Finished “Shogun” book. Post-book depression hits hard. Here my thoughts!
Hi all! I wanna share my thoughts, feelings and everything I got in me. I need to express it somewhere, so I picked this subreddit. I start with a story of my own.
I bought a “Shogun” book after I watched 1st episode of new FX tv show adaptation. It was when it premiere. I felt like I was robbed at 1st episode and I had a lot of questions and was interesting in the story. So I ordered book immediately.
By that time I was struggle how I wanna read it. I am not native English speaker, but sometimes I read books in English, so I started read it in English and in my own language back to back. But I wasn’t ready because it was huge and somehow manage to put the book away after 70-100 pages.
Now in the beginning of July I got my leg broken, felt really depressed after that and just had boredom. So I remembered that I need to finish “Shogun”. And now only in my language and just that, I started to read it from the start again, handpaper book that I bought.
And you know when book and it’s story hit you in the right time. I somehow so connected to the world and characters that almost lived inside the story.
”Shogun” is amazing book, very immersive, big scale and so epic.
-—— MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW ——-
Last chapters really broke me. John and Mariko story felt so great. I read posts now after finishing book and some people said romance was not so good. I can’t agree with that.
For me, it was a great love story and I am full grown man was cried like a baby at the end of the book and in the chapter where you know Mariko fate.
i think it was interesting how these two people met in terms of circumstances by the plot story and somehow their souls felt so connected. It‘s great how Blacktorne learn many things from Mariko, how firstly he can’t understand some things but she explained everything so heartedly and with such patience and warm that you really understand why this woman so wonderful and can be loved. She changed him in a good way and brought him peace in his soul, that peace that he was looking all his life maybe. He wanted to find riches but find the most important person in his life.
Also you understand why she fell in love with John too. He educated as she, knows many things and his different world inside of him felt captivate for Mariko. Despite of all he is very brave man, sharp mind (he saving Toranaga in Osaka was really bold move), his empathy to everyone so unique too. He always trying to save people , that impressed even Toranaga too.
I think his empathy and how he can love, tell compliments and share his feeling openly really impressed and changed Mariko in a good way. It’s like she was in cage all the time and he made her free and showed what love is.
Very beautiful story and how sad it was ended. Omg I want happy ending but somehow inside you know it can’t be in “Shogun” world.
Her letter part and how John ”feel” her always around after tragic events really shattered me in pieces. That’s where men can cry I think.
And I think James Clavell’s past Hollywood experience as a writer help him to make some “movie” scenes inside the book. For example, when Toranaga also admired by Mariko and sent his hawk to fly free in her name at the end felt so cinematic , beautiful and sad at the same time. It made me cried too.
I can tell about other great things in the book. it was brutal, sometimes awkward, funny and had interesting intrigue parts and so on. But in this post I wanna shared these thoughts and feelings.
I feel heavy post-book depression (or someone called it book hangover) and actually never cried behind the book before this one. I read for example Erich Remark books, they are very sad too, but I don’t express my emotion in tears.
But ”Shogun” story really clicked with me.
Also I found some Clavell’s interview insight from some person on Reddit. He wanna make a story about Mariko from the start but he was advised that it can not interest many male viewers so he rewrite a story in different angles and characters perspective. And you can see in the end chapter John and Toranaga thinking a lot about Mariko and what a person she was and how important she for them, how much respect and love she deserved. I think Clavell gave her character a lot of credit In the book.
Thank you all who read my post. Please share your feelings and thoughts too. Ready to discuss)
