Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era

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It is a living story, subtle and imaginative, teeming with memorable characters, many of them historical. Then of course there is Musashi himself the man destined to become the great sword-saint and a man of intriguing complexity: at times seeming little more than a ragged vagabond with slight knowledge of the ways of the world, and at others like an insightful philosopher finding wisdom and perceiving connections where others see nothing at all.

Musashi - Archive.org Musashi - Archive.org

Odyssey, one of the greatest epic poems of ancient Greece tells the story of Odysseus and his crew, as for more than ten years pass through all kinds of mysterious and mythical hardships, losing their minds, losing their friends, losing all hope, trying to get back to Ithaca, Penelope waiting for the only man she's ever loved as she fights all sorts of lecherous men off her. There is plenty of action, and adventure, however what surprised me the most was how witty and humorous the book is throughout.And don't even get me started on the sickeningly weak romance that is played out throughout the entire 1000 pages! I have been to Japan many times and, once there is a vaccine to COVID-19, my wife and I will travel to Mongolia, Korea and Japan, staying in the latter for a couple of months, so, clearly, we have a strong interest in the country, it's culture and history. With an entire country to explore, the way our protagonist bumps into the same 4 or 5 characters dozens of times throughout the story just led to such a stale overarching sense of progress and development.

Musashi – Book 1: The Way of the List of main characters in ‘Musashi – Book 1: The Way of the

The final payoff is great, but I’d like it more without fifty sometimes tedious pages building up to it.The book has an ongoing theme of Musashi and his journeys, as he walks the path of the warrior, following The Way, taming the mind. Mundane Utility: In the final third of the novel, Musashi's development shifts from focusing on martial development through duels to focusing on ways to apply the Way of the Sword to situations and settings outside of the battlefield.

Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa - Audiobooks on Google Play Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa - Audiobooks on Google Play

Artistic License – History: The novel plays this trope quite a lot, but one of the most egregious is at the very end. His opponents range from the amiable staff-fighter Gonnosuke to the decadent but still competent Yoshioka School to the vicious chain-and-sickle master Shishido Baiken. Yoshikawa’s writing style is engaging and descriptive, allowing readers to imagine themselves in the middle of the action. In the face of a moment all too “Modern” – Japan’s militarization leading up to World War II – he turned to the stuff of a distant past to imagine a way of recovering and celebrating lost values. But for its flaws, I found it thoroughly entertaining and totally readable, and would recommend it to anyone who doesn't have an allergy to doorstops.Indeed, despite his prowess Musashi does not come across as very much like a typical action hero at all, that role is reserved for the suave and supremely confident Sasaki Kojiro. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Japanese history or samurai culture, as well as for anyone who enjoys a good adventure story. If you are interested in the Mushashi story or just enjoy the setting of Shugnate Japan, you will absolutely love this Japanese folk classic.

Books by Miyamoto Musashi (Author of A Book of Five Rings) Books by Miyamoto Musashi (Author of A Book of Five Rings)

Resident in Japan since 1952, he also received a master's degree in Chinese history from the University of Tokyo and has since been active as a translator of works on Japanese art, architecture and history. Even Evil Has Standards: Kojirō is genuinely disgusted by Musashi's killing of Yoshioka Genjirō, who was only a child at the time. Musashi is more like a wide-eyed innocent looking for the path to perfection, but always certain it has escaped his grasp. The book takes us through the highlights of Musashi's career from Sekigahara , to his legendary feud with the Yoshioka sword school of Kyoto to it's culmination at the Duel of the Spreading Pine, finalizing with his infamous duel with the sword saint, Sasaki Kojiro, on Funajima Island. S. Navy during WW II and after the war received a master's degree from Columbia University in Japanese history.Overall, it was entertaining though, and I am able to forgive my grievances due to the majority of the story being worthwhile. It was very entertaining, easy to read, with plenty of hilarious moments, and a large cast of eccentric and colourful characters from a variety of walks in life. He rejects the notion that one must follow a strict set of rules and instead advocates for individualism and free thinking.