Rating: 
Summary: Clavell's the Master of Plot
Review: I read Shogun in ninth grade...in a week - through classes, church, etc. I grew up without a TV and I had a voracious appetite for books and I remember (it was fifteen years ago) that this was the best book that I had ever read. I just finished it again, and it still is. It's one of those pageburner books where you finish the last page and want to start over... on to Tai-Pan.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Historical Novel of Japan
Review: The book is the story of an Englishman who crashes into Japan in his merchant ship in the year 1600. From that point, he becomes a significant pawn in the fight for power in Japan. I personally found it to be a captivating story from beginning to finish. One does not need to know Japanese history to be interested in the story, although I personally relished it a bit more due to my previous knowledge of Japanese history. There is plenty of action, political intrigue, and numerous subplots to keep your interest. While it is a VERY long book, the pace is quite quick and it rarely bogs down. I personally read it in less than a week and put other things aside just so I could read it.
Rating:
Summary: A true epic.
Review: The size and scope of this book is breathtaking. Clavell's tale of feudal Japan and the "barbaric" Europeans who land on its shores is a classic. The story is inserted nicely into that mysterious and pivotal time period when countries began to break out of their boundaries with ocean exploration. While some criticisms exist that claim Clavell was a little off on his "Japanese culture portrayal", I must say he held true to his depiction throughout the whole book. Some authors let their culture values bleed together. Clavell presented a Japan that was alive with culture, grace, violence, and tradition. He did a good job presenting the varied European groups as well, pitting the English against the Portuguese and Spanish. I was also intrigued by the presentation of the Church (possibly a little over the top, but fascinating nonetheless). I couldn't put this book down once it got going. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A True Masterpiece
Review: Through his amazing story "Shogun", James Clavell takes us on a journey rich with ancient Japanese history, love, intrigue, suspense, action and passionate romance. For a book over 1200 pages, Mr Clavell has done extraordinarily well in keeping an adolescent reader like myself so engrossed in every page of his remarkable story. It is my earnest belief that the numerous plots and sub-plots involved are enough to engage any reader of any age to partake on the journey James Clavell invites us on. Over the years many accolades have been placed on this masterpiece of which it is worthy of all and much more. To me personally the book has been inspirational and given me a new view-point of the many topics it goes over. I hope that it will remain inspirational to the many future generations which will partake on the magical experience James Clavell offers to give them.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Quite simply the best book I've ever read....Clavell seems to really capture the true essence of Japanese ideologies and methodolgies. A truly interesting and captivating novel. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. I was weary at first and the Japanese chain of command was a little baffling in the beginning, however once the novel got going I could not put it down.
Rating:
Summary: King Rat to Noble House
Review: If anyone gives these books anything less than 5 STARS they need their head looked at....
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, the greatist epic of all time
Review: When I first read this book I thought it would be some old wind bag going on for over a 1,000 pages, about what people ate for breakfast or what colour there toenails where, I was so very, very wrong.
Tose first pages had me hooked. I remember sitting down at 10:30am and what seemed like minutes were infact 12 hours, I read the entire book in one day.
I didn't eat anything that day, but forfilled me, I've it so many times I've lost count.
In my opinion everyone should read this, when I saw the mini-series this year on tape, it really let down the book. It should be remaid, so that the memory of the James Clavell is remembed by even tose who perfer not to read.
Rating:
Summary: Shogun
Review: I can honestly say that this is the best book i've ever read. James Clavell did an unbelievably great job at taking you to 17th century Japan and explaining the culture. One thing that surprised me was that it was over a thousand pages long and yet not one page was boring wheras most authors who try to write long books just get long-winded. this book was long because the author actually had a lot to say, not just because he liked filling up pages. this is a great book and i'd reccomend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Escape to Another Time and Place
Review: I just couldn't put this book down! James Clavell is a good story-teller and does an excellent job of introducing one to a different time and culture. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and when i wasn't reading it, I was thinking about what had happened and what might happen next. When I finished it, I was disappointed that Clavell had not made it longer. This book has it all: intrigue, romance, action, and drama. Clavell does an excellent job of developing the different characters. As the reader, one gets a chance to see this new world through the point of view of many of these different points characters. An excellent read! Don't let the length scare you away. When you get done you'll be glad it was the length it was. I know I was.
Rating:
Summary: Magnanimous
Review: Brew up some coffee and read this straight - you won't be able to put this down!
|
