Of late, I haven’t really read many chunksters. My sweet spot seems to be around 500 pages maximum. If I see anything longer, I usually don’t bother. But when I saw Shōgun in the library, I thought I’d give it a shot.
Why? Because there’s a well-rated TV show on currently, because it’s historical fiction – one genre where I don’t mind a chunkster, and lastly because of some comparisons I saw to Game of Thrones – as an aside, after reading it, I can confidently say, there’s no comparison at all. They are both very different styles of books.
About Shōgun
After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen – Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed.
~ Synopsis from GoodReads
My Review
Are you interested in military history? Do you like political, twisty novels where everyone is backstabbing one another? Do you love Japan? If you answer yes, to even one of these, then this book is for you.
Shōgun is loosely based on actual historical events, which got the history nerd in me all invested. But even though I read it for the historical stuff, I was soon more charmed by some of the smaller aspects of the story.
Like the unexpectedly humorous clash of cultures. Blackthorne initially looks upon the Japanese as suspicious and undeveloped, but to his dawning realization, he becomes aware that he is the barbarian. There is a hilarious scene where the Japanese come to him with knives and rip off his clothes. He fights tooth and nail, thinking they are going to kill him, but they only dunk him into a bath. There are many more such hilarious misunderstandings.
Once he gets used to Japanese ways, though, there is no looking back for him.
In a remarkably short time, he adapts to their clothing, their love of cleanliness, their rituals, and even their language. To help him is his love interest, Lady Toda Mariko. Their romance is quite sweet, taking its time, and evolving over the duration of the book. I like a good friends-to-lovers trope, and this is well done – a slow burn. I just enjoyed them talking about their cultures to each other, and this is also a good way to educate the reader a little about life in Japan and England during that time. She also gives him a lot of wise advice (love how this romance is presented as between two equals ❣︎).
Here is a snippet in which she calms his frustration at being stuck in Japan and unable to return home to England.
Leave the problems of God to God and karma to karma. Today you’re here and nothing you can do will change that. Today you’re alive and here and honored, and blessed with good fortune. Look at this sunset, it’s beautiful, neh? This sunset exists. Tomorrow does not exist. There is only now. Please look. It is so beautiful and it will never happen ever again, never, not this sunset, never in all infinity.
The amount of romance also feels appropriate. It weaves in and out of the background, creating just enough tension between several characters, but it isn’t the main focus. It’s just a foundation for the bigger plot – giving their leader Toranaga all the support and advice he needs to become Shōgun.
Clavell does a reasonably good job (I think, I am not that clued in to Japanese history and culture) in presenting Japanese society in a very respectful manner (pleasantly surprising as he was actually a WW 2 POW in one of the Japanese camps). Aside from the ridiculously over-the-top sepukku mentions, he takes the opportunity to talk about Japanese philosophy and lifestyle.
“Always remember, child” her first teacher had impressed on her, “that to think bad thoughts is really the easiest thing in the world. If you leave your mind to itself it will spiral you down into ever-increasing unhappiness. To think good thoughts, however, requires effort. This is one of the things that need disipline –training- is about. So train your mind to dwell on sweet perfumes, the touch of this silk, tender raindrops against the shoji, the curve of the flower arrangement, the tranquillity of dawn. Then, at length, you won’t have to make such a great effort and you will be of value to yourself.”
So, yes, while I read the book for the political intrigues, I ended up loving it for the humor, love, philosophy, and some of the deeper insights into Japanese society. I am also looking forward to catching the show too (sadly, on Apple TV, where I don’t have a subscription), but I just might end up splurging for it, maybe in the winter, when we won’t be having as many outdoor activities.
Overall, it was a completely immersive reading experience, and I now remember why I love chunksters. It’s for the experience of being thrown completely into another world. By the end of this book, I found myself even talking like some of the characters, peppering my sentences with so sorry (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶).
I’ve long wanted to read this one, but its chunkster status always scared me away. Your review does feel encouraging though!
It is a chunkster, and there are some uneven parts. A very common criticism of this book is that it’s all set up and no pay off. I agree with that but at the same time, I really enjoyed this book for the scene setting, the very immersive Japanese experience.
I did go with pretty low expectations though as this book was written in the seventies – expecting some kind of white male savior/rapey/womanizer kind of protagonist, but surprising Clavell is quite respectful of everyone here, and the story remains quite readable even today.