David Moss

Musashi is a historical fiction based on the life of Japan's most celebrated swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi. Whilst based on real events and people, the characterisations and story are largely or entirely fictitious. Musashi should be taken less as an historical retelling of the real Musashi and more as an epic romance inspired by history. I first read Musashi aged 13. I have reread it into adulthood and I can't state enough how much this book impacted me and continues to mean to me. It is a true Japanese epic, an insight into the literary traditions of Japanese culture, an often violent but surprisingly relatable and deeply moving story of life, adventure, self-reflection, philosophy, martial culture and unspoken love. So why 4 and not 5 stars? In my view, the book becomes less personal, less character-focused, as it sets the stage for the finale. This resulted in some unsatisfying story-arc conclusions for me. This is perhaps a result of the English version being an abridged translation, and thus missing a good deal of the original story. It's worth noting before reading that this book was written in the 1940s and is set in the highly patriarchal 17th century Japan, and thus its treatment of women will reflect this.