Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: This book is an absolutely absorbing, unbelievable adventure. James Clavell brings the romantic world of historic Japan to life with his writing in a way that I've never encountered in any other author. This book is by far my favorite to read, over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Shogun is, without a doubt, the best historical fiction novel I have ever read. Clavell's attention to detail and knowledge of the era and location is remarkable. Also, I really enjoyed the Japanese lesson along the way. As the story goes along he translates a couple fo times the Japanese words and phrases he uses and then you get accustomed to seeing them and even using them yourself. I was actually able to impress some friends with my limited barbarian Japanese after reading this. Read it. You will not regret it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books, i have ever read
Review: Shogun is a masterpiece. the book draws its readers into another era, dark and mysterious, Clavell succeeds in suspending, no annihilating resistance to entering the exotic and fascinating world outlined in this novel. Reading this book is like falling in love. At times hilarious or brutal, always exhilarating and occasionally deeply moving. The world of medieval Japan which he brings to life is exquisitely detailed in all its aspects, from the spiritual (eg the cha ceremony) to the esoteric (the ninja) to the martial, political and romantic. The cast of dozens in this novel all come across with disarming realism and engage the reader very strongly, so that even a western reader has no difficulty remembering who is who despite their strange sounding names. Essentially a story about one man's struggle for survival and love in a hostile alien world, Shogun delivers, in every department. I have read this book several times. You will not be able to put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: a grand disappointment
Review: Before embarking on these 1100 torturous pages, be warned that though this may be an epic, is is certainly not a classic. The writing is very turgid and, what's worse, irritating as hell! I lost count how many times the word 'truculent' - obviously Clavell's favorite adjective - was used The direct translation of Blackthorne's broken Japanese is irritating and, as others have pointed out, just plain wrong. And please, scrap the one sentence description of every character we meet along the way...."he had three teeth and leathery skin"...."buck teeth and bulging eyes"....blah blah....believe me, it'll drive you nuts.
Life's short and time is precious - don't waste it on this bloated monstrosity.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Cross-Cultural Novel of Adventure & Intrigue
Review: James Clavell's Shogun may be his most famous work, and it is likewise his best as it presents a marvelous cross-cultural tale of adventure and intrigue in pseudo-historical 17th century Japan. The true artfulness of the story is carried off by the use of Blackthorn, the English navigator of a Dutch ship wrecked in Japan amidst a period of intense political turmoil. Although indeed based loosely upon the real-life figure William Adams, Blackthorn's importance to the story is to present a western viewpoint into the all-too-alien Japanese culture, and as Blackthorn becomes Anjin-san and ever more accustomed to his new life, so do we as the reader find ourselves increasingly immersed and drawn into that culture. The cast of characters truly suits the epic scope of the novel's story, and most are well-drawn, complex, and interesting (though at times some of the minor characters may seem added as an afterthought). Shogun-to-be Lord Toranaga makes for an excellent impeneterable genius manipulating everyone like a master puppeteer, and Lady Mariko similarly offers an intriguing character that the reader comes to care for. The fact that Clavell spent years in a Japanese POW camp under the harshest of conditions during World War II (something like only 1 in 15 men survived) makes his portrait of Japan all the more remarkable, for he is able to portray the harsh and often alien life of 17th century samurai-laden Japan in a way that not only makes sense to the reader but that is appealing in the most romantic of ways to a degree far greater than that of Western society of the same period. I suggest this book heartily to any fan of historical fiction and particularly to those with an interest in Japan.
Rating:
Summary: The introduciton to an obsession
Review: Shógun was to me the dominating factor in my growing interest in Japan and the Orient. The superb story telling: the love-intrigues, the political arguments, the fearsome battlescenes, and the ever existing feeling of being present in the storyline makes Shógun an excellent piece of reading. Clavell succeeds to fascinate me time on time again. Tai-Pan (which i recommend as well) also gives the reader an urge to discover further, the depth of the societies he introduces. Though i was very disappointed in Shóguns ending regarding the fate of Mariko-san,I can only encourage all who have not read it to read it right away. BUT: remember not to swallow it in one bite; enjoy it's length and reread some passages to furthen the curiosity of what is next.
