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The Commoner

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 2,629 ratings · 586 reviews

In 1959, a young woman, Haruko, marries the Crown Prince of Japan. She is the first nonaristocratic woman to enter the mysterious, hermetic monarchy. Met with cruelty and suspicion by the Empress, Haruko is controlled at every turn, suffering a nervous breakdown after finally giving birth to a son. Thirty years later, now Empress herself, she plays a crucial role in persua...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published January 6th 2009 by Vintage (first published January 1st 2007)

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Feb 18, 2008 Yulia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: by-and-of-japan

why only three stars?

1) i shouldn't have to wait 150 pages to finally care about a book. the book hardly held my attention while haruko was still a commoner. i did feel life from her friend miko and miko's brother kenji, but their presence was too limited to make it plausible that haruko had led a full, free life before entering the royal family. if anything, she seemed rather boring and free of ambition, the je ne sais quoi that others would call dynamism or a spark.

2) i wanted to know why she...more why only three stars?

1) i shouldn't have to wait 150 pages to finally care about a book. the book hardly held my attention while haruko was still a commoner. i did feel life from her friend miko and miko's brother kenji, but their presence was too limited to make it plausible that haruko had led a full, free life before entering the royal family. if anything, she seemed rather boring and free of ambition, the je ne sais quoi that others would call dynamism or a spark.

2) i wanted to know why she turned down the other men who had proposed to her. it would have been good to meet some of these disappointed suitors? was it because she could tell they were only interested in her family? how did her parents react to her wanting to be in love with her future husband? or was she (and her mother) expecting someone of greater prominence to ask her?

3) similarly, i don't quite buy that she was in love with the crown prince. there was too many barriers around him for her to know who he really was. wasn't it his elusiveness that interested her most? they were strangers when they married and he never came across as anything but a weak-willed man who always did as he was told and no more.

4) the nemeses of haruko's early court life, the original empress and mrs. oshima, were rather one-dimensional and oshima's eventual diminution of power over haruko was only mentioned in passing. there should have been a more definitive scene when haruko knew she was no longer under oshima's thumb, or where she no longer let herself care. as it is, the senescence that ultimately leads to their powerlessness isn't portrayed in any detail, so it's rather anti-climactic.

5) the book is sprinkled with similes that are not ones i could believe a japanese native would use. i forget these examples, but they stick out rather sorely whenever i came upon them. any reference to this book's being the next "memoirs of a geisha" greatly overrate this book's ability to make the reader forget this was written by a born-and-bred american.

6) i couldn't understand how she'd come to be at peace after her bout of silence with her decision to remain a royal prisoner. shouldn't haruko have been happy for her daughter to be cast out of the family for marrying a commoner? why were there no scenes of visits from the daughter to show if haruko envied her daughter or left she could no longer connect with her?

7) i found it a hokey stretch for miko to suddenly come back into the picture near the end and come to the rescue.

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Oct 03, 2009 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people with patience for a slow story with little pay-off

Shelves: audiobooks, not_impressed, fiction

I found this book slow and deliberate and repetitive. I was intrigued by the premise: a first person narrative by the Empress of Japan who was, in her youth after WWII, the first commoner ever to marry into the Imperial family. Unfortunately, this excellent idea for a fascinating plot in a rare and exclusive setting tiptoes along, dwelling on uninteresting details and never really allowing the reader to experience any of the character's emotions through her stilted re-telling.

This is the first b...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks

OK. so being a Princess in Japan is akin to a life in prison. I got it! the first time. The second time. The nth time. Surely, even in the Japanese royal household, there is more to write about than the Commoner's tears, and even her depression. We learn nothing about this woman, except that she wields a wicked tennis racquet. She loves her Mommy and Daddy.

We know the Prince, breaking with all tradition, wants to marry her, but we never know why. In the long history of the Japanese Empire, neve...more OK. so being a Princess in Japan is akin to a life in prison. I got it! the first time. The second time. The nth time. Surely, even in the Japanese royal household, there is more to write about than the Commoner's tears, and even her depression. We learn nothing about this woman, except that she wields a wicked tennis racquet. She loves her Mommy and Daddy.

We know the Prince, breaking with all tradition, wants to marry her, but we never know why. In the long history of the Japanese Empire, never before has a Commoner been chosen to be the the future Empress. In fact, as Schwartz tells us, in 1945, when the Japanese lost the war (that's WWII, kiddies), he had to renounce the fact that he was a god, and was proclaimed to be human. What effect did this have on him, his wife, or his son? How did the Commoner feel about such a momentous renunciation. Millions of Japanese men willingly died for their god, the Emperor. The citizenry really believed he was a god, not a person. Surely, some examination of this shift, this radical shift, should have been included in the story, even if only through the eyes of the Commoner Princess.

It would have been interesting to see other things through her eyes. We know nothing about her husband, not even why she loved him. We don't know why, nor do we know why he fell in love with her, and what kind of machinations he had to go through to get his elders to consent to his wishes. That must have been quite a to-do. We do learn that his hair went gray--after Schwarz skipped ahead a few decades, about which we know nothing except that the Princess did her boring duties.

