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The writing was simple and plain but not artistic, and the characters didn't come across as believable to me. The main character was very passive about his own life but quite nosy about others. I was disappointed in this book. People who had spent their whole lives hiding from the world suddenly spilling their stories to an outsider. I am surprised at the number of good reviews this book received. Its plot sounds so promising--a Chinese man with tuberculosis recuperating at his father's summer home in Japan, and the relationships he develops there. It seemed that a lot more could have been done with this in the hands of a more talented author.
However, the ending will leave you hanging. The story was good and well written. You get attached to the characters as the story develops.
The book did arrived in the condition described and in a timely manner. Was surprised that the cover of the book I received was not the one pictured. The book was the correct one, just with a different cover.
We all found the setting particularly interesting (the Japanese village of Tarumi seen through Chinese eyes before the looming outbreak of World War II), and we all felt a bit disadvantaged in our knowledge of historic events during that time and place. We all found the language to be very simplistic - too much so for some; just the right style for others. There were no complexities, words to look up, and paragraphs that needed particular scrutiny to understand. Due to its language, as well as its storyline, we felt this could also easily be read by a much-younger audience. We could not come to a conclusion on this connection; however, it was interesting to compare what we had thought when reading.
Furthermore, we agreed the leper colony in Yamaguchi provided a particularly interesting setting - both the inhabitants, their resilience and the almost mythic creation of the place was perhaps the most unexpected part of the book. Some were baffled as to why Stephen was so instantly fascinated by the much-older Sachi. Nobody vehemently disliked it, although some did not feel a strong connection to the characters and regretted the lack of major character development. Is that the reason for the book's popularity.
Did she exude a maternal comfort. However, others felt that the absence of gore, violence and dark character traits strengthened the story. Below is the summary of my current book club discussion on The Samurai's Garden. Some thought there was a bit too much telling, and not too much showing. Was she mostly a way to get to know Matsu better.
One of us in particular desperately wished for more teenage passion, rebellion and lust in Stephen and found him rather passive and dull. Was there a tinge of sensual attraction. Kenzo's betrayal, anger and tragic death also provide sensitive nerves to the story, and more than anything emphasize plain humanity. I just thought that for a change I should try to present an unbiased review ;)All in all it turned out to be a good book for discussion since all of us had different perceptions about the style, characters, setting, language and its overall impact.
Stephen's realization of his father's "double life" hurts, confuses, and ultimately changes their relationship - as well as that with his mother. Mostly we thought they complemented each other in a rather typical way - the popular boisterous one with the quiet unassuming counterpart. However, it can also be said that his otherworldly goodness gives the story its strength. Was it his artist's eyes that found her a compelling beauty. Furthermore, the characters with some tangible flaws had perhaps the most interesting impact - those of Stephen's father and Matsu's long-time friend Kenzo.
Matsu is security, and his doings and sayings envelopes the story in unapologetic comfort. He has no flaws, his heroic efforts cannot be contested, his old-man wisdom is almost annoyingly accurate, and his devoted love for Sachi is perhaps overly sentimental. Who knows, but we enjoyed discussing it. In this sense, Matsu could be argued to be the weakest character in the story.
Others found the three main characters a bit flat since neither Matsu, Sachi or the narrator, Stephen, had any flaws. Similarly, we pondered the young friendship between Matsu and Kenzo - what had been the attraction between such different personalities. The strongest disagreement emerged when discussing the characters. Even though the book did not deal directly with the war between Japan and China, we felt the tension could be clearly felt both due to the radio announcements, letters from home, and Stephen's awkward sense of being the only young male around.
The inclusion of Japanese words for certain objects and expressions felt appropriate and added an almost whimsical touch.
A true story of a romance which leaves an imprint on one's soul and heart. A beautiful book written with characteristic simplicity. If one appreciates this book one should read The Sword and the Blossom.
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