Rating: 
Summary: Highly Enjoyable Quasi-Historical Epic
Review: This book is--as my dear old Grandma would have said--a ripper. In case you are one of the 9 people who haven't heard of it, it is a consistently-entertaining adventure/political intrigue story set in medieval Japan at the dawn of the Shogun era, just prior to the expulsion of Europeans from the Japanese home islands. It is based on the true story of William Adams who, as near as I can find out (there appears to be precious little in English on the man) really did sail to "The Japans" in the early 17th century, and did indeed become a samurai. But as others point out, it ain't history, and it isn't a language lesson, either. It also purportedly contains anachronistic touches, such as the highly-stylized samurai code (which apparently wasn't codified until quite a bit later), and so on. That aside, it's a pile of fun. This isn't "great literature" by any stretch, but it's interesting and engrossing. It's a bit too long, weighing in at something close to 900 pages, but if you are fascinated by the Japanese medieval culture, or by the political intrigue of the Elizabethan era, you'll enjoy this. If digression from accepted history bothers you, or a somewhat-windy style of writing irritates you, give it a miss. But speaking personally, this is the only Clavell novel that I've really been able to get into, and I've even re-read it a number of times.
Rating:
Summary: Rich and Compelling
Review: I took this book with me on a three week vacation to Europe. It's huge, perfect for a looooong trip. For a synopsis of the book, see the other reviews. I study Chinese history, not Japanese, so I can not claim to know all the inaccuracies in this novel, but I thought it squared very well with what I know about Tokugawa Japan. My professor recommended it to our class, so I am guessing it is a good portrayal... My main issue with the book, and the reason i don't give it five stars, is because I thought some of the characters were flat and under-developed. Blackthorne, Lady Mariko, and Fujiko are stereotypes...the uncouth, heroic barbarian, and the patriotic, loyal Japanese. At times it was a bit much. The most well developed characters were Toranaga and Yabu, who are always leaving the reader guessing as to what their true motivations are. Other than that flaw (and it is a minor one overall), 'Shogun' is an addictive, action-packed read that will have you thinking about Japan long after you've turned the last page. Tip: make a list of the names of characters if you are unfamiliar with the Japanese naming system, as it can get very confusing. A list of the Japanese terms Blackthorne learns is also helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Very fascinating read ...
Review: My dad recommended Shogun to me when I was in high school ~~ but the sheer volume of this book put me off. I happened to stumble across it in a book sale and decided to try it. It happily accounted for all of my spare time for two weeks (which I didn't have much of!). This is an extremely fascinating read ~~ I am real glad I picked it up. However, I must warn you, half way through the book, the author seems to have hit a dry spell ~~ it was very dry and hard for me to get through it. In my opinion, it should have been edited out because it was not that relevant to the story. It does pick up again ~~ and it really keeps you thinking of Feudal Japan for a long time after. This story is about Blackthorne, a bold Englisher who stumbled across Japan in a storm, Mariko, a lovely Christian Samurai woman, who falls in love with Blackthorne, and Lord Toranaga, who is one of the regents ruling on the behalf of the Heir. This is their story ~~ a true soap opera of life in the times of Feudal Japan. This is a fun read ~~ it has it all. Samauri fighting for their lords, mystery, intrigue, plots, sex, romance, whirlwind battles and so forth ~~ I am glad I had a chance to read this book. It would have been a five if it weren't for that long stretch of irrelevant waiting period ~~ where time seemed to have stood still for over 200 pages! Other than that, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone! If you're a history buff, this book is definitely for you! 7-7-03
Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: It's a claasic and provides great insight into fudal Japan. Much of the pyschology is still relevant for today.
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