Sensei

Sensei #1

by Charney David

Torn by the deadly rivalry between the powerful warrior clans of Taira and Minamoto, 12th-century Japan slides towards bloody civil war. Sensei is a masterful epic of Japan during the rise to power of the Shogunate.
From his mysterious birth to his final, cataclysmic appointment with destiny - Tadamori Yoshi follows a path of honour and sacrifice.
Sensei is a brilliantly compelling saga of love, vengeance and power.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Historical, Japan

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[William Shehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago and since I am relearning Iaido thought I would reread it. The story is fine and enjoyable, I also like the descriptions and dialog.

But, as a Buddhist, Charney has it all wrong! Mr. Charney makes it seem that the Amida Buddha is a god and tha Buddhists strive for heaven. The priest Genkai is a likable character but he and the people who come to his temple are pulled directly from Christian knowledge. For example when the priest says "come in and pray for protection" that would not happen. Buddhist do not pray for things as the Buddha is not a god but just a teacher.

So that being said enjoy the book for what it is but take the whole book as a work of fiction with many glaring flaws in is cultural and historical accuracy.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in a thrift store at age 16. While I did have some trouble reading it at first since I'm not a native English speaker, it didn't stop me from absolutely falling in love with it.

I think I've read this book four or five times now. It is one of my favorite books.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars might be generous of me here, but two stars feels too harsh. A fun pulp novel that knows exactly what it is. What it lacks in depth it makes up for with liberal use of exclamation marks! If you're in need of an easy read involving samurai it could be your cup of tea.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read this recently after my first read in the 1980s. Very enjoyable period piece that has a classic fall and rebirth for the main character.

[Lady Rfc · Rating 2 out of 5]

My lukewarm reception to this book was not due to lack of good writing. It was well written enough. Actually it was rather good in that respect. The world (in this case feudal Japan) is very vivid. No, my issue was just with the content itself. The big plot reveal at the end... yeah I saw it coming since chapter one. Which kinda made it hard to get through phases of this.
As far as the writing goes, the characters are well written, a bit extreme in cases, but believable. And, perhaps most important, the main character's progression was well handled. He truly did change, gradually.
These kinds of stories just aren't my thing normally. They tend to be, for me, too... drama-focused? I'm not sure how to classify it. Also, the lack of any real voice given to the women bugged me. Yes, I know women didn't have much in terms of rights back then, but that doesn't mean they didn't have anything to say. In this book they are either whores or silently obedient wives.
In any case, the author isn't afraid to kill off people and make the main character miserable, so if you like a book that doesn't pull many punches, this is it.

[John Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Edo Period of Japanese history has always interested me. Sensei takes place around the Gempei War, (1180–85), and the final struggle in Japan between the Taira and Minamoto clans. While this novel is filled with some facts and actual historical characters from those days, it is a brilliant told tall-tale life like characters and strife and life in ancient Japan.

David Charney is a brilliant wordsmith and phenomenal storyteller, with chapter after chapter leading you on and closing you out with a cliffhanger after cliffhanger... only to drop you into the boiling pot with either the under-powered protagonist escaping the most powerful war lord of the times, or the weakling somehow managing to insult the war lord and getting away by the skin of his teeth. Not an easy thing to escape from a war lord when he's got a hundred thousand of his war hardened samurai and spies scouring ever inch of the country for you.

What a story, and while I could go on and on about this masterpiece, I fear I'd give too much away.
If the era interests you, you are missing one of the greatest novels ever written on that time in Japanese history.

[Danny Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a total rip off of Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini. The main difference is one of style, being slightly more accessible to a modern reader.

It's a sort of skinny decaf latte (AKA what's the point?) of a book.

The Japanese setting doesn't diverge too much from the original story. The sex is a bit of a departure. That's not to say that this is a bad read. The fuedal Japan setting gives this an exotic air by comparison with Revolutionary France. But give Sabatini a try. The original is still the best.

There is a sequel of sorts, 'Swordmaster II'. I wonder where he got the idea for that one?

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story started very slow through Part I, almost losing interest in the book. Once you begin Part II, the story picks up speed and kept my interest.

[Anthony Wareing · Rating 5 out of 5]

when I was a kid I had about 200 books, this was the only book I had read three times. there are a lot of bad reviews so I think I need to read it again as an adult, I remember loving it as a child though.

[Jeff Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It was an easy read. Nowhere near as exciting and engrossing as Shogun. It was more like a shorter Musashi with less martial arts insights. A samurai pulp novel. All that being said, I'm probably gonna read the sequel, but only cuz I already have it. If I didn't have it on my night table, I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

[Dave McBain · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a cheesy pulp novel, but once in a while it's good to read a cheesy novel. Bit glum in places, plot twist at the end was telegraphed and no idea how historically accurate it was, but definitely a page turner.

[Greg Collver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much, I want to read Sensei II.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly don't remember much about this book, except that it was kind of a trashy samurai/martial arts epic that I enjoyed a lot as a kid.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of predictable Musashi type sword maker/teacher novel.

[Chamie]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10269466

[Jasper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content: Boy learns how to fight and becomes awesome - all set in traditional Japan.
Rating: very easy and entertaining to read, but more of a kid's story.

[Tafadzwa Shumba · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the must read books

[Camilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent read, but not a remarkable or unique one by any means.

[Carl Smith-owens]

1993