How did she view the ubiquitous servants? She certainly wasn't raised in a home with servants. Certainly, she must have had some trenchant observations about them and the Royals' dependence on them. We do know that the Empress had at least one spy among the Commoner's menage, but we're never privy to what the spy said, the Empress's response, or any consequences of the spying. Or, what about some Upstairs/Downstairs glimpses. How did the servants feel about the Royal Household. We know one chauffeur liked the Commoner, but that's the extent of what we know.

We never even learn what Yusa (if that's his name), the Commoner's royal son, felt or acted when his beloved Commoner abandoned him. Given all the attention that Schwarz gave to his infancy and his mother's joy in him, this is more than odd. Did the author just forget to tie up this rather important loose end? If so, why didn't an editor remind him to do so.

This novel is populated with stereotypic cardboard characters. The older Empress is a copy of Snow White's stepmother. Nobody else has any thoughts--beyond the fact that the palace is a prison. Nobody has feelings. Time just passes. Whole gobs of time are skipped over. Apparently, starting a new chapter is all you need for continuity. The intervening decades don't matter.

Mr. Scwartz clearly researched Japan at the end of the War, and also, I presume, something of the life of Royalty there, but, on the whole, this was a disappointing read although the writing itself is good.(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, around-the-world-challenge

In The Commoner, John Burnham Schwartz takes a real life story about the Crown Prince of Japan marrying a commoner and turns it into a novel. The heroine, Haruko, catches the eye of Japan’s most eligible bachelor, promptly beats him at tennis (twice) and succumbs to the attraction of both the man and the fairy tale.

“At every turn, sometimes subtly and sometimes crudely, the same lesson was driven home: the world would greet me with abject deference not because I deserved or wished it but becaus...more

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Apr 22, 2008 Jerramy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My royal novel of choice is usually something about the British royal family – so “The Commoner” was a quite a refreshingly regal change for me. And that said - I loved every graceful, delicate word of it. The author’s light touch and poignant tone captures the grace and humility of the Japanese imperial culture until you are immersed within the painful intricacies of palace life. Based on Japan’s real-life royal family, the book takes you on the journey of two generations of Japanese Crown Prin...more

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Jan 02, 2009 Sumi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I really wished I could have liked this better than I did but the author only made me feel as if I were seeing a thin veneer of the characters. In actual life there was tons of drama going on with the imperial marriages and I didn't feel any of it in the writing. A lack of real knowledge about the inner workings of the imperial household probably was the reason for some of it.

For me, though, the ending was where it all fell apart. It was too improbable and made me briefly flirt with the idea of...more

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Feb 04, 2008 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John Burnham Schwartz tends to write with a degree of formality, which works well in this story of a Japanese woman from a good family who becomes the first commoner to marry into Japan's royal family.

The bare bones of the story will strike those who live in Japan as familiar - the crown prince and his bride (in this story, Haruko) meet on a tennis court in Karuizawa. Under the constant scrutiny of the court, Haruko becomes so stressed that she loses her voice for several months. Finally, she c...more

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Mar 12, 2009 Patti rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A facinating book about Japan and the Royal family. I really got an inside look at how the Emperor and his family exist. Makes me glad that not only am I a commoner, but also a peasant. Great read!

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Feb 20, 2009 Caitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

A decent historical fiction novel about a country that has always fascinated me. The Commoner is most interesting because it explores a time that borders between ancient and modern. The events described could have easily lent themselves to a sweeping epic tale in the vein of Empress Orchard that detailed court life and intrigue. But that's not the route Schwartz takes. Rather, his novel is emotional and internal. The Commoner tells the story of Haruko, a smart, beautiful, athletic, but common Ja...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Book Concierge rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: concierge, culture, historical-fiction, japan, library, own, jane-austen, shakespeare, strong-women, world-war-ii

3.5***

Set in Japan, beginning shortly before World War II, this novel tells the story of Haruko, a young woman from a very good family. She is coming of age as Tokyo rebuilds after the war, and she gets a taste of the outside world when her best friend writes letters from America, where her father is a diplomat. She is lovely, educated and accomplished, and Haruko attracts the attention of several suitors. The summer after she completes her university studies, Haruko and her family take a summer...more 3.5***

Set in Japan, beginning shortly before World War II, this novel tells the story of Haruko, a young woman from a very good family. She is coming of age as Tokyo rebuilds after the war, and she gets a taste of the outside world when her best friend writes letters from America, where her father is a diplomat. She is lovely, educated and accomplished, and Haruko attracts the attention of several suitors. The summer after she completes her university studies, Haruko and her family take a summer house in a resort town, where she spends much time playing tennis at the club. It is during a doubles tournament that she meets the Crown Prince of Japan, when she and her partner are paired against the young heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne. This encounter will completely change her life.

If my synopsis makes this sound like a light romance, that is my failing. The dust jacket information tells the reader that Haruko will marry the prince, and fall subject to an ancient and intractable imperial household seemingly bent on destroying her. It is her struggle to maintain a certain independence and control over her life, and that of her child, that forms the true nucleus of the novel.

