The Samurai And The Long-Nosed Devils

Rating:
Summary: Great Mystery!
Review: As an American of Japanese descent, I loved this book because Namioka portrays two ronin samurai as intelligent, humorous characters with whom anyone can identify. Forget stereotypes. The two out-of-work samurai, Zenta and Matsuzo, plunge into a plot that twists and turns and keeps you coming back for more... Thank goodness, Namioka was a proliferate writer and there are two more books about these two. In the course of unraveling a fine mystery, the reader learns about the how's and why's of the costumes, swordsmanship and manners of feudal Japan (these turn into clues); rather than alienate the reader from this culture, the plot draws one into it and you understand it personally. A great way to slip history and respect for other cultures into your child's library. But it also stands on its own as a mystery because of Namioka's vervacious style. Superb.