Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era

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So in a world where Kiri-sute gomen existed and where Samurai ruled the common folk unless there was a lord around, where half the people carried a katana and were ready to use it, in a world where the hive mentally reigned supreme, there came Musashi: the epitome of reason and masculinity.

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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 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. Hysterical Woman: While Seijūrō and Musashi fight, Kojirō attempts to provoke a fight with some Yoshioka swordsmen. Akemi comes out of nowhere and starts shrieking to everyone that he raped her. The whole thing is so random that the swordsmen think Akemi is this. And of course, if the science of killing had been Musashi's primary contribution to history, he would not have occupied the place in the culture of modern Japan that rightfully belongs to him, revered as a saint. His opponents could perceive the sword as a murder weapon, as a marker of belonging to a certain privileged stratum, as a noble weapon, as a symbol of strength and skill - for Miyamoto Musashi, the sword was a symbol of the spirit.Eiji Yoshikawa does an excellent job weaving concepts of Zen and Saki (blood-thirst) as well as the ups and downs of the human experience into masterfully crafted scenes filled with great dialogue and serious action. In doing so, he also shows us what the pure feminine feels and looks like and how overpowering it is in its subtleness and beauty: Otsū.

Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa | Goodreads

Ever so slowly it dawns on him that following the Way of the Sword is not simply a matter of finding a target for his brute strength. Continually striving to perfect his technique, which leads him to a unique style of fighting with two swords simultaneously, he travels far and wide, challenging fighters of many disciplines, taking nature to be his ultimate and severest teacher and undergoing the rigorous training of those who follow the Way. He is supremely successful in his encounters, but in the Art of War he perceives the way of peaceful and prosperous governance and disciplines himself to be a real human being 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. Una novela de aventuras muy adictiva, fácil de leer y entretenida. Además, al ser una cultura tan diferente a la nuestra, me resulta aún más interesante y es bastante diferente a lo que estoy acostumbrado.

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Defiled Forever: With Akemi, the novel goes to great lengths to show that no, non-virtuous girls (even if they aren't really responsible for their lot in the first place) don't deserve a good life. Also played with with notorious whoremongering Matahachi, who ends up with said defiled Akemi, while Musashi gets virtuous Otsū. Finally, to those that complained that the main characters kept bumping on each other in every city they happened to arrive, you have to understand that: a) the story is taking place throughout many years, b) there weren't that many people around four hundred years ago, c) not many people dared to roam about when the world was filled with blood and steel, so if you Did dare to travel around, you belonged to the minority and minorities Do tend to stumble upon themselves. I don’t now Japanese literature and culture well enough, but I get the impression that, as a consequence, he also created a new genre of Japanese literature. I see all sorts of familiar tropes here, characters and themes I recognize out of Saturday morning karate movies by way of Kurosawa. In some ways, this is the blueprint for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, complete with the hero who follows the way of the sword, his chaste lover, and the old crone who’s sworn vengeance on him. you’re going to find people from all over the country, everyone hungry for money and position. You won’t make a name for yourself just doing what the next man does. You’ll have to distinguish yourself in some way. Very Loosely Based on a True Story. The story is almost entirely a work of fiction, woven around records and legends of the historical Musashi's exploits. Most of the main cast are invented, and even the historical figures who appear are more characters based on or inspired by those people.

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

There is so much repetition and going in circles, as well as huge chunks of the book in which it feels as though no forward progress is made. For those of you here for the action, similarly, there is certainly good quality swordplay and dueling, as well as moments of covert and military strategy, but these scenes are always relatively short lived and buried within the wider scope of book in general.The lovely Otsu, 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. The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him.” July 1981), Musashi (hardcover), Trans. Charles S. Terry, United States: HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0-06-859851-0

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Agon – senior disciple of the Hozoin Temple, known as “Seven Pillars of the Hozoin,” defeated by Musashi Historical Villain Upgrade: No one really knows anything about Kojirō, except that he once fought with Musashi. Overall, I enjoyed this long novel very much. It was very entertaining, easy to read, with plenty of hilarious moments, and a large cast of eccentric and colourful characters from a variety of walks in life.The book follows Shinmen Takezō starting after the Battle of Sekigahara. It follows his life after the monk Takuan forces him to reinvent himself as Miyamoto Musashi. He wanders around Japan training young pupils, getting involved in feuds with samurai and martial arts schools, and finding his way through his romantic life.