Book Review: Shogun - James Clavell

 

Shogun

James Clavell

A gripping, larger-than-life epic set in Feudal Japan during the early colonial period of European expansion (ca. 1600). Although first published in 1975, this is a timeless work that remains in my top five books of all time. Some of you may remember the TV miniseries with Richard Chamberlain – and as fun as it was, it doesn’t even come close to doing justice to the book.

The protagonist is an English pilot, John Blackthorne, who is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan with his Dutch ship and crew. They are immediately arrested as spies and scheduled for execution.  Blackthorne’s intelligence and courage save (most of) the crew, and he gains the attention of Toranaga, one of the greatest warlords, and one of the most fascinating characters in literature.

Unbeknownst to them, the crew of the Erasmus has arrived at a crucial turning point in Japanese history, as rival warlords struggle to unite Japan and control the potentially disastrous influences of European expansion. Spain, in particular, has ‘claimed’ Japan, and Blackthorne, a Protestant, is targeted as not only a heretic by the Inquisition, but as a dangerous subversive who threatens Spain’s political and economic control of the region. Also at play are the ambitions, dreams, and day-to-day lives of a huge cast of characters, including samurai, ninja, geishas, Jesuits, monks, wives, and servants. 

By strength of wit and incredible courage, Blackthorne maneuvers  through the  great political power game being waged between feuding lords, and European powers, and becomes, eventually, the only non-Japanese to ever be honored as a samurai. But the cost is staggering.

The story is one of adventure, love, religion, and politics; and is a breath-taking, mind-boggling, introduction to a culture so entirely different that it shakes the reader's beliefs and world-views, permanently. Clavell re-creates the world of feudal Japan with such incredible, well-researched detail without ever being boring or repetitive.

 If you like losing yourself in a whole new world, this book is for you.

*For curious history buffs, Sho-Gun is based on the true story of English pilot William Adams - and, astoundingly, most characters and events are historically accurate. Don't be put off by the length (over 1,000 pages) as the last page will leave you wishing for more.