료마가 간다 3

竜馬がゆく #3

by Ryōtarō Shiba, 박재희 (Translator)

시바 료타로의 베스트셀러 『료마가 간다』 제3권. 일본 근대사에 큰 발자취를 남겼으며 오늘날에도 역사상 가장 존경받는 청년 인물로 꼽히는 메이지 혁명의 개혁가 사카모토 료마의 일대기를 그린 작품이다. 작가는 역사 속 실존 인물인 료마를 새롭게 창조해 한 영웅으로 훌륭하게 그려내어 입체적이고 생생한 인물로 정착시키는 데 성공했다. 세상에 둘도 없는 거대한 배포와 도량을 갖춘 사나이 료마. 그의 삶을 통해 인간이 추구해야 할 정의의 길이 무엇인지를 뚜렷이 보여준다.

359 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Ryōtarō Shiba (司馬 遼太郎) born Teiichi Fukuda (福田 定一 Fukuda Teiichi, August 7, 1923 – February 12, 1996) in Osaka, Japan, was a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent, as well as his historical and cultural essays pertaining to Japan and its relationship to the rest of the world.

Shiba studied Mongolian at the Osaka School of Foreign Languages (now the School of Foreign Studies at Osaka University) and began his career as a journalist with the Sankei Shimbun, one of Japan's major newspapers. After World War II Shiba began writing historical novels. The magazine Shukan Asahi printed Shiba's articles about his travels within Japan in a series that ran for 1,146 installments. Shiba received the Naoki Prize for the 1959 novel Fukuro no Shiro ("The Castle of an Owl"). In 1993 Shiba received the Government's Order of Cultural Merit. Shiba was a prolific author who frequently wrote about the dramatic change Japan went through during the late Edo and early Meiji periods. His most monumental works include Kunitori Monogatari (国盗り物語), Ryoma ga Yuku (竜馬がゆく; see below), Moeyo Ken, and Saka no ue no kumo (坂の上の雲), all of which have spawned dramatizations, most notably Taiga dramas aired in hour-long segments over a full year on NHK television. He also wrote numerous essays that were published in collections, one of which—Kaidō wo Yuku—is a multi-volume journal-like work covering his travels across Japan and around the world. Shiba is widely appreciated for the originality of his analyses of historical events, and many people in Japan have read at least one of his works.

Several of Shiba's works have been translated into English, including his fictionalized biographies of Kukai (Kukai the Universal: Scenes from His Life, 2003) and Tokugawa Yoshinobu (The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, 2004), as well as The Tatar Whirlwind: A Novel of Seventeenth-Century East Asia (2007).

(from Wikipedia)

Alternative Names:

Fukuda, Teiichi
Ryotaro, Shiba
Shiba, Ryoutarou
Ryoutarou, Shiba
Sima, Liaotailang
司馬遼太郎
司马辽太郎
Shiba, Rëotaro
Шиба, Рёотаро
司马辽太郎
司馬, 遼太郎
司馬遼太郎
司場遼太郎

Reviews

[Stefan Andrei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been waiting a few months for this volume to come out, little surprise that I chewed through it in 3 days even though it's a fairly lengthy volume.

The 3rd book in the series sees us through the key events and final triggers leading to the Meiji Restoration of Japan . We once again join Ryoma, the now legendary revolutionary figure, through the events that led to a secret alliance between the controversial Choshu and Satsuma domains who were for a long time hostile to each other. The establishment of the first company/naval trading company & navy in the form of Kameyama. The escalation of the conflict with the shogunate and the early "rebel" victories. History aside we see plenty of action as Ryoma deftly evades Shinsengumi, escapes capture by the magistrate's forces in an action-packed showdown at the Teradaya inn, goes through several romantic exploits and runs all over the place not only as a skilled fighter but also as a diplomat, entrepreneur, ship captain and strategist. An inspiring figure worth studying.

Time to settle in for the most likely year-long wait for the 4th and final volume in the series.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.5/10

[Koit · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no doubt in my mind that I have a deep connection with Mr Ryotaro Shiba and his writings. While I took my time in enjoying this novel, many of the sentiments that the author expresses are very dear to my heart. The author’s style, in the same, is logical and compassionate though prone to thrilling tangents. The reader comes away thoroughly entertained and as a part of the story — and also with plenty to ponder…

The sections where Mr Shiba described his own troubles in trying to trace down some unknown places where Sakamoto Ryoma had spent a day, weekend, or week in the 1860’s remind me very much of those rummagings through countryside to which I have subjected my friends — clearly less impressed than me — to find a stone from the 13th century or a circular coppice that must have been a motte. These snippets of information the author shared made me realize how much he must have tried to understand the subject of his work — Sakamoto Ryoma.

This attention to detail is dear — and yet precious! It is unlikely that any other biography could provide such clarity and detail without having the reader succumb to boredom. The author’s is never too far from a comment to connect one character or another — even if we are dealing with people Mr Ryoma met for a day — to the Japan (and indeed, the Western world in some cases) that the typical expected reader must have known.

In the end, while it might be Mr Shiba’s clear and logical style that praises the skill and wisdom of Mr Ryoma, the two become inseparable in the course of this book — and I heartily commend both!

This review was originally posted on my blog.