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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“Do not attempt to oppose the way of the universe. But first make sure you know the way of the universe.”Highlighted by 1,616 Kindle readers- “I want to lead an important life. I want to do it because I was born a human being.”Highlighted by 1,283 Kindle readers
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John & Melissa
Awesome read for any young man.
I’m a huge fan of all things Miyamoto Musashi. So when first heard about the Vagabond Manga I was pumped. But then I found out it isn’t finished and there was a real possibility it never would be I didn’t want to get into it. Then I heard it was based off this book so I decided to read it instead. Best decision ever. The novelized story of my hero’s life is an inspiration for any young man trying to find his way in the world. Honestly I wish this book was better known because I feel like it could help a lot of lost men today.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2024
I’m a huge fan of all things Miyamoto Musashi. So when first heard about the Vagabond Manga I was pumped. But then I found out it isn’t finished and there was a real possibility it never would be I didn’t want to get into it. Then I heard it was based off this book so I decided to read it instead. Best decision ever. The novelized story of my hero’s life is an inspiration for any young man trying to find his way in the world. Honestly I wish this book was better known because I feel like it could help a lot of lost men today.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2022
Top reviews from other countries
Ahmet Çağlar
Bu kitabı gerçekten öneriyorum
Reviewed in Turkey on September 6, 2024Martin Acton
Musashi A Masterpiece of Historical Fiction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2023