Shogun: A Novel of Japan (Paperback)

Shogun is a highly entertaining story with many twists and side-stories, set in the bizarre surroundings provided by feudal Japan and is, by itself, a very good and interesting read. However, the real genious of Clavell's work only becomes apparent when you begin to realize that, perhaps for the first time of your life, you really feel that you are begining to "understand" the complex and confusing phenomenon that is Japanese culture.

I think that Shogun (and, for that matter, most of Clavell's other books of the "Asian Saga") is a 'must read' for anyone with an interest in Asian culture...

And it is his portrait of the Japanese, his lovingly detailed characterizations of Toranaga, Mariko, Omi and their deeply intertwined interactions with the English pilot Blackthorne that defines and breathes life into this breathtakingly large and complex story of love, war, and political intrigue. And these characters are not static. Each grows and changes as events unfold, most especially Blackthorne himself, growing from a totally self-centered 'barbarian' of unclean habits to a person who can appreciate the beauty, intelligence, and moral rectitude of others, who comes to care deeply for those around him, who comes to understand a philosophy of life totally different from that of his own culture. Mariko develops into a very strong woman, far from the stereotypical picture of Japanese ladies. Toranaga develops slowly, mostly in the background, but by the end of the book his abilities as a master strategist and his carefully controlled ambitions become obvious. The reader will eventually take each of these characters into his heart, will live right along with them and their problems, cares, successes, and failures, until they are almost more real than the mundane world the reader inhabits.

Is this book totally historically accurate? No, but it doesn't really need to be. It is a fictional account of one of the defining moments of Japanese history, with all the requirements of a work of fiction, written for a Western audience, and certain items have yielded to literary license to make the story more approachable by the reader. Certainly Toranaga would not have played chess, but would Western readers have understood 'Go' as metaphor for Toranaga's deep political machinations? But these are very minor distortions of the historical record. As a story, a tale of high adventure, as a hard look at alternative life philosophies, as an exposition of a very exotic time, place, and culture, this work succeeds on almost every level. This is an excellent read that will expand your horizons and enrich your life, entertain you and satisfy your inner craving for something different from the every-day world of today.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)