Shōgun
Shōgun is a brilliant mix of political intrigue, high stakes romance, and the contrasting of 16th century European and Japanese customs.
Each character in Shōgun introduces a new facet of the struggle between English, Portuguese, and Japanese players for control of Japan and its trade.
In particular, James Clavell does an incredible job of evolving the perspective of the protagonist, John Blackthorne, from a ‘barbarian’ English ship pilot, to a ‘civilized’ and high ranking samurai.
The Japanese way of life is criticized, then analyzed, then accepted by Blackthorne, and it’s a captivating read the whole way, supported by a wide cast of characters. While Shōgun is a hefty 1600+ pages, it’s mostly compelling, and left me wishing the story continued.
Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in historical fiction (the story is inspired by a real life Englishman), or in Japan in general.