As one reads through history, it’s hard not to think that life in ancient Japan would be fairly mundane. Samurais ruled the country, and the social order, at first glance, seems fairly set into stone.
Sam Browne’s first book of historical fiction calls this narrative into question. This coming-of-age tale follows the life of a samurai named Tanaka as he learns how to balance his lifestyle as a ronin (a traveling samurai without a set lord), his affection for a woman-lover of his youth, and the social structures of power in Japan.
Browne writes with a great deal of research displayed in his writing, particularly research into the practices and lifestyles of samurai. I could feel my vocabulary concerning feudal-era Japan expand as I read. Browne combines this erudite research with the skill of a wordsmith. His word choices are impressive and keep the reader reading closely and engaged even during slower periods of the plot.
Browne writes in several battle scenes in this novel. Those are his strength. In many respects, this is a story of brotherhood brought about by military service, a tale common to many cultures. The book’s weakness, however, lies in incorporating ancient Japanese social structures only late in the work. I was curious for an in-depth look at women’s lives in Japan and how samurai life affected them. Also, incorporating such structures sooner would raise both tension and intrigue into the plot and pique the reader’s curiosity even more. Browne does present several strong female characters across several social strata; however, their only use is in conjunction with male characters. I am left to wonder, what did their lives look like apart from these military men? (Think Thackeray’s take on the battle of Waterloo in Vanity Fair, where the story of war eventually provides the crux of the intensely human plot of family life.) Artfully writing about their lives would provide richer insight into the culture and raise this tale from good to great.
Despite this weakness, I am impressed by Browne’s dive into Japanese culture. I look forward to his next writing.
The Swords of Satsukawa
by Sam Browne
Copyright (c) 2019
ISBN13 9781788232920
Page Count: 224
Genre: Historical Fiction, Japanese
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