Let's put it this way: Shogun is 1,211 pages long, and that is not one too many. I've read it at least twice, and will get back to it again one of these days.

The basic plot outline is simple enough. Clavell spins for us the story of John Blackthorne, the English pilot of a Dutch privateer that is seeking to prey on Spanish and Portuguese shipping, but is instead shipwrecked in Japan in about the year 1598. Thrust into a totally unfamiliar society in which he knows nothing of the language, Blackthorne is almost immediately swept up in the ceaseless and byzantine struggles among feudal warlords that characterized Japan at the time, and ultimately comes under the sway of Toranaga, one of the most powerful. Along the way, Anjin-san ("anjin" is the Japanese word for "pilot," and becomes Blackthorne's Japanese name) absorbs a multitude of lessons about Japan's culture and ways of thought, and engages in a highly passionate and illicit romance with a noble lady in Toranaga's court. At first repelled by the savagery and cruelty of some aspects of the society that surrounds him, Blackthorne little by little finds himself attracted to and eventually captured by its worldview.

Obviously, the ingredients for a good adventure novel, perhaps an excellent one. But in addition to superb suspense, adventure, and romance, Shogun contains an abundance of additional elements that sets it apart from the ruck of the potboilers:

- Fascinating history, of the introduction of Christianity to Japan, the rivalry between Spain and Portugal and their respective Catholic clergy, the silk trade with China, and more.

- A totally engrossing portrait of Japan's samurai culture. One could call this the Seven Samurai of novels, after Akira Kurosawa's matchless movie, but its scope is even more ambitious. From the geisha ladies of the Willow World to the incredibly Machiavellian warlords, a vast panoply of characters from all walks of life is spread before the reader, and the influence of the samurai code of bushido (duty/honor) and the practice of Zen on the Japanese mind are revealed.

- Carefully plotted political and military strategy, much of it viewed from a ringside seat with Toranaga, a peerless chess master. Toranaga and his rival warlords, each of whom holds the literal power of life and death over thousands of subjects, maneuver relentlessly, without pity or scruple, to gain supremacy over one another, and Clavell brings their struggle alive.

It's an amazing book, with many scenes and characters I will never forget. Clavell has written several other excellent novels, but this is his masterpiece.

Writing: 10
Characterization: 10
Big Issues/Ideas: 10

Recommended reading for those who enjoy Shogun: Clavell's Tai-Pan is a shorter work, also quite good, which offers similar insights into Chinese culture, while his Noble House is a sprawling sequel (set in modern times) to Shogun, Tai-Pan, and King Rat, a first-rate novel about life in a Japanese World War II prison camp. I'd rate Shogun #1, followed by King Rat, Tai-Pan, and Noble House. Several of James Michener's novels come close in scale of vision, though I would rate them all below Clavell's because of their lack of genuine characters. My personal favorite is The Source, set in the Middle East, and I can also recommend Covenant (South Africa) and Centennial (the American West).




Recommended: Yes