Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era

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The book has an ongoing theme of Musashi and his journeys, as he walks the path of the warrior, following The Way, taming the mind. Musashi Quotes: 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.

Musashi, The Greatest A Collection of Books About Miyamoto Musashi, The Greatest

It did have its issues, naturally. The characterisation isn't quite that deep for most characters, with the exception of the protagonist, Miyamoto Musashi, and perhaps a couple of others. But given the scope and breadth of the story, it'd have been extremely difficult to make everyone multi-layered, and tedious, too. Another bump was that the second half of the novel doesn't flow as smoothly or reads as fun as the first half; it tends to philosophise a lot and characters start to act a wee bit erratically sometimes, as well as that some plot threads not getting tied up properly left small plotholes. Also, the end-of-the-road change of heart for a certain character didn't ring all that true to me.I suppose it's interesting to get a perspective on a VERY different culture, but half the time I couldn't fathom any conceivable logical or moral reason why the characters would be doing what they were doing, and this only got worse as the book went along. He studies philosophy, is taught humility, modesty, trust and how to train and teach others by a variety of other characters that he meets whilst on his journey for self-improvement and self-mastery. Diabolus ex Machina: After the duel at Ichijoji, Musashi and Matahachi meet up and reconcile, with Matahachi appearing to realize how foolish he's been throughout the novel. They separate, and Kojirō suddenly comes out of nowhere, lures Matahachi into a brothel, and convinces him to turn against Musashi.

read Vagabond or Musashi (the novel) first? Should I read Vagabond or Musashi (the novel) first?

In effetti mi mnancava qualche mattone classico fuori dal continente europeo, e il Giappone mi ha sempre affascinata. Miyamoto Musashi, which was one of several names of a very important figure in Japanese history, lived from the end of the sixteenth into the seventeenth century. He was a true renaissance man in that he was an exceptional strategist, swordsman and social philosopher who also painted, sculpted and wrote. I cannot think of a comparable figure from the West with the possible exception of Leonardo Da Vinci. He and Musashi were incredibly accomplished in a variety of areas but their emphases were clearly quite different. Musashi could teach his techniques and give advice, but in the end each disciple was required to assess his own strength, find his own Way, and make that Way truly his own.I am a huge fan of the old Criterion Collection samurai movies and I loved Toshiro Mifune's portrayal of Musashi, so I thought I'd give this a read. I found it VERY slow at the beginning, but I powered through. It took me as long to read this as it did to read Don Quixote….coincidentally, Musashi lived at the same time as Cervantes, so it was interesting to compare what was going on in Japan in the time of Shakespeare and Cervantes. Musashi is a novel in the best tradition of Japanese story telling. It is a living story, subtle and imaginative, teeming with memorable characters, many of them historical. Interweaving themes of unrequited love, misguided revenge, filial piety and absolute dedication to the Way of the Samurai, it depicts vividly a world Westerners know only vaguely. Full of gusto and humor, it has an epic quality and universal appeal.

Musashi: An Epic Novel Of The Samurai Era (Hardback)

Musashi written by Eji Yoshikawa in the 1930s is only loosely considered to be "historical fiction". Many of the famous characters, including Musashi himself, did indeed exist. But this is primarily a fiction novel that tells the story of Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi and Takuan both believed that the great mistake was being slowed or rendered immobile by what one sees, hears, feels, or thinks The lovely Otsū, 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. Chance, as well as the characters' very different life decisions, give to the book a philosophical dimension that is revealed in its ending. 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.

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. Hope Spot: Musashi reunites with Jōtarō and Otsū, allowing the former to resume his training and giving the latter a chance to talk him into being with her. Otsū convinces him that she wouldn't interfere with his training, and Musashi agrees to have a relationship. On top of that, Matahachi meets up with Musashi and is persuaded by him to become a scholar and turn his life around. Of course, it all goes straight to hell. It is a fictionalized account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, author of The Book of Five Rings and arguably the most renowned Japanese swordsman who ever lived. Musashi ( Japanese: 宮本武蔵, Hepburn: Miyamoto Musashi ), also listed as " Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era" is a Japanese epic novel written by Eiji Yoshikawa, about the life and deeds of legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Foil: Kojirō, to Musashi. Musashi is a ragged, unkempt country boy who spends most of his time as a vagrant, but is a deeply stoic and spiritual man who is devoted to improving himself in all possible ways. Kojirō is a well-dressed, silver-tongued fop who is at heart a cruel, arrogant sadist. Both men are fearless master swordsmen, but commit terrible acts— Kojirō rapes and tortures Akemi, and Musashi kills twelve year-old Yoshioka Genjirō to win the Duel at Ichijoji—as well as heroic ones: Musashi rescues a village from bandits, while Kojirō saves Matahachi and Osugi from the samurai of the Ono school. By the end of the novel, both men have managed to straighten themselves out somewhat, but in different ways. Musashi seeks out and eventually achieves spiritual insight and enlightenment. Kojirō, meanwhile, gains a position as the Hosokawa Clan's sword instructor that requires him to act in a dignified manner, which eventually becomes more natural to him.