Shōgun, Part One

The Asian Saga, Book 1.1

De: James Clavell

Narrado por: Ralph Lister

By the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell’s Shogun is soon to be a major FX/Hulu TV series!

Shogun, the classic epic novel of feudal Japan that captured the heart of a culture and the imagination of the world, is now available for the first time in serial format. Part One contains the first half of the complete novel.

After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen—Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne’s loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed.

Powerful and engrossing, capturing both the rich pageantry and stark realities of life in feudal Japan, Shogun is a critically acclaimed powerhouse of a book. Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action melds seamlessly with intricate historical detail and raw human emotion. Endlessly compelling, this sweeping saga captivated the world to become not only one of the best-selling novels of all time but one of the highest-rated television miniseries, as well as inspiring a nationwide surge of interest in the culture of Japan. Shakespearean in both scope and depth, Shogun is, as the New York Times put it, ‘'not only something you read—you live it.’‘

Also available: Shogun: Part Two

©1975 James Clavell (P)2015 Blackstone Publishing

why two parts?

i love the book, very well written characters. i listened to it a few years ago. i'm very annoyed at the fact that it has been split into 2 books, for no reason other than that i believe it was to get more purchases due to the series on hulu... atleast thats the only reason i can think of, because i know for a fact you could purchase the entire book prior to the release of the series.

What stands out the most is the intricacy and emotion of the tale

This book is a “must read.” I have read Shogun perhaps 7 times over the years. I saw the most enjoyable television mini series first, then I bought the novel. Of course the novel provided the nuance that a tv performance could not. But that’s OK. Interestingly, to me, the characters in the novel have the faces and features of the tv characters. I prefer the look over the descriptions in the book. Sad that the author died. I had always looked forward to his next epic. I have read most, if not all of them.

Still great after all these years

Read this many years ago. Returned to it after the recent mini series. It’s a bit long winded, but gripping and the reader is extraordinary Be warned that “part 1” literally means they broke this very long book into two halves. This first half cuts off practically in the middle of a scene and does not stand on it’s own by any stretch of the imagination

Fantastic writing brought to life with excellent voice actors.

I read Shogun years ago when it was first published. This audiobook captures the story and characters perfectly, making the characters and 1600 Japan feel very real and relatable to this listener.

Remarkable historical fiction!

Wonderfully crafted story lines and characters. My first reread in 35 years and I thoroughly enjoyed this masterpiece work!

Outstanding story, writing and narration.

Intriguing, excellent wring, vivid descriptions. I can not wait to begin Part II. I have learned a great deal about the history and culture of Japan.

Great story and well narrated!

First, if on iOS and the audio seems to fade between sentences, try turning off Spatial Audio. I did this and it made the listening much more enjoyable.

It can be a little confusing at times to determine what was dialogue versus what was internal thoughts of the characters, however, it doesn’t take away from the overall experience.

Very rich in detail about the differences between the cultures of the characters and how the characters manage to “overcome” those differences to meet their respective goals.

The book wraps up nicely and leaves you excited to start the next part.

Excellent immersion into the world

Just a truly excellent story, The attention to detail is astounding. While some of the history is clearly exaggerated, this story takes a strong approach towards historical accuracy. Excellent book

Good story but audio issues with performance

The book is a fun listen. The history, culture and character aspects of the book is great.

Unfortunately while the narrator is a talented voice actor, the audio direction and/or editing really suffered. The actor has a tendency to trail off at the end of sentences to incomprehensible levels. I don’t know how many times I rewound to listen to a sentence because of this. I don’t know how the audio direction didn’t correct this or during editing. It got really frustrating as the book went on. Really disappointing.

Outstanding narration!

The narrator expertly gives each character a distinct voice that helps keep track of the dialogue. Truly brings the book to life!