Fiction_L Archives Feudal Japan & Ninjas Dates: 5/5/02,2:54 PM  through  5/8/02,11:59 AM  (11 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to May 2002 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Karen A.K. Keller" <[removed]@brighton.lib.mi.us>
REC'D: 5/5/02, 2:54 PM

I have a patron who is "looking for an interesting novel to read.
Something to do with feudal Japan and Ninjas and Samurai... or a book on
war, war heroes, or an epic adventure of some fantasy soldier."

I welcome your suggestions.

Karen Keller
Brighton (MI) District Library

FROM: jessica emily jones <[removed]@students.uiuc.edu>
REC'D: 5/5/02, 3:26 PM

If your patron has not yet read Ender's Game by Orson scott Card, that
would be a great suggestion for someone interested in military sf/fantasy.
The sequels are only so-so, but the original is wonderful. Also Dune is a
good military sf book.

Jessica Moyer
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
Arms Control, Disarmament and International Securities Librarian

On Sun, 5 May 2002, Karen A.K. Keller wrote:

> I have a patron who is "looking for an interesting novel to read.
> Something to do with feudal Japan and Ninjas and Samurai... or a book on
> war, war heroes, or an epic adventure of some fantasy soldier."
>
> I welcome your suggestions.
>
>
>
> Karen Keller
> Brighton (MI) District Library
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Thelma Stone <[removed]@fortworthlibrary.org>
REC'D: 5/5/02, 3:36 PM

Dale Furutani has a Samurai mystery trilogy (Death at the Crossroads, Jade
Palace Vendetta and Kill the Shogun). Laura Joh Rowland has a mystery
series featuring samurai Sano Ichiro. There are are 6 books in the series
so far. And of course, there is James Clavell's Shogun.

FROM: David Wright <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 5/5/02, 6:25 PM

It sounds like they might get a kick out of Eric
Van Lustbader's fantasy stuff: The Ring of Five
Dragons, and his contemporary adventure as well,
such as White Ninja, The Ninja, The Miko, Black
Blade. (Caution, plenty of sex). Or for the
historical angle, how about Musashi or Taiko, two
great feudal Japaneses warrior epics by Eiji
Yoshikawa?

David Wright
Seattle Public Library
--- "Karen A.K. Keller"
<[removed]@brighton.lib.mi.us> wrote:
> I have a patron who is "looking for an
> interesting novel to read.
> Something to do with feudal Japan and Ninjas
> and Samurai... or a book on
> war, war heroes, or an epic adventure of some
> fantasy soldier."
>
> I welcome your suggestions.
>
>
>
> Karen Keller
> Brighton (MI) District Library
>
>
>
......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the
> archives?
> Everything Fiction_L:
http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

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FROM: Jonathan Pearce <[removed]@attbi.com>
REC'D: 5/5/02, 10:12 PM

on 5/5/02 12:42 PM, Karen A.K. Keller at [removed]@brighton.lib.mi.us wrote:

> Something to do with feudal Japan

As a student of Asian martial arts for a good many years I have read about a
hundred such books. Unfortunately, among the the many only a very few are
worth reading. IMO, the most informative, most interesting and exciting
(and accurate) book about feudal Japan and martial arts practices is
Musashi by Yoshikawa. It is written in episodes, much like a soap opera.
It takes many Western readers perhaps 40 pages to get used to the Japanese
(person) names. After that, the reasonably intelligent reader is in for a
real treat!
-- --Jonathan Pearce [removed]@attbi.com
Balona Books: Soon #15--Ghosts of Balona--at
http://www.balona.com

FROM: "Marsha Valance" <[removed]@mpl.org>
REC'D: 5/6/02, 9:17 AM

DAUGHTER OF THE EMPIRE, SERVANT OF THE EMPIRE and MISTRESS OF THE EMPIRE by Raymond Feist & Jenny Wurts are set in an alternate universe similar to medieval Japan.
GENPEI by Kara Dalkey retells the YOSHITSUNE as a fantasy.
Other epic military fantasy writers include David Drake, Eric Flint, & Harry Turtledove.
Steven Pressfield writes detailed historic military novels set in ancient Greece--sort of a Bronze Age Tom Clancy. Some titles are GATES OF FIRE and TIDES OF WAR.
The Shaaras--Michael & Jeff--write excellent military novels on the Civil War, (and Jeff has begun on the Revolution, with RISE TO REBELLION).
HTH,

Marsha Valance
Regional Librarian
Wisconsin Regional Library f/t Blind & Physically Handicapped
813 West Wells St.
Milwaukee, WI 53233
1.800.242.8822 [in-state]
<[removed]@mpl.org>

>>> [removed]@brighton.lib.mi.us 05/05/02 02:42PM >>>
I have a patron who is "looking for an interesting novel to read.
Something to do with feudal Japan and Ninjas and Samurai... or a book on
war, war heroes, or an epic adventure of some fantasy soldier."

