Cloud of Sparrows

Rating:
Summary: A thrilling historical epic
Review: "A Cloud of Sparrows" is an elegant historical novel, no wait it's a adventure thriller cloaked as an historical novel. Presuming the latter is true it is only suitable that its ambigious genre matches a plot where alliances/loyalties shift faster than the sands of time.
The year is 1861 Japan, and the great lord Genji has opened Japan's doors to American missionaries. This causes a rift in Japanese culture and results in plots and counterplots throughout the story. Virtually every chapter is laced with attempts made on the life of Genji or Stark and Emily the American missionaries.
This novel quite adequately sets explosively exciting scenes of intrique and suspense, as loyalties are forever in doubt, and reader's wonder the meaning of Genji's prophetic visions.
It is a very solid debut novel lush in description, deep in its characterization and remarkably paced.
My only critique is that the shocking resolution of the plot is not as unexpected as some would have the gullible reader believe, the portants were scattered from the start, so the conclusion while possibly surprising to some was a little anticlimatical and disappointing to this jaded reader.
Otherwise this story works on both novels very admirably as a historical tome in Japan, or an intriquing thriller and should draw readers of both genres as a satisfying first effort by the author.

Rating:
Summary: Shogun-lite romantic adventure in 1860's Japan
Review: "Cloud of Sparrows" is Takashi Matsuoka's first novel, an ambitious tale set in Japan in the 1860's, as the country is being forcibly opened by "outsiders" and the era of the Shogun and samurai moves toward an end.
The plot involves a trio of American missionaries who go to Japan to set up their church, and the fate of the Tokumichi samurai clan from Akaoka.
The central character is Lord Genji, a minor lord and somewhat of a dilletante of a samurai, more concerned with poetry and lovemaking than swordsmanship. He also happens to have the family curse of seeing visions of the future.
The story of full of plots within plots, characters who are more than they appear to be, and plenty of action. There is subterfuge, counter-plotting, revenge and romance.
In addition to Genji, the other primary characters are Heiko, the most lovely geisha in all Japan, Emily, a beautiful young American perceived as ugly in Japan, and Matthew Stark, a gunfighter seeking revenge on a man who has fled to Japan and become a Buddhist monk. Important sub-characters include Genji's uncle Shigeru, who has horrific visions of a WWII era and overpopulated future Japan. There are also a trio of Genji's captains, Saiki, Kudo and Sohaku, who may or may not be plotting against their lord. Throw in the treacherous Kawakami, the Shogun's chief of secret police, as well as Kuma the Bear, the deadliest ninja in Japan, and Genji has plenty of antagonists.

The story was intriguing, and the plot moved along quickly, with rarely a dull moment. It's a page-turning read. I enjoyed the comparison/contrast of Japan and outside cultures, and Matsuoka went to considerable detail on clothing. Genji is a likable protaganist, who faces a number of challenges, and exhibits some character arc by the end of the story. He makes some unexpected decisions. Emily also grows in the story, and has to make some difficult choices as well.

Matsuoka attempted an third person omniscient point-of-view strategy, getting us into the heads of just about every character in the book. This was sometimes successful in presenting an almost "Rashomon" type review of scenes from different perspectives, but was sometimes confusing as we backtracked to scenes that have already ended. There are also a lot of character histories told in flashback. This is the essential problem with the book. There was more "telling" than "showing" with character emotions and stories, and not enough vivid detail to fully bring me into the character's world.
Also, I felt that the buildup for the relationships was better than the payoff. I was disappointed in the Stark vs. Jimbo showdown.
Finally, the novel is very graphically violent. Especially involving children. So if you are sensitive to that type of thing, beware.

Rating:
Summary: Cormac McCarthy Meets James Clavell!
Review: "Cloud of Sparrows," the first novel from Takashi Matsuoka, spins a complex yarn set in 1861 Japan -- this is a classic East Meets West tale, but it is told with brutal clarity and riveting poetry that sets it apart from more mundane works.

While Matsuoka's characters are initially bound by their rigid perceptions of each other (the Japanese see Westerners as uncivilized oafs while the Westerners see the Japanese as heathen wretches crying out for salvation), Matsuoka uses flashbacks and current crises to highlight the underlying similarities between the two cultures. Both groups, Japanese and American, are capable of and commit acts of horrifying barbarity as well as acts of exquisite kindness. Revenge and honor motivate both groups, as well -- the goals are merely pursued in different ways.

The story focuses on the rise of Lord Genji, a Japanese Prince Hal character (who apparently served as his own Falstaff) who must overcome his playboy reputation and lead his clan to victory. The victory he seeks is the conclusion of the Battle of Sekigahara, which was fought over 250 years ago. Lord Genji, cursed and blessed with the gift of prophecy, knows that the balance of Japanese history will be determined by these Westerners, with their lethal machinery and perpetual focus on the future. Japan, as Genji sees it, has cursed itself with its dedication to tradition, honor, and ritualism. And so Genji seeks out the company of the new arrivals, three American missionaries who will each affect the history of Japan in their own way.

Two of the three Americans are characters for the ages. Emily Gibson is a beautiful missionary who has fled to Japan hoping that the Japanese will see her as ugly, since her beauty has only caused her misery back in America. The other American of note is Matthew Stark, who wears a missionary's habit but whose mission is murder. Their fates grow entwined with Genji's as the wheels of fate and consequence turn inexorably.

