Customer Reviews

Shogun

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Three and a half stars for this monumental saga, based on William Adams' journey to Japan. The plot is detailed and the portrayal of Samurai and Jesuit social dynamics is extremely illuminating. Human nature, motives and culture are examined from multiple perspectives, and this enriches the story as a whole. The random nature of greed and power, and their potential to alter the course of history is a point well made. Clavell is unforgiving in his depiction of the human condition, and should be lauded for not taking sides. In Blackthorne, Clavell has a strong and likeable protagonist. I wanted to cheer for Blackthorne's tenacity and inner compass often through the novel. Clavell uses a number of literary devices well - the juxtaposition of Blackthorne as Samurai and his old shipmates who choose to live in the eta village for example, is thought-provoking. One of the central themes of the novel is its exploration of whether one's fate and social status is determined by birth or by the choices made throughout our lives. As much as I enjoyed the novel, I could not help wondering if it wouldn't have benefited from generous editing.

The narration is particularly good - I really enjoyed the English and Portuguese accents. I also appreciated how the narrator changed intonation when switching to Japanese. In particular, the tones and cadences used for men and women in Japanese are different. Great attention to detail, really enhanced the whole listening experience!

The person who received this gift was astounded by the quality of this item and the timeliness of its receipt. We would definitely do business with this seller again.