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Musashi Eiji Yoshikawa Charles S Terry Edwin O Reischauer Books

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Musashi Eiji Yoshikawa Charles S Terry Edwin O Reischauer Books

True masterpiece, unique in its kind, and superbly written. This is one of the few books which I've read in a long time that I didn't want the story to end. Despite seeming a dauntingly long and hefty novel, the story flows at a neckbreaking pace, full of surprises and clever plots at every turn. The book I would most compare it to is James Clavell's epic "Shogun", but besides the fact that both stories take place more or less in the same time period in Japan (beginning of Edo period), the comparison ends there. Whereas "Shogun" describes Japan from the eyes of a foreigner, and deals with high-court intrigues, Musashi's fictional story (albeit loosely based on events in his life including all his ill-fated duels) deals with the common day-to-day life in Japan, the peasantry, the samurai, the secret lives of Geishas and pleasure quarters, Buddhist priests and itinerant monks, of families torn by the everlasting conflicts that was raging between North and South daimyo factions at that time (Osaka vs Edo courts), the tribulations of ronin who were left masterless after the battle of Sekigahara and who were roaming the country incessantly in search of odd jobs or who would become evil doers. Such a man was Musashi, who being on the losing side of the Sekigahara battle, started a life long wandering journey throughout Japan, perfecting his sword techniques and becoming, slowly, the most prestigious swordsman of all time. Although the book only recounts 12 years of this journey, these were without doubt his formative years, and the characters he meets, loves or fights with along the way all edge him, little by little, towards achieving his goal, the Way of the Sword. Every encounter Musashi goes through is a lesson of life and death, something that even we, as readers, can apply in our daily lives centuries later. It's timeless advice.
The second thing I thoroughly enjoyed about the book was the translation. The way the story flows, the vocabulary used as well as the dialogues are very well rendered to the point where I was actually believing the text to be written originally in English. There's also quite a lot of light-hearted, downright comical dialogues, which give the story a lighter tone despite the somber aspect and seriousness of the background story. I actually wonder if this is the work of the translator (by the mere fact that eastern languages are not always easy to transpose into western ones) or if Eiji Yoshikawa himself inserted those funny passages. In any case, this novel was a hidden gem that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for brilliant historical fiction or simply who wants to learn more about Japanese culture during the Edo period.


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Musashi Eiji Yoshikawa Charles S Terry Edwin O Reischauer Books Reviews

While reading this novel, you are immediately pulled into feudal Japan in an unexpected manner. You see the story play out in your head as a manga, a graphic novel, and as a Classic Japanese samurai movie, complete with comic relief characters. Then you realize that this novel predates those forms of entertainment and you're left shaking your head at the mastery of the author who pens the story of another master, the man who became greatest samurai in history. I highly recommend this book. It's a rare vintage that should sipped and savored, but fortunately, comes in a cask so we can't gulp it down in one (or three) sittings.
I'm only on page 300. The book gives you an idea of how it was like in Japan around the 1600s. The characters are great and he puts time in developing each one from chapter to chapter. Book also teaches life lessons. Early in the book musashi was dissappointed that his friend was defeated by a thot. It showed me how a good warrior can easily fall to a woman who throws himself at him. Nothing can prepare you for a thot attack. You just gotta be mentally strong. To be a great martial artist, you must not only train physically but you must also strenthen your mind and your spirit. Thats real and hits home. Great read.
I don't make this claim lightly, but it's true Musashi has immediately leaped into my top-5 all-time favorite books. It's simultaneously a rip-roaring, romantic warrior epic, a philosophical meditation on the pursuit of a worthy life, and also a guidebook on how to be great, truly great, at anything. The power of this novel is subtle because it's so incredibly easy to read; in fact, it's probably the easiest 900-page book in existence. Yet that's also what makes it so great, as "naturalness," one might say, is the lesson Musashi spends his whole life learning. In this way the novel is incredibly deep, without ever once being difficult to read.

Really...I love this book. I'm going to make my kids read this book. I'm giving it out as Christmas gifts. It's a book I know I'll be reading again, over and over, for a very long time.
probably the greatest book written on the samurai. it helps that he was a real person. not for the faint of heart, this book is over 1000 pages long. I've read it four times now and could easily read it again. One of Japan's greatest hero's, this story is about his life and beliefs. A must read for anyone interested in Japanese culture and lifestyle.
True masterpiece, unique in its kind, and superbly written. This is one of the few books which I've read in a long time that I didn't want the story to end. Despite seeming a dauntingly long and hefty novel, the story flows at a neckbreaking pace, full of surprises and clever plots at every turn. The book I would most compare it to is James Clavell's epic "Shogun", but besides the fact that both stories take place more or less in the same time period in Japan (beginning of Edo period), the comparison ends there. Whereas "Shogun" describes Japan from the eyes of a foreigner, and deals with high-court intrigues, Musashi's fictional story (albeit loosely based on events in his life including all his ill-fated duels) deals with the common day-to-day life in Japan, the peasantry, the samurai, the secret lives of Geishas and pleasure quarters, Buddhist priests and itinerant monks, of families torn by the everlasting conflicts that was raging between North and South daimyo factions at that time (Osaka vs Edo courts), the tribulations of ronin who were left masterless after the battle of Sekigahara and who were roaming the country incessantly in search of odd jobs or who would become evil doers. Such a man was Musashi, who being on the losing side of the Sekigahara battle, started a life long wandering journey throughout Japan, perfecting his sword techniques and becoming, slowly, the most prestigious swordsman of all time. Although the book only recounts 12 years of this journey, these were without doubt his formative years, and the characters he meets, loves or fights with along the way all edge him, little by little, towards achieving his goal, the Way of the Sword. Every encounter Musashi goes through is a lesson of life and death, something that even we, as readers, can apply in our daily lives centuries later. It's timeless advice.
The second thing I thoroughly enjoyed about the book was the translation. The way the story flows, the vocabulary used as well as the dialogues are very well rendered to the point where I was actually believing the text to be written originally in English. There's also quite a lot of light-hearted, downright comical dialogues, which give the story a lighter tone despite the somber aspect and seriousness of the background story. I actually wonder if this is the work of the translator (by the mere fact that eastern languages are not always easy to transpose into western ones) or if Eiji Yoshikawa himself inserted those funny passages. In any case, this novel was a hidden gem that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for brilliant historical fiction or simply who wants to learn more about Japanese culture during the Edo period.