#Books #Shogun

I bought & read the earlier paperback version of the book Shogun (1975) written by #JamesClavell even before the 1st mini-series adaptation starring #RichardChamberlain aired on TV in 1980.

I also bought & read the 3 other books in Clavell's Asian Saga series, including #TaiPan & #KingRat (both made into so-so movies) & #NobelHouse (also made into a mini-series).

So, after watching the new mini-series of Shogun that just aired on FX/Hulu, I decided to buy the book again.

They were asking ridiculous prices for the 1975 edition so I bought a newly released version for less.

I'd forgotten how BIG a book it was (1123 pages in the version that I just received) which is quite daunting but I'll tackle it in small bites.

I just read the prologue (setting up Blackthorne's arrival in Japan) & a chapter the end of the book (just after Mariko's death) & they suggest that the current mini-series was written/filmed much closer to the way the book was written, which (as Martha says) "is a good thing."