Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps it is different for you..., 10 Oct 2006
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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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping read., 28 Dec 2007
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". The poetic translation and the nuances were really good and yet I found myself stumbling on the poor Japanese conversation, which was a real shame for me.
In the final few chapters, Mr Spence attempts to tie the loose ends together; Unfortunately the story of the formere mistress and her son seemed a little disjointed from the main story, though I liked the ambiance of the sorrow of missed opportunity and acceptance of such karma. I am also not too convinced of the title of the book, "the Pure Land", which is a buddhist term refering to afterlife and it seemed strange for describing the life of the man who seemed so "alive" in most of the book.
But overall, it was a gripping read and I applaud his efforts.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mildly flawed but entertaining, 16 Jul 2007
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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