Ladies and Gentlemen,
thank you for giving me the honor of
presenting you The Samurai's Tale,
by Erik Christian Haugard.
The Samurai's Tale tells about the story
of an old man named Harutomo
trying to tell his listener to value youth as he
reminisces about his past as a
teenager
...and a child.
He was born as a samurai's son and was
pretty much destined to be one
when he came of age.
However, because of something in that time period,
in just one day,
his future hopes just broke apart,
sliced in half,
....just like his mother.
They were in the Sengoku Era,
also known as the Warring States Period,
where warlords of Japan were desperately trying to take over the country.
Harutomo's father was a samurai in the midst of those treacherous times,
and because he was the enemy (of the enemy),
they sought it fine to massacre his entire family.
Harutomo was pretty much left for dead,
but he was spared.
A samurai named Akiyama Nobutomo took him in as a servant.
He served Lord Takeda Shingen and Harutomo was just doing peasant jobs.
He was always looking at the samurai from afar and he was like,
"Why can't I live decently like them?
why am I always being looked down upon?
where's my dignity?
my honor?
I'm just a boy in rags now."
but then...
but then he got an idea.
So he looked at his future, and he was like,
"If I become a samurai, then I won't be looked down upon.
"I'll finally have dignity,
honor,
respect, the power I deserve!"
So then he made it his lifelong goal to become a samurai,
facing obstacles and numerous experiences,
like meeting Yoshitoki,
a friend around his age,
Togan, an inspirational monk,
Wada Kansuke, an old samurai and now a ricemaster,
among many other people he meets throughout his teenage years that his old self would never forget.
Most of all, though,
I'll never forget when Harutomo writes poetry to a princess.
In fact, girls, I think you'll like this.
*wink*
In page 168, the author writes,
I looked down
I felt my cheeks blushing but,
in the silk kimono." (168)
So I chose this scene because as a girl,
it makes my girly self smile,
but realistically though,
I think the cute romance that comes afterwards really show a lesson the author wants to show,
like,
No matter how focused you are on your goal,
no matter how willing you are to do ANYTHING for what you want,
never lose yourself, you know?
and that's just one of many lessons hidden in The Samurai's Tale.
You have to read deep to get it all,
(deeper than Adele)
so I'd recommend this to mature minds 13 and above.
Gosh, so many other people can read this, too!
Boys, you'd like the action in here, bloody and all (that's why I said mature content),
and girls, remember the romance I told you about?
well, at least you have parts in this book to look forward to.
I watch Korean dramas, so trust me when I say this has a pretty cute love story.
If you love love LOVE historical fiction, then this is a good book, too!
The author actually went to Japan to do research, not out of some high-school textbook.
Not to mention,
if you're interested in Japanese culture and why they value loyalty so much
after reading Farewell to Manzanar,
then this book may give some insight to it.
Elders always have quite the packed stories to tell.
This guy, Harutomo, is no different.
fin.
