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The Pure Land Hardcover – 24 Aug 2006

by Alan Spence (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars 18 customer reviews
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Canongate Books; First Edition edition (24 Aug. 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1841958557
  • ISBN-13: 978-1841958552
  • Product Dimensions: 16 x 3.8 x 24.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,249,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

Alan Spence is an award-winning poet and playwright, novelist and short-story writer. His awards include the McVitie Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year. He is based in Edinburgh, where he and his wife run the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre. He is Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen, where he is also Artistic Director of the annual Aberdeen WORD Festival. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

A modern epic

A heart-breaking love story

An unforgettable journey of the spirit

The year is 1858. Thomas Glover is a restless young man with dreams of escape. Abandoning his childhood sweetheart, he takes a posting as a trader in Japan. Within ten years he earns a great fortune, learns the ways of the Samurai and helps to overthrow the Shogun.

Yet beneath his astonishing success lies a man cut to the heart by an affair with a beautiful courtesan, a lover who, unknown to Glover, would bear him a son.

'Not merely an engaging and vivid historical novel, but also a meditative work of art that is as finely honed as a Samurai's sword.'

John Burnside, The Times

'Rattles along, grounded in historical research and filled with emotional truths.'

Daily Mail

'Astonishing in its breadth, depth and ambition . . . a beautifully written modern epic.'

Irish Independent

Winner of the Glenfiddich Award

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 starsPerhaps it is different for you...
By Hitsujitsuki on 10 Oct. 2006
Format: Hardcover
The book is certainly exciting - or at least it coveys a sense of excitement and adventure of the ninenteenth century which has probably lost to us. But I could not continue reading, most likely because I am Japanese and there are so many little things in the story that have troubled me. The Japanese characters in the book keep saying 'hai, sodesu'. Well, this is what the Japanese might have said to the occupying Americans after WWII. People of the nineteenth century, certainly of the warrior class would not have spoken like this. While there were plenty of impoverished samurai around at that time, no daughter would be sent to a brothel without being cut off from the family, and the depiction of the first wife therefore is very unconvincing. I also sensed a hint of orientalism in his depiction of Japanese women. Well, men are always men, and Western men remains Western, it seems. And I am always puzzled with the over-appreciation of of the influence of Buddhism in Japanese society, present and past, by Western authors - believe me, if you go around saying 'existence is suffering', you would not start a quasi-revolution to modernise/Westernise a country. However, if you are not familiar with Japanese history and society, perhaps this reads like a great story.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsMildly flawed but entertaining
By Ben W on 16 July 2007
Format: Hardcover
As other reviews have suggested, this book does not appear to be a hugely faithful recreation of nineteenth century Japan. I am not an expert but there are several aspects that lack a ring of authenticity.
This is a great shame because it is otherwise a very entertaining book. The era is fascinating and the story is mostly very well done. There are a number of interesting and well-developed characters, although less so on the Japanese side if I'm honest.
So, in essence, a good page-turner if you can just overlook a few flaws.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 starsGripping read.
By Mari Ward on 28 Dec. 2007
Format: Paperback
I stumbled upon this book at the airport when I was looking for something to read to kill the waiting time, and what a find it was!

The story is set at the time a little prior to Tom Cruise's "The Last Samurai". Thomas Glover was a young clerk from Aberdeen, who grabbed the opportunity to work in the newly "opened" Japan in mid 19th century. Now this must have been an interesting time and place to be for an ambitious young man such as he. Since the Opium War in 1840 in neighbouring China, old fasioned Samurais are forced to come to terms that the mideval Japan is in no position to compete with the colonial West, who are eagerly anticipating to runsack and profeteer from Japan also. Civil war ensues, a country divided with those who want to rid themselves of the foreigners, and those who wish to modernise.

Glover throws himself into this world, makes friends and foes, advances himself from a mere clerk to a formidable man of influence who helps Japan become a modern nation, and still manages to find himself some pleasure and comfort in this strange land.

