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A review by desijut
Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era by Eiji Yoshikawa
5.0
Shinmen Takezō also known as Miyamoto Musashi was a samurai in 17th century Japan, who holds the undefeated record of 61 duels. He is also an author in his own right. His books express not only his view on martial arts but philosophy too. In Japan he has become a mythical figure with books (like this one), movies, manga and many other forms of media dedicated to him.
There are multiple reasons why he has gained this status. From his unrivalled swordsmanship to his ideas. This book exemplifies this, sharing with us a fictional account of a part of his life. Taking us from the battle of sekighara in 1600 as a brash teenager to his development into a true Samurai (punctuated by a lot, and I mean a lot of violence). Of note in the book is the role of Takuan Sōhō, a Zen Buddhist monk who is famous in his own right, who acts as a sort of mentor to Musashi.
A lot of young people will be drawn to this book, like me because a lot of the things he has to deal with can be relatable. Whether it's being a young kid not knowing their place in the world, forging their own path in the world, love, romance, picking between all the choices there are out there and the sacrifices that have to be made for him to achieve greatness. There is a lot of violence in this book, however there are also a lot of introspective moments that make this a truly great book.
Given that this book was written in the 1930s, it also gives us a glimpse into the way that bushido was viewed in Imperialist Japan and can help us to understand the motivations behind the people who would go into Kamikaze missions and hold other such views/actions during WW2. Along with this, it gives a peak into life during the Samurai era in Japan. This was precisely the moment Japan closed its borders to the world. Personally, I used this book to jump into Japanese History.
Whether you want a great story, or a look into history. This book will not disappoint,
There are multiple reasons why he has gained this status. From his unrivalled swordsmanship to his ideas. This book exemplifies this, sharing with us a fictional account of a part of his life. Taking us from the battle of sekighara in 1600 as a brash teenager to his development into a true Samurai (punctuated by a lot, and I mean a lot of violence). Of note in the book is the role of Takuan Sōhō, a Zen Buddhist monk who is famous in his own right, who acts as a sort of mentor to Musashi.
A lot of young people will be drawn to this book, like me because a lot of the things he has to deal with can be relatable. Whether it's being a young kid not knowing their place in the world, forging their own path in the world, love, romance, picking between all the choices there are out there and the sacrifices that have to be made for him to achieve greatness. There is a lot of violence in this book, however there are also a lot of introspective moments that make this a truly great book.
Given that this book was written in the 1930s, it also gives us a glimpse into the way that bushido was viewed in Imperialist Japan and can help us to understand the motivations behind the people who would go into Kamikaze missions and hold other such views/actions during WW2. Along with this, it gives a peak into life during the Samurai era in Japan. This was precisely the moment Japan closed its borders to the world. Personally, I used this book to jump into Japanese History.
Whether you want a great story, or a look into history. This book will not disappoint,