are very well written, amazing storyline and plot set in Japan in the 17th century with awesome samurai, and a beautiful love story. Amazing historical fiction that everybody should read.

First off, I find it odd that at the time I'm writing this review the Kindle edition is not available in the U.S. (I purchased it nearly a year ago for my Kindle in the U.S.). Aside from that, this has been the first time I've tackled a novel of such epic proportions from the size of the novel to the extent of the story and more. I was never much of a literary type, and I've generally been ignorant when it comes to the great works and authors of the 20th century with the exception of those famous authors every high schooler reads. Now as I approach middle age, I've chosen to tackle works and authors that seem to be accepted or destined to be classics. Shogun was a different type of novel for me in the sense that it is historical fiction set in Japan. Having been to Japan, I was curious to read this book. I am not sorry I did. The beauty of this book is that the story fantastically tells a story about Japan that serves perhaps a greater purpose in relating the culture of the country. While the setting may be centuries ago, the cultural aspects seem well connected to what I experienced in my own travels. There is something peaceful in the exotic nature of the Japanese Culture, and this book really sucks one into it. The narrative is fantastic from the point of view of the English ship pilot, Blackthorne. I'll have to admit that I was surprised to find this character and point of view right from the beginning. Only knowing the title of the book, I had thought I might have the wrong book even, but once the English ship becomes stranded in Japan, those thoughts vanished. It then becomes apparent that James Clavell intended Blackthorne in a dual role. Not only is he the protagonist of the story, he is the link between the Western and Eastern world. I really felt that as the story progressed and Blackthorne becomes Japanese through his own awareness of the culture, so did I. It is a story that leaves one feeling accomplished and educated. While the plot itself has its ups and downs be it political corruption, strife, conflict, etc., I felt I achieved something and obtained something from a novel that is not often obtained from the books I've read. As for the Kindle edition... I loved it. This book is a monster from what I've seen at book stores. The presentation and editing seem perfect. I was a bit concerned this would be an OCR'd copy, and it may be, but it is well edited. There have been some rare typos (I've noticed 2 over the whole book). My only other complaint is that there are certain words that are italicized repeatedly that feel a little silly (e.g. ninja towards the end of the book), but that may very well have been in the original printings. The Kindle format kept the size of the novel from being intimidating although I often wish the Kindle itself could hide the progress bar and percentage. I'm not a fast reader, and it was disheartening at times to spend an hour reading only to find I've gone 1 or 2% on the progress bar.

I read this book decades ago and recently re-read it to see if it impressed me as much as it did then. What I didn't know the first time I read it, was that it is based on fact and some of the main characters were based on real people. Thank you, Wikipedia, for enlightening me! Re-reading it with this in mind, I see that it is a masterpiece of a novel, nearly 1,000 pages of history, culture, devious plotting, but most of all a tribute to the culture of Japan. Westerners may find it difficult to understand or accept the ideals that are often opposite to ours. Where we prize individuality, they value uniformity and obedience. While so many of us are adrenaline junkies, even armchair ones anchored to video games, Japanese are more attuned to the natural world and strive for harmony. But back to the story, which focuses on a pivotal moment in Japanese history: when the first Protestant ship landed in 1600, beginning the end of Catholic influence in the land. At the same time, the great daimyos were battling among themselves for power. John Blackthorne, an English pilot, becomes the protégé of one of those daimyos, Lord Toranaga. Lady Mariko becomes the interpreter between them, and ultimately learns to respect the barbarian even as he learns to appreciate this alien culture. Despite carefully constructed scenes and character development, there simply isn't room to provide the complete backstory of each moment. The author solves the problem by allowing the inner thoughts of each character to summarize, which sometimes gives an almost humorous effect. Someone says "Hello", and their inner dialogue covers years of deceit, treachery and revenge before the other person returns the greeting. But overall, this is a terrific book. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in Japan, the Tudor era as experienced in Asia, and intricate plotting.

This is a classic epic tale. Using the classical format of a foreigner in a unknown world, discovering, befriending and raising through the ranks. But in reality, behind the main plot it is a tale to tell the reader about the wonderful and strange world of Japan. It is truly a must read, since it is so big, I waited 20 years to read it, but I regret it as I should have jumped on it already back in time. Even though I do give it five stars it does also have some problems as other reviewers also have noted: The plot evolves extremely slow at times, (but luckily plenty of things are happening, unlike other large books where things often is at a stand still.) The explanation of karma is the popular western version, and not the deep original version, and once presented it is repeated way too many times in the book, it is almost like the writes lets everything just be explained by karma and whooopie here we go. In the second part the books changes a lot, somehow the telling style and the paste changes, making everything less personal and more event driven. It is like playing the original Dune game, where you first was in an adventure game, and suddenly in the end it becomes a stragegy game. However there is a reason for this, the writers wants to detach the reader from the personal commitments we have had to the events, and the people. So that it feels less bad, when events evovle in a not always happy way. I would say that is the second most clever portion of the book, as it lets us be upset, but not too upset to accept the actual story. The most clever portion of this book is the complex love story (actually stories) which is told, which divides but also connects such different worlds. In the end this book is a must read, and it will also teach you alot of interessting things about Japan. The book is inspired by real events, so this is not just your everyday ficiton. And it might even give you some deeper insight of life that you can carry with you as a gift.

