Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era

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Some of his early conflicts seem contrived, but that’s part of the game. He challenges one dojo because he doubts its method of the sword, and there’s a great showdown where he takes on 15 warriors and inadvertently develops the two-sword technique for which he is best remembered today. It is a fictionalized account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, author of The Book of Five Rings and arguably the most renowned Japanese swordsman who ever lived. In the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Sekigahara, two very young samurai friends rise to consciousness and find they are injured but have survived the battle. Shinmen Takezō, in time, will find himself a ronin and a violent one at that. He is finally beaten by a monk named Takuan, tied up for several days, and, finally, spending 3 years in captivity studying and reading. When Takezō emerges, he adopts the name Miyamoto Musashi and undertakes an epic journey to find the Way of the Sword. The book ends with his famous battle against Sasaki Kojiro on Ganryujima.

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

As for the setting and the themes, they are definitely the strongest part of the story. Those that are interested in period Japanese culture or want to see the morals and ethics of Sun Tzu's 'The Art Of War' exemplified in a fictional epic - you will certainly find more in this book than I did. But be aware, as stated above, that there is a LOT of fluff and filler surrounding that which you are looking for. Miyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. Lured to the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 by the hope of becoming a samurai—without really knowing what it meant—he regains consciousness after the battle to find himself lying defeated, dazed, and wounded among thousands of the dead and dying. On his way home, he commits a rash act, becomes a fugitive, and brings life in his own village to a standstill—until he is captured by a weaponless Zen monk.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. One of the main themes of the book is the journey of self-discovery. Musashi is constantly learning and growing as a person and as a warrior. He learns the importance of patience, discipline, and humility, which help him become a better fighter. He also learns the importance of love and friendship, which help him find a sense of purpose and belonging. For those who aren't familiar with Edo period Japan and the path of the sword, as well as those who're only familiar with them through anime and manga, it'd be good to understand that, although things weren't as wild and inhumane as in medieval Japan. we're talking about an era and culture where the roles in society were still fixed and hopeless. There were lords, farmers, vendors, and samurai, each having their own advantages and disadvantages. A samurai for example was identified with his honor and he was free to exercise his right to kill whoever insulted him, however light this so-called insult might have been (you could sneeze at the wrong time and lose your head!). The lovely Otsū, seeing in Musashi her ideal of manliness, frees him from his tortuous punishment, but he is recaptured and imprisoned. During three years of solitary confinement, he delves into the classics of Japan and China. When he is set free again, he rejects the position of samurai and for the next several years pursues his goal relentlessly, looking neither to left nor to right. Some characters also just come and go. Musashi takes on pupils, they worship him, and he seems to care for them too only to completely disregard them. His relationship with Otsu is interesting at the heart of it, but there is so much faffing about that it falls into that repetitive trap.

Musashi Book One: The Way of the Samurai - Goodreads

It was originally released as a serial in the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, between 1935 and 1939. It has been re-released in book format (first fully-compiled publication by Fumiko Yoshikawa in 1971), most of which are collections of several volumes, which compile the many newspaper strips. With an estimated 120 million copies sold, [1] it is one of the best-selling book series in history. Each book focuses on a different element of combat. Musashi believed combat is a mental battle as much as a physical battle. The Book of Five Rings is a combination of the various aspects of his teachings to his students. Not only do we get to learn firsthand about Musashi's thoughts and actions it also delves into his many friends and enemies so by the end we have a pretty well rounded view of the characters in this world. Musashi proves it does. In a society where the strongest warriors are kings, Musashi--arguably the strongest samurai that has ever lived--walks through the world as a beggar. He doesn't take advantage of his skills to wine and whore, neither to make money and fame. Instead he's focused and pure. His sole goal is to walk the path of the sword with all his heart until the very end, to face the strongest and become the most powerful samurai in Japan, to beat the game and find out what's waiting for him on the other side. Writing a review of this work seems a fool's errand somewhat equivalent to reviewing Gone With the Wind, so I will not attempt to do so.

This novel contains examples of:

Wooden Katanas Are Even Better: Musashi was the Trope Codifier in Real Life. He uses them a lot in the novel, too, but not all the time. Villainous Valor: He may be an arrogant, manipulative sadist, but Sasaki Kojirō is a truly skilled and fearless Master Swordsman. Musashi even notes that Kojirō alone is a more dangerous opponent than the entire Yoshioka school. Diabolus ex Machina: After the duel at Ichijoji, Musashi and Matahachi meet up and reconcile, with Matahachi appearing to realize how foolish he's been throughout the novel. They separate, and Kojirō suddenly comes out of nowhere, lures Matahachi into a brothel, and convinces him to turn against Musashi. The lone Samurai is a book about Musashi – as much as history permits us to know. There isn’t enough information to complete a picture of Musashi. Some trivial information exists, like, Musashi having eczema. Because of this The Lone Samurai fills the gaps of Musashi’s life with Japanese history and cross-referenced works of parallel figures. Miyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. Lured to the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 by the hope of becoming a samurai-without really knowing what it meant-he regains consciousness after the battle to find himself lying defeated, dazed and wounded among thousands of the dead and dying. On his way home, he commits a rash act, becomes a fugitive and brings life in his own village to a standstill-until he is captured by a weaponless Zen monk.

Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa | Goodreads

He studies philosophy, is taught humility, modesty, trust and how to train and teach others by a variety of other characters that he meets whilst on his journey for self-improvement and self-mastery. Up next for review will either be The Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski or Book 4 in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King; Wizard and Glass, depending on which one I finish first. While I love both the manga and this book in equal measure, the one thing I'd say the adaptation does better is the depiction of Musashi's friend and eventual nemesis Kojiro Sasaki. He's simply a more charming and arrogant version of Musashi here, which was probably quite novel at the time but it feels a little tiresome now.There is also a large cast of side characters. Some are incredibly annoying and others are rather humorous or wise. This functions as an adventure story that also tells a deep moral tone. Yet it is also exciting, as the bloody violence of this time period is never far away. This is a story of Yin and Yang, of love and blood, of people on a path among people with plans, of the pure trying to find itself through the impure, of zen and now. In my humble opinion this is the most spiritual and humane novel one can read while enjoying some good action. In other words, a true masterpiece. 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. Musashi Quotes: July 1981), Musashi (hardcover), Trans. Charles S. Terry, United States: HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0-06-859851-0 Agon – senior disciple of the Hozoin Temple, known as “Seven Pillars of the Hozoin,” defeated by Musashi

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

Not Afraid to Die: One warrior temple actually has challengers sign a disclaimer before fighting them. Musashi thinks it is absurd, as a swordsman should always be prepared to die. He later reflects that it isn't really that hard a thing to do, given that we're all going to die eventually. God, he's so good. In my list of knights without fear and reproach, which every girl creates by stringing a garland of book and film characters on a virtual thread (even if she has not been a girl for a long time, and the heroes are not quite knights): Ivanhoe. Robin Hood, Alan from "Kidnapped", de Bussy and Athos, Mr. Rochester, Mr. Darcy, Heathcliff, Gatsby - my list of additions.

Apart from Musashi himself, all the other characters in the book are fairly one-dimensional and as a consequence, the story does not really seem to progress or unravel after the first few chapters (the meetings with Sasaki Kojirō are probably an exception to this).