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psykobilliethekid's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! What a saga! I definitely see now why this is such a popular book to read! And wow is it a long one! But I will say this, I enjoyed every minute of it. You can see where he gets his ideas for The Book of Five Rings, how he used Zen to not only calm down but encompass his whole life, and all of this leading up to his famous duel. It took me a really long time to finish this one, but like I said before, it was well worth it. Definitely a recommendation to anyone that’s a fan of Ancient Japan , Samurai, sword fighting, Zen, and epic tales.
democracy_of_the_dead's review against another edition
5.0
Simply sensational. The most profound read I have ever done in my life.
Personal rating: 4.899/5.0
Personal rating: 4.899/5.0
maggietokudahall's review against another edition
5.0
justice for Otsu, the whipping boy for all of Musashi's ambitions
mussayes's review against another edition
5.0
Nothing could have prepared me for the emptiness that I feel now having finished this absolutely epic story after spending over 5 months with it. Through this book, I feel like I’ve lived a whole other life in 16th century japan as Musashi but at the same time as his close friend or something. It was great seeing his character develop from a boy in search for glory and just wanting to make a name for himself into the badass, enlightened & full of wisdom man who I will probably pretend to be from here on out. The last quarter of the book was so addicting, & created an amazing buildup for one of the most famous swordfights in history. Also the writing in this book was absolutely beautiful. The imagery Yoshikawa uses in his writing to paint pictures of the scenes was so wonderful and at times felt like poetry. What a journey this book was, the only negative was that it had to come to an end.
Glad I finished 2022 with this book, I feel like it was the highlight of my year of reading!
Happy New Year!
Glad I finished 2022 with this book, I feel like it was the highlight of my year of reading!
Happy New Year!
carlyxjack17's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this book was such a delight and at the same time taught me some life lessons. Starting out with being a rascal and somewhat an einzelgänger, the boy Musashi gradually becomes a more mature and social person. At the beginning he makes many unwise choices and depends mainly on his brute strength and pure instincts to solve conflicts. However, as the story unfolds life experiences and encounters with other people teach him what is important in life and how in the end relationships are much to be cherished.
nazad1th's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
ayla_derammelaere's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read this book many years ago and looked for it for a long time. This time, it was even more impressing than the first.
The story is about the ronin Musashi (born as Takezo). When he is young, he has problems with containing himself : he lives by his own rules and only follows his own urges. He has one friend and they decide to go to war to show everyone how great they are. Their side loses. They go into hiding and Matahachi (his friend) finds another woman to live with (eventhough he is betroved to Otsu) and runs off. Takezo goes back to his hometown to explain what has happened but Osugi (Matahachi's mother) doesn't want to believe her son has no honor and decides Takezo is lying and needs to die. Takezo runs but gets caught by Takuan, a monk. This moment is what changes Takezo's life.
After running away again, Takezo is thought by Takuan what is means to be a real human being : he studies what it means to be a samurai, learns about history and morals. They then decide to give him another name : Musashi.
As Musashi, he travels to world ; learning by his surroundings, challenging other samurai and trying to become a complete human being.
By learning from all and everyone, Musashi creates a fighting style of his own : he uses swords on both hands as he came to see that 1 body has 2 arms, so 2 become 1.
The reason why this book appeals to me so much, is because it shows us that personal growth is always possible. This is a love story but in a delicate and respectful way. A story about taking responsibility but remaining forgiving to others and yourself. Musashi became a great man but always remained 'ordinary' : he didn't care about becoming rich, he cared about people. He wanted to share his knowledge and was eager to learn. He knew that the Way of the Samurai was a long way but he was devoted to walk it.
Some quotes from the book that really left a mark on me :
1. "That was Takezo's nature ; he was a creature of extremes. Even when he was a small child, there had been something primitive in his blood, something harking back to the fierce warriors of ancient Japan, something as wild as it was pure." -> Musashi learns how to control his temper while still accepting his nature, trusting his instincts. He knew there are times when he needed to be among people but understood he also needed time by himself, so he could really try and understand what he had learned.
2. "You let that one act of loyalty convince you of your righteousness. The more convinced you became, the more harm you caused yourself and everyone else." -> It is important to look at your actions and see them for what they are. Sometimes we act out of loyalty and think that that itself means our actions are good. But every action has consequences and we need to take up our responsibilities.
3. "I want to lead an important life. I want to do this because I was born a human being." -> After reading and learning for 3 years, Takezo begins to understand what Takuan has done for him, he understands that being 'human' means more than just being born as one : you need to study and become a person with morals, high standards, responsibility, love, compassion,.. Understanding this, Musashi was born and he tried his best to become great and teach this to others.
4."I will do nothing that I will regret." -> On New Years day, Musashi wants to make a resolution that he can live by. He realizes that 'only doing good' isn't something you can live up to since your vision of what is good, can change over the years. He decides that when he always does the best he can, he will not have anything to regret.
5. "He had come to see the Way of the Sword in a new light. A year or two earlier, he had wanted only to conquer all rivals, but now the idea that the sword existed for the purpose of giving him power over other people, was unsatisfying. To cut people down, to triumph over them, to display the limits of one's strength, seemed increasingly vain. He wanted to conquer himself, to make life itself submit to him, to cause people to live rather than die. The Way of the Sword should not be used merely for his own perfection. It should be a source of strength for governing people and leading them to peace and happiness." -> Musashi realizes that the world is a place for every human and he wants to take part in helping create a better world.
6. "It's only leaves and branches." -> When Musashi feels stuck in his growth, he goes searching for his sensei. He knows he will not get out of this darkness by himself. When he finds his sensei, he doesn't give him the answer. Following his sensei in desperation, he stumbles upon a poem and realizes that all and everything are part of the universe. There is no reason to be getting stuck in details since it is the whole that matters. Understanding this, he breaks through his darkness and continues his path.
philodora's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0