Hey!
So I’m the last half year or so I have completed a fantastic reading spree of James Clavell’s “Shogun,” Eiji Yoshikawa’s “Musashi,” and just finished “Taiko” yesterday. Despite not reading Yoshikawa’s books in technical chronological order, I followed Reddit’s recommendation to try “Musashi” after “Shogun.” Due to a tibial plateau fracture from a bike accident about three months ago, combined with summer break from college, I managed to read these lengthy books pretty quickly (I also read around 350-400 WPM), thoroughly enjoying them all.
In terms of ranking, although all three books are excellent, I’d rate them as follows: Taiko > Shogun > Musashi. Thus is purely subjective, but at times, I found Musashi’s storyline to include unnecessary side quests. However, what impressed me the most about Yoshikawa’s books was their ability to capture wisdom, which resonated with me even more than many self-help books.
Now that I’m hooked on reading about traditional Japan, I’m would like to dive into another novel, preferably similar in length to the previous three. I’m looking for a book set in Japan’s feudal era, with a blend of fiction and non-fiction elements like “Taiko” if possible. However, if that’s not available, I’d be equally interested in a book set during the period when Japan was forced to open its doors to the West in the late 1800s.
Thanks in advance
by Proof-Combination334