A review by ayla_derammelaere
Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa

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.