Cover of Shōgun

Shōgun

by James Clavell · first published 1975

42mentions
27recommended by
39HN commenters
2007–2026first – last mentioned

69% recommend28% neutral3% critical

Why HN recommends it

Immersive historical epic of a Westerner in feudal Japan, praised for its vivid culture clash, well-developed characters and suspenseful plot. Suits readers who want gripping historical fiction.

Summarised by Claude from recommending comments

Fiction & Literature

After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen--Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne's loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn bet

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View on Open LibraryISBN 0440178002

Mentions per year

80 2007: 1 mention2008: 0 mentions2009: 2 mentions2010: 8 mentions2011: 2 mentions2012: 2 mentions2013: 1 mention2014: 0 mentions2015: 2 mentions2016: 2 mentions2017: 3 mentions2018: 1 mention2019: 3 mentions2020: 0 mentions2021: 0 mentions2022: 2 mentions2023: 1 mention2024: 8 mentions2025: 1 mention2026: 1 mention200720172026

What Hacker News says

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