I welcome your suggestions.

Karen Keller
Brighton (MI) District Library

FROM: Mona Stevenson <[removed]@wtcpl.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 5/6/02, 9:28 AM

>Dale Furutani has a Samurai mystery trilogy (Death at the Crossroads, Jade
Palace Vendetta
>Kill the Shogun). Laura Joh Rowland has a mystery series featuring samurai
Sano Ichiro. There are 6
>books in the series so far.

I enjoy both these series, but don't think they'd meet this reader's
interest. The main characters are samurai, but both are in nontraditional
roles. Neither book has big battles or ninjasor other swashbuckling action,
which seems to be the main interest. Furutani's series, in particular, is
rather quiet and thoughtful as he pursues his lonesome quest. I'd recommend
either series highly to readers of historical fiction/mysteries, but not to
action/adventure/fantasy fans.

Mona Stevenson
Assistant Director
Warren-Trumbull Co. Public Library
Warren, OH 44483

FROM: Suzanne Booker <[removed]@monroe.lib.in.us>
REC'D: 5/6/02, 9:50 AM

How about "Taiko: an Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan" and
"Musashi: an Epic of the Samurai Era" by Eiji Yoshikawa?
Susie

FROM: "Steven A. Roman" <[removed]@addison.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 5/7/02, 1:15 PM

If your reader enjoys mysteries, I would recommend the historical fiction /
mysteries of Dale Furutani. They are:

1. Death at the Crossroads
2. Jade Palace Vendetta
3. Kill the Shogun

They give a historically accurate picture of Japan during the Tokugawa
Shogunate era, with a little bit of folklore thrown in. The main character
is a ronin who is looking for his former master's daughter.

Just a suggestion,

Steven

-----Original Message-----
From: Karen A.K. Keller [[removed]@brighton.lib.mi.us]
Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 2:43 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Feudal Japan & Ninjas

I have a patron who is "looking for an interesting novel to read.
Something to do with feudal Japan and Ninjas and Samurai... or a book on
war, war heroes, or an epic adventure of some fantasy soldier."

I welcome your suggestions.

Karen Keller
Brighton (MI) District Library

FROM: "Jodi Felde" <[removed]@ncats.net>
REC'D: 5/8/02, 9:52 AM

Finally, an opportunity to suggest one of my favorite books of all time!
Autumn Lightning: the Education of an American Samurai by Dave Lowry. It's
considered non-fiction but is really one of those half and half things.

As a young boy, the author hears that a samurai warrior has moved down the
street. He knocks on the door and a Japanese woman answers. "I would like
to be taught the art of the sword," he says. The woman says, "There is no
one here who can help you." For six months the boy knocks on the door and
asks the same question. For six months he gets the same response. Finally,
after so much perseverence, the man who eventually becomes the boys teacher
answers the door.... The book alternates between chapters about the authors
training and relationship with his teacher and legends of Japan's great
samurai warriors.

I'm sure your patron would love it!

Jodi M. Felde
Reference Staff
Fremont Area District Library
Fremont, MI

-----Original Message-----
From: Karen A.K. Keller [[removed]@brighton.lib.mi.us]
Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 2:43 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Feudal Japan & Ninjas

I have a patron who is "looking for an interesting novel to read.
Something to do with feudal Japan and Ninjas and Samurai... or a book on
war, war heroes, or an epic adventure of some fantasy soldier."

I welcome your suggestions.

Karen Keller
Brighton (MI) District Library

FROM: "Warner, Deb" <[removed]@co.durham.nc.us>
REC'D: 5/8/02, 11:59 AM

I remember reading one that involved samurai and a girl running away in
disguise. I think it was:
THE TOKAIDO ROAD by Lucia St. Clair Robson
gengerally on fuedal Japan, just a little on Samurai
Arthur Golden MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
Lisa Dalby TALE OF MURASAKI
In the fantasy vein there is: Jeanne Larson: SILK ROAD, BRONZE MIRROR,
MANCHU PALACES
Sasha Miller LADYLORD
Barry Hughart's Master Li books are in that period and a joy to read but
have little of Samurai, but lots of picaresque adventure: BRIDGE OF BIRDS,
STORY OF THE STONE, EIGHT SKILLED GENTLEMEN
A modern fantastic take on Samurai can be found in :
Neal Stephenson SNOW CRASH
Stephen Dedman ART OF ARROW CUTTING
SHADOW BITES

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