Also riding shotgun with Genji is his deranged uncle, the mightiest swordsman in Japan since Musashi (and who is also cursed with prophecies of Japan's ultimate fate), and a beautiful geisha/ninja whose darkest secret is unknown even to her.

This is a Japan where men still slit their own throats after learning they have insulted the wrong man, where plots of vengeance grow over decades, and where men and women can still learn astounding new truths about each other and the world around them. Through it all, Matsuoka writes with a brilliant clarity, which brings to life both his visions of beauty and his horrifying battle scenes -- scenes which rival the wonderful Cormac McCarthy in their stark realism.

This novel reads like the first novel in a series, as many loose ends are unresolved at the end. "Autumn Bridge" is apparently the next book in the series, and I can't wait to check it out. Dive in, and enjoy!


Rating:
Summary: Subarashii !!!
Review: A great read. I couldn't put it down. If you're at all interested in Japanese culture, you will enjoy this book. The description was wonderful and set many very atmospheric scenes. The characters are well developed and the plot develops in an easy to follow and intrigueing way. While it may not be 100% historically accurate, it is after all fiction. If you want total accuracy go read a Japanese history textbook.

Rating:
Summary: Very Intriguing
Review: A very well written novel. I could barely put the book down. This also has to do with the clever way the chapters are laid out, so it doesn't give you the traditional breaking point. I loved how he told the same story from different angles throughout the book. He gave a lot of background information, but he gave it as was necessary. Wonderful incorporation of recognizable historical happenings. Great story line. I can't wait to read Autumn Bridge.

Rating:
Summary: A Great book! Can't wait for the next one, Matsuoka-sama!
Review: After reading Musashi, Shogun and Gai-Jin, I was looking for more books on Samurai. I'm glad I picked up Cloud of Sparrows, it is a really good read, it draws you in from the beginning and never lets up! I didn't intend to write a review, but I was so surprised at the bitterness of some reviewers toward this novel and its author that I had to try and bump up the overall rating.
Other reviewers got into detailing the plot and the characters, so I won't do that. Besides, giving up too much will only ruin the pleasure of reading it. Do not let the few who gave it a bad review discourage you, they are too sensitized by these PC times! Life was harsh in the past! As for those who moan about a gunslinger in late 1800s Japan - hey, it's fiction, not fact!
Enjoy this captivating read for what it is: pure escapism.

Rating:
Summary: Cloud of Sparrows
Review: Cloud of Sparrows was given to me by a family member. I didn't think I'd like it because I'm not into large and long books like that and even though I like Rurouni Kenshin and it's the same time period, I wasn't sure. However, now I've finished it and started Autumn Bridge. I've even passed the books around to my friends, both older and younger. It's a book for anyone who enjoys learning about the past in other countries and in this one. It's a combination of fact and fiction that will catch any reader's eyes and their heart.

Rating:
Summary: Cloud of Sparrows
Review: I remembered found this book in a supermarket nearby my house almost a year ago. After reading the first pages, I just can't put it down. I finished the book in less than four days, and was enthrilled by the story.

It was truly a Zen story. The way Matsuoka-san describes life and death, was truly a Zen way (no wonder, he used to live among the monks, right?). I was so impressed how this Japanese ex-monk can be so accurate in describing American culture (through Emily and Stark) and yet weaving the grace of the Way in between the pages.

Through Matsuoka-san actually I learned more about meditation and acceptance. How to let go what should be gone. How to overcome fear over death; for death is but another door to another life (through Shigeru's and Jimbo's death). And I learned that it is true that we'd rather not knowing what's in the future. Rather, just enjoy life as it is at present moment. For, past and future are not real. Present moment is.

I should be saying something about the novel, but I cannot say anything but that this novel is one of the best novel I've read about Japan (in addition to Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi). The fact that both novels (Musashi and Cloud of Sparrow) teach me about life is what made them my precious collections.

Rating:
Summary: Not well-researched at all
Review: The thing I liked about Shogun and Clavell's other works was the detailed research effort that went into each novel. I'm afraid Matsuoka doesn't deliver on the same level. He basically co-opts Clavell's Gai-Jin plot and then tries to overlay a real 17th Century Japanese historical event, the pivotal Battle of Sekigihara, onto the late Tokugawa landscape. I'm afraid it doesn't work for me or anyone else who knows history, since the samurai were almost gone by the time of the late Tokugawa shogunate. The same can be said for Stark, the American gunfighter who comes to Japan to hunt down a ruthless American desperado, hiding out as a buddhist monk no less! Ha! Ha! Excuse me, but I just have to laugh at this improbable nonsense. Add to that, Lord Genji's strange psychic abilities and you've got the makings of a good soap opera, or anime movie, but not an historical action adventure. The other reviewers said it best: James Clavell remains the undisputed master of this genre.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Unforgettable
Review: This book really got you in there with the rest of the characters, like you were watching everything happen in front of you. You empathize with all the characters, main and supporting. Like another reviewer said, the Americans, "outsiders", become outsiders to you. While reading, I was like "what are they doing?!" because I was so absorbed, and it made me feel like I was a part of Genji's entourage too :). Some reviewers mentioned that the plot was ridiculous, but it's fiction, which means it's not real :). The plot always seemed straightforward, but once or twice, there were a few twists and turns that were shocking. The author's writing style was great. It flowed like a movie, the way he cuts from scene to scene, but all it does is further the impact of the book. It's real strength is the characters. If only because of them, you have to read it.