Shogun (novel)
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| 1990s paperback edition | |
| Author | James Clavell |
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| Cover Artist | Ed Vebell (illustrated edition only) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Asian Saga |
| Genre(s) | Historical, Novel |
| Publisher | Dell Fiction |
| Released | 1975 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 1152 pp (Paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-0-440-17800-2(Paperback edition) |
| Preceded by | first book of series |
| Followed by | Tai-Pan |
- This page is about the James Clavell novel. For other meanings of Shogun, see Shogun (disambiguation).
Shōgun is the first novel (chronologically speaking) in James Clavell's Asian Saga. It is set in feudal Japan somewhere around the year 1600 and gives a highly fictionalized account of the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu to the Shogunate, seen through the eyes of an English sailor whose fictional heroics are loosely based on William Adams' exploits.
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[edit] Plot summary
John Blackthorne (given the nickname Anjin, meaning "pilot," by the Japanese because they can't pronounce his name), pilot and acting captain of the Dutch trading ship Erasmus, is shipwrecked on the coast of Japan. He and his crew are forced to live in a pit for a few days, until they learn how to act civilized. The samurai (Omi-san) in charge of them throws seawater on the crew whenever they get rowdy. Eventually, Omi-san tells Blackthorne that he and his crew must pick someone to die the next day. He also specifies that Blackthorne is not to be picked. Eventually, Blackthorne ends up at the House of the Daimyo, Yabu-san. The daimyo plans to turn Blackthorne over to the custody of his lord, Toranaga. While in the household, Blackthorne is given the honorary suffix -san and becomes Anjin-san. He then enters the service of Toranaga, a powerful feudal warlord who rules over the Kanto (Kwanto) plain, the site of modern-day Tokyo, and falls in love with Mariko, a convert to Christianity who is torn between her new religion and her native culture.
Despite a rocky start, Blackthorne slowly gains an understanding of the Japanese people and their culture, and eventually learns to respect it deeply. The Japanese, in turn, are torn over Blackthorne's presence; He is a cultural outsider, a leader of a disgracefully filthy and uncouth group of rabble (his ship's crew), but he is also a formidable shipbuilder, ship's captain, and navigator. As such, he is both beneath their contempt and incalculably valuable. A turning point in this perception is Blackthorne's attempt at seppuku (ritual suicide). He demonstrates willingness to commit suicide with honor which deeply impresses the Japanese, but is stopped as he is far more valuable alive than dead. The Japanese grow to respect the "barbarian" in turn and he is eventually granted the status of samurai and hatamoto. Blackthorne is torn between his love for Mariko (who is married to a powerful samurai), his growing loyalty to Toranaga, and his desire to return to the open seas aboard Erasmus and capture the "Black Ship," a treasure-laden Portuguese vessel. Eventually, he reunites with the survivors of his original crew and is so astonished at how far he's come away from the standard European way of life (rare bathing, meat-eating) and is disgusted by what he sees. Blackthorne's plans to attack the Black Ship are complicated by his friendship with that vessel's pilot.
In parallel with this plot, the novel also details the power struggle between Toranaga and Ishido (two great daimyos or feudal lords), and the political maneuvring of the Christians (Catholics), particularly the Jesuits. Some of the plot is driven by Blackthorne's enmity for the Jesuits, Spanish and Portuguese, and his revelation to the Japanese that Catholics are not the only Christians. There is also conflict between Christian daimyo's (who are motivated in part by a desire to preserve and expand their Chruch) and the daimyos who oppose the converts in favor of the native Shinto and Buddhist faiths. Toranaga's ultimate, but secret goal is to be named Shogun, the supreme military commander of Japan and second in power only to the Emperor himself.
This book is divided into 5 Books, the 3rd being the longest. It contains extremely intricate plots and counter plots and stradles the line between historical drama (tinged with romance) and political drama.
[edit] Characters in "Shogun"
These characters in Shogun are based on historical figures:
- Goroda: Oda Nobunaga
- Nakamura: Toyotomi Hideyoshi
- Toranaga: Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Blackthorne: William Adams
- Ochiba: Yodo-Dono
- Yaemon: Toyotomi Hideyori
- Sudara: Tokugawa Hidetada
- Ishido: Ishida Mitsunari
- Mariko: Hosokawa Gracia
- Martin Alvito: João Rodrigues
[edit] Allusions/references to actual history, geography, and current science
The ship's name of Erasmus is most likely taken from the original name of the ship De Liefde, the Dutch ship piloted by William Adams which made landfall on the coast of Japan in 1600. The real Erasmus was renamed to fit in with the names of the other four ships of the expedition leaving Holland in 1598.
[edit] Historical Inaccuracies
The book can be criticised for occasional anachronisms. For example, early on in the book a character is said to practice judo, despite judo not being invented until hundreds of years after the book is set.
[edit] Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel has been adapted as a groundbreaking television miniseries, a Broadway musical, and several computer games, including an Infocom text adventure called James Clavell's Shogun.
A television miniseries, Shogun, was produced in 1980. Nine hours long (twelve, including commercials), it aired over five nights. It starred Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune, Yoko Shimada, and John Rhys-Davies. It was edited into a two-hour version for theatrical release.
[edit] Computer games
There have been three computer-games based on the Shogun novel. Two text-based adventure games (with sparse graphics) for the Amiga and PC, and a unique graphical Virgin Entertainment adventure game for the Commodore 64.
James Clavell's Shogun and Shogun (Mastertronic) are abandonware, and are no longer available for purchase. However, abandonware sites such as Home of the Underdogs may have them available. Keep in mind any such downloads may be illegal, depending on your jurisdiction, and that you would do so at your own risk. Wikipedia does not encourage the violation of any laws.
Shōgun for the Commodore 64, produced in 1986 by "Lee & Mathias" is available via emulation. Emulation can also be of questionable legality, so the above warning applies to this as well.
| The Asian Saga of James Clavell |
|---|
| Shogun | Tai-Pan | Gai-Jin | King Rat | Noble House | Whirlwind |
| Related novel: Escape: The Love Story from Whirlwind |