This is based on a true story and you will find his old home on a hill top which is now a museum in Nagasaki to comemorate his achievements. I have visited the place many times but without knowing the true nature of his success until I read the book, and it really made this most interesting bit of history alive to me. I look forward to the cinematisation of this story as promised on the author's note at the end of the book.

Minor criticism is that while the historical events seems mostly accurate, the Japanese conversation seems only a little improved version of that of "Shogun".Read more ›
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3.0 out of 5 starsA big read with a satisfying end
By C. Ellis on 26 Jun. 2007
Format: Hardcover
Let me just start by saying, this book is long! I admit I had high hopes after reading Memoirs of a Geisha and thought this may be along a similar wave length. In many ways it is. You follow the life of one man and see how his and other lives around him change after a life changing move to Japan.

I did skim read the odd paragraph that gave the details of the battles and war. And there were a couple of occaisions that I thought I couldn't be bothered to finish it. However I pushed on and was so glad I did by the end.

Read this if you are up for a long haul read!

You are transported at times to far off places and will want to know where the charcaters lives lead. But at times it may feel like watching the T.V show 'lost'. You want to know how it ends but are not sure you can be bothered with the journey.

If you start it, I recommend finishing it. It is worth the journey when you get there!
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4.0 out of 5 starsA good story in general but some stylistic foibles for this reader
By Philip D. Lawrence on 10 Feb. 2014
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
A compulsive read for the first 95% of the book but at the end it meanders and seems not to know how to close. That was disappointing. However the main body of the book moves along at a decent pace with plenty of plot although it is perhaps rather too easy to see where that is going on many occasions. I'm not too fond of the author's over-reliance on dream imagery but that's just a personal thing.

Thomas Glover is, of course, a real character from the time when Japan was opening up after centuries of being a closed society and the tales related of those times in the narrative are both compelling and - to a great extent - accurate.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 starsI enjoyed learning more of a very different culture

I enjoyed learning more of a very different culture, but not entirely comfortable with mix of fact and fiction. Read more

Published 9 months ago by frankie
4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

I found it fascinating, it may have historical discrepancies here and there, but what a read.

Published 11 months ago by L. Cockburn
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Pure Land

Started in a friend's house so bought it on Kindle to finish it. Thought it an excellent read. Characters full of life. Read more

Published on 6 Jan. 2014 by Mrs. Elizabeth M. Goulder
4.0 out of 5 starsVery good and engaging story

Good, interesting story. Well written and an engaging read.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about interesting and different life experiences.

Published on 16 Nov. 2013 by Barbara Hatton
4.0 out of 5 starsThe Pure Land

This is an excellent docu-drama about Thomas Blake Glover a very complex character who lived in Japan in the 19th century. Read more

Published on 11 Dec. 2011 by Northstar
5.0 out of 5 starsSoul captivating

This beautifully written novel tells Thomas Glover's story in such a way that the reader's attention is held to the very last word. Read more

Published on 25 Aug. 2011 by Rachael
5.0 out of 5 starsJapanese history

Very interesting book describing the customs and the life in Japan before industry was developed in the country. Very well written and easy to read. Excellent. Read more

Published on 11 Jan. 2010 by Dr. Milena Sinclair
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Pure Land

I thought this book was very entertaining with characters you wanted to know. The plot was exciting and romantic, set in a fascinating time. Read more

Published on 28 Aug. 2009 by W. Johnston
2.0 out of 5 starsA tedious slog of a read

A boring slog of a read lacking in both action and interest. Unconvincing and showing little grasp of Japanese culture in the 1860's.

Published on 18 April 2009 by Tome Raider
1.0 out of 5 starsAlan Spence, The pure Land

It was great to be able to read a review on this book by a Japanese. I hope she/he does not mind if I use her view on this book for our book club for which we are reading this... Read more

Published on 22 Feb. 2009 by M. K. Brewster

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