Shogun

The novel is wonderful, but the eBook SUCKS.

This is my favorite novel of all time. Complex, intriguing, full of highly-developed characters and multiple subplots all intertwined. I never want it to end.

The reason I am writing this review, however, is to blast the inept editor and publisher of the eBook version. I purchased this book the very first day I got my Nook, and have been reading it steadily since. I should say that I've been SUFFERING through it. It is replete with misspelled words, some of which are complete gibberish. In some cases, entire sections of text have been moved, thus breaking the narrative completely.

The publisher of this abortion should refund the money of everyone who made the mistake of downloading the eBook, and then either fix the damned thing or else pass it off to someone who will do this great book the simple justice of publishing it CORRECTLY.

Yes, I recognize the irony in my complaining about misspelled words in a post likely containing many of my own, but I'm not asking anyone to pay me to perform a professional service. The blockheads who published SHOGUN without having even read it WERE.

20 out of 21 people found this review helpful.

Don't let the typos scare you off! They've been fixed!

I really wanted to read this book, but I almost didn't buy the ebook version of it based on all of the reviews on here saying that it's so riddled with typos that it's unreadable. I was pretty bummed, and I was upset that they would release an ebook in such an unreadable state, so I decided to call customer service and give them a piece of my mind!

They told me that they have a proof-reading team, and that every time they get a complaint about one of their ebooks they proof-read it and fix it, so she said that this book is likely fixed by now. I purchased it, and am now 100 pages in and haven't seen a single typo yet!

I almost let all of these negative reviews scare me off, but I am glad I didn't.

16 out of 16 people found this review helpful.

A poor edition of a great book

This is one of my favorite books and was my first purchase on my new Nook. Unfortunately, the electronic edition is quite poor. There are a great many formatting errors and typos.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

Did B&N do any proof reading on ebook at all?

I bought ebook - the word "shogun" is spelled "sh?gun" throughout the book.. it is very annoying.

6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

eBook version is full of typos

The book is good. Unfortunately, I found several typos in the eBook version, apparently the result of optically-scanned pages (like 'bom' instead of 'born' - page 720; 'mshing' instead of 'rushing' - page 726; etc). After recording an average of one error per page, I had to switch back to the paper book. I would appreciate a revised PROOF-READ version of this book. As it is, I'm going to try to get my money back for it. I recommend ... the Paperback version.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Until the eBook is properly edited, don't get this version.

B&Ns was supplied with a terribly edited version of this novel. In the first 100 pages, there was some sort of scanning error on every page. An 'I' is often a 'T'. An apostrophe is often replaced by an 'I'. Punctuation is missing or placed incorrectly. Separate paragraphs of dialogue often run together.

The book was entertaining but the quality of this text reminded me of a bad Google Book scan. I actually couldn't get through this version.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

EBook version is a mess

I just want to warn those who are thinking of buying the EBook version - it's a horrible mess. Apparently no-one checked the transcription, because every page has dozens of mis-spellings, paragraphs moved out of order, even whole pages set out of order throughout the book. I'm going to contact B&N and demand a refund, it's almost unreadable.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Ninja Cole

Empress Teresa l ask for a higher position

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended!

This is a literary classic and a must read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Best. Historical. Fiction. Ever.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is possibly the best book I've ever read. Not every book Clavell has written is great, but with Shogun and Taipan, he was not far off perfection. The novel first drew my attention when my parents were watching the miniseries back in 1980. Though only a kid myself, I was permitted to watch it along with them and found it fascinating. It took me two months, but I first read the 1200 page book as a sixth grader and have reread it every two years since.

Shogun is the story of an Englishman shipwrecked on the shores of feudal Japan. John Blackthorne lands full of European and Christian prejudices and is bewildered by the alien culture he encounters, where peasants aren't given names and samurai ritually disembowel themselves when they fail their lords. He lands in the province of Yoshi Toronaga Minowara, a general who has warred for 30 years without ever losing a battle.

It is not long before he is swept up in the politics of the country, a great chess game for power wherein his ship and the guns it bears become a piece in the game. The emperor died a decade earlier leaving his child son behind. Before dying, he appointed a Council of Regents headed by Toronaga to keep the peace following his death until young Yaemon comes of age. However, the council has begun to fracture as many fear Toronaga, who has never known defeat. They believe he intends to undermine the council, seize power for himself, and become Shogun, the sole military ruler of all Japan.

Replete with samurai and courtesans, war and assassination, ninja and espionage, politics and maneuver for power, it's a must-read, particularly for those who love historical fiction. I've never in my life read a better book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book had me hooked from Beginning to End!

I absolutely loved this book! I picked it up based off the high ratings. It is a long read and will at times seem to go slow, but there was nothing about it I would want changed. All the characters kept you interested and wanting to learn more! Loved it and cannot wait to read another of James Clavell's books!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly Recommended.

I think everybody who read this book would agree its a masterpiece.It is a captivating novel that takes you to a different time and place.Even though it was long,I wished it would never end.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Ninja nia

Morning.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Lord deathviper

Since shogun is not here i am representing him.

Empress

I will handle it.

Great novel! Got the DVD! But audiobook sucks!!!

All I can say is avoid the audiobook. Its terrible.

As for the read- it was incredibly good.
I recommend following the read w/ the DVD. But even that was exhilirating!

A powerhouse of a read! I treated myself to the DVD afterwards...and the unabridged audiobook.

I rarely put this read to rest; reading it non-stop day and night, at home , work, in the driveway and in bed and also at the dinner table. The intricacies of political strategy likened to chess; the characters be they major, minor or seemingly insignificant all serving with significant purpose. I enjoyed the humor, the banter, gained insight on what was the historical, cultural, economical, spiritual, traditional and future influences that the role of each country being represented within posed everlasting. Read this book, you'll not be sorry.

A peek into feudal japan

I'm re-reading this, having read it back when I was in high school. Clavell does a great job at immersing the reader into the book's setting. You really identify with Blackthorne, the quintessential stranger in a strange land where political intrigue, romance, eastern philosophy, war and death all intertwine. A must read.

Highly Recommended - Engrossing...a must read!!!

James Clavell's first in a series of Asian Saga novels is set in 17th century Japan. Clavell allows the reader to become engrossed in early Japanese tradition well beyond mere cultural themes. A love story embedded within a civil war setting, Shogun will mesmerize the reader with historical persepective, an in-depth look at Japanese customs, and of course, the impact and influence of the samurai in this island nation.

A must read!!!

It was difficult to put this book down!

This book is so good! I read it and, several years later, decided to re-read it and continue reading the series. I plan on reading it again!