Ratings182
Average rating4.1
Starting with his shipwreck on alien shores, the novel charts Blackthorne's rise from the status of reviled foreigner up to the heights of trusted advisor and eventually, Samurai. All as civil war looms over the fragile country.
Series
6 primary booksAsian Saga: Chronological Order is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 1962 with contributions by James Clavell.
Series
6 primary booksAsian Saga: Publication Order is a 6-book series with 6 primary works first released in 1962 with contributions by James Clavell.
Reviews with the most likes.
Very much the Samurai oriented Game of Thrones that word of mouth sold it to be. I'd go an additional step further in specifying a more acute comparison to House of the Dragon, as Shogun leans more into the socio-political aspects of its feudal 16th century Japan. It's over 1000pg count allows the characters to breathe and develop through its various revelations, fights, betrayals, and romantic ties. While I would say that author James Clavell gets a little trigger happy with his assumption that seppuku was committed on the fly left and right, Clavell does take detailed pauses to showcase the stark cultural differences between the English, Portuguese, Spanish, and of course, Japanese. It's a tome to get through, but I did enjoy my time with it—possibly the longest I've taken to read a single book ever.
Editing would have helped. Too long, and rather repetitive in places. Great story though.
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3,174 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...