La trilogie de Matsuyama Kaze (Grands détectives)

Matsuyama Kaze #1-3

by Dale Furutani, Katia Holmes (Translator)

Un ouvrage d'exception qui met le Japon à l'honneur : les samouraïs du XVIIe, l'histoire d'un pays et de ses traditions.






Un vent d'oppression vient de s'abattre sur le Japon féodal. L'an 1603 est le début de la dynastie des Tokugawa, un règne fondé sur la hiérarchie des classes qui soumettra le peuple pendant plus de deux siècles. Depuis l'assassinat de son seigneur, Matsuyama Kaze est devenu un rônin, un samouraï errant. Lié par la promesse de retrouver la fille de son maître, il parcourt un pays ravagé par la violence et la pauvreté. Mais des obstacles imprévus l'attendent sur son chemin pour Edo, la nouvelle capitale – l'occasion de prouver que son sens de l'honneur est aussi aiguisé que sa lame.


Une trilogie captivante sur les traditions et les mutations de la société japonaise du XVIIe siècle.


" Dale Furutani crée un personnage superbe, généreux, courageux, guidé par un sens sans faille de l'honneur et de la justice et combattant implacable. Carrément enthousiasment ! " Madame Figaro

712 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 5, 2012

About the author

Dale Furutani's first novel, Death in Little Tokyo, was nominated for an Agatha Award, and won Anthony and Macavity Awards for best first mystery. He lives in Los Angeles.

Series:
* Ken Tanaka
* Matsuyama Kaze

Reviews

[Psychophant]

This book combines the three books that present the story of Matsuyama Kaze, a samurai that has lost his lord in the first years of the Tokugawa shogunate.

The books are all connected by the common thread of looking for the daughter of his lord. However they are very different. The first one is a mystery novel, presenting quite well the rigid caste system and its limitations. For me it is the best of the three. The second is an action novel with swords, and even an unnecessary ninja. The last one is a mix of action and high politics, with Tokugawa Ieyasu as one of the main characters and a tricky ending.

They go well together but I think it is impossible they will please all readers. From a small village mystery and facing some bandits to a conspiracy against the shogun, they go from realism to action gratification, as well as a kind of checklist of Japanese action films: ninja, gamblers/gangsters, daymio conspiracies... and more.

Still, a nice read, slightly spoiled as the quality goes down as you advance.

[Marlis Ppt]

Se lit comme on regarderait une bonne série de cape et d’épée (japonaise). Seulement : dommage que la version traduite française ne soit pas meilleure.