I love historical fiction - my degree is in English and I have a minor in history - although nothing in Asian history; however, I have been studying Buddhist philosophy for about 10 years, so I have some perspective. I love the meshing of cultures - Blackthorn from 17th century Christian culture with all it's implicit biases about diet, religion, social structure, life and life after death, the value of human life - is tossed into Japanese culture, Buddhist/Shinto religion and philosophy, class structures, diets, cleanliness, justice systems. Exceptionally well-written. Clavell weaves an intricate plot that makes anticipating the next turn virtually impossible. Fully developed characters slowly revealed over several hundred pages, causing the reader to reevaluate assumptions about the character, as well as the reader's inherited beliefs about our western cultural heritage. I read this novel for the first time about 20 years ago and revisit it every 4 or 5 years - I'm never disappointed, always see something new, and it always leaves me thinking. When people as me to recommend a novel I always suggest Shogun. "1200 pages!?" Yup, but you'll be wishing it was longer when you get to the end. Another all time great novel: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry - 800+ pages, but always leaves me longing for more.

Shogun is a very lengthy historical novel set in Japan. It begins in the late 1500s. The protagonist is an Englishman who has sailed to Japan. Then ensues a clash of culture, adventure story. The story is fiction based on historical events. In that context I learned a good deal by independently studying aspects of this story. The Japanese are involved in political intrique that has literally life and death consequences. In that context the novel reminds me of a Shakespeare Play, or political intrique in American politics. Speaking for myself, I have never been able to cope with such environments and would ended up as political "road kill". In America that proved figurative. In this novel it becomes literal. As with other extremely lengthy novels, there are times the story moves slowly. I read some unrelated non fiction along the way to keep the reading experience fresh. I also read this novel while listening to the audiobook, narrated by Ralph Lister. This added to the expense, but the audiobook was excellent and added to the experience for me. It is my understanding that this is the first of several historical novels by Mr. Clavell. I have already purchased the second, Tai Pan. However, I need a break from these stories and it will be a while before I read it. That being said, I am very glad I read this novel. Thank You...

Thou. There is a term of endearment said between two characters. It somehow encapsulates the entirety of their emotions for each other. Thou also is how I would address the book Shogun. My absolute love for this sublime historical novel of Feudal Japan. Set in the year 1600, one of our protagonists, John Blackthorne, an English Pilot serving aboard a Dutch ship, shipwrecks onto the coast of Japan. And through him we discover Feudal Japan, a land of samurai and ritual, a land where the Emperor is said to be a scion of the gods but holds only ceremonial power, a land of beauty and ceremony. And oh so different from Elizabethan England. And yet the Pilot from Elizabeth England must somehow navigate the culture of this land. But really Blackthorne, is not at the center of the book. Both he and his love story are important, But both he and Mariko, a Japanese Christian who speaks Portuguese, Latin, and Japanese and acts as Blackthorne's interpreter for much of the novel, are pawns in a much larger chess game. At the center of the book is Japan and its people. Japan in 1600 is unstable because the former leader - the Taikō - died early and left a too young heir. Now there is a Council of Regents to lead Japan during the youth of the heir, but that Council is divided by men who all claim they do not wish to lead alone. But maybe one does want to lead and not give up power to the Taiko's son? Maybe one wants to be the Commander in Chief of Japan - the Shogun! Throughout the book, Clavell brings Japan to life. Its people, their customs, the land itself. Clavell allows the people of Japan to speak. Women. Men. Lords. Ladies. Courtesans. And there are a smattering of outsiders such as Portuguese priests who fear the arrival of Blackthorne and what it means for their religious and economic monopoly in Japan. And they fear Spain and its representatives in Japan too for the land of Portugal itself was swallowed up by Spain only 20 years ago and the monopoly the Portuguese hold on Japanese trade is now threatened by Spain and by Blackthorne. Beginning Shogun is beginning a long journey to Japan. Ending Shogun is like losing a very good friend; there is great sadness in finishing the book. It will move you. It will make you want to learn everything you can about Japan and its people. Clavell truly wrote a masterpiece that will speak across the years.