Title: One of the great 20th century novels
Product review: This was the first Clavel novel that I ever read. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. I often measure the quality of a book by the amount of sleep I lose over it. This book is so gripping that by the time I reached the final chapters, I stayed up ALL NIGHT to finish it. It's just that good.Clavel must have performed a mind-boggling amount of research to produce this work. It is full of details about life in 16th cenutry Japan. Culture, politics, sex, class distinctions, race relations, and more are all covered. As far as "historical novels" are concerned, this is probably the pinnacle of the genre.If you enjoy historical novels, are a history buff, enjoy Japanese culture, or just want to read a great book, you can't go wrong with this one. It is truly great and you will be better off for having read it.
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