Schwartz gives us a rich background into the traditions and inner workings of the court. I was transported into this very different world. Right alongside Haruko, I experienced the luxury of this rare existence, and the restrictions imposed by the traditions, expectations and obligations of the position. I felt her frustration and grief as she lost the woman she had been (and might have become), and celebrated her small victories. I’m less satisfied with the way in which the novel ends. There is a several-decades long gap in the middle of the book, before Schwartz takes Haruko’s struggle into the next generation. How I wish he had stayed with Haruko and her life-long efforts to come to terms with the consequences of her marriage into the imperial family.

Readers should note that while Schwartz drew inspiration from the personal histories of certain members of the Japanese Imperial Family, the characters and incidents in this novel are a total fabrication. Although a Google search will point out certain similarities…
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Jul 21, 2012 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Commoner tells the story of the first non aristocratic Japanese commoner to marry a Crown Prince of Japan. A young woman who has grown up in what would be considered moderate luxury and moderate freedom, with a good education, and loving parents connects with the Crown Prince through playing tennis matches with him, and then occasionally meeting with him in other social situations. At the onset her parents are adverse to the match because they believe their daughter will be thrust into a imp...more The Commoner tells the story of the first non aristocratic Japanese commoner to marry a Crown Prince of Japan. A young woman who has grown up in what would be considered moderate luxury and moderate freedom, with a good education, and loving parents connects with the Crown Prince through playing tennis matches with him, and then occasionally meeting with him in other social situations. At the onset her parents are adverse to the match because they believe their daughter will be thrust into a imperial court and world that she has not been trained for, growing up as a common citizen, and they do not want her to suffer. However after pressure from one of the Prince's closest confidante's and inside the imperial court her parent's and Haruko relent to the Prince's offer, and say yes, that she will marry the Prince.

From the day of her marriage, and her entrance into learning all the traditions, rigorous schedules, and rules of the court, Haruko learns that her main purpose is to provide an heir, and to quietly suffer the criticisms of the current empress without complaint. A few years into her marriage she has a nervous breakdown, which she does eventually recover from, but which shows how her imperial life has taken away her connections to her nuclear family, and her sense of purpose as a soul who has her own interests, and being a person beyond the strict traditions of the world she now feels trapped in. Around thirty years after her own marriage Haruko is instrumental is convincing another common citizen, a young woman who is independent and strong minded to accept the marriage proposal of her son, even though she suspects that the girl might have the same troubles that she did. This ultimately results in tragedy, but has a bittersweet ending. Haruko in the only way she can helps her daughter in law escape the fate that she herself must live with. This book was a very easy read, wonderful writing, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this dynasty, and the traditions, and human feelings that go along with it.

For other reviews you can also check out my blog: http://booksalicious.blogspot.com/(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Jan Derksen marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Het is 1959 wanneer Haruko trouwt met de kroonprins en daarmee de eerste niet-aristocratische kroonprinses wordt in de zeer mysterieuze en hermetische gesloten monarchie van Japan. Onmiddellijk wordt ze geconfronteerd met de wreedheid en verdachtmakingen van de keizerin en haar volgelingen, die slechts geïnteresseerd zijn in een nieuwe troonopvolger. Alle bewegingen van Haruko worden in de gaten gehouden en onder die druk krijgt ze een zenuwinzinking. Maar op pure wilskracht weet ze zich te hers

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Mar 04, 2012 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Remember when you were a little girl and wanted to marry a prince and become a princess one day? That fairy tale is still passed on to female children today, especially in the U.S. As we became older we didn't want to be a queen or want our males to become kings because we became aware that throughout history the kings and queens were full of intrigue and often were murdered by rivals.

This well written book (up to a point) is a novel about the Emperor of Japan's son and his commoner (first ever...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listening-to

Haruko is the only child in a Japanese family that made it through the war fairly unscathed. Following private schools and college, she takes up competitive tennis and through this, meets the crown prince. They soon develop a relationship and are wed. Her mother-in-law the Empress is determined to remind Haruko at every turn that she is a commoner and will never be accepted by the court. In her misery she has a break-down which leads to her return to her family for rest and recovery. As Haruko w...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Irick Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The pacing of the story was REALLY slow since it has a very descriptive and detailed plot. The writer was a bit too verbose and at some point I was bored to death. But I get his point. He needs to establish each character, side story and setting first. He needs to let the reader know and understand the circumstances that led to the marriage between a commoner and Japan’s Crown Prince. It’s not some fairytale story where anything goes and everything is magic. I think most of the information provi...more The pacing of the story was REALLY slow since it has a very descriptive and detailed plot. The writer was a bit too verbose and at some point I was bored to death. But I get his point. He needs to establish each character, side story and setting first. He needs to let the reader know and understand the circumstances that led to the marriage between a commoner and Japan’s Crown Prince. It’s not some fairytale story where anything goes and everything is magic. I think most of the information provided were actual facts (maybe slightly distorted for creativity). Most events regarding the war and Japan’s history and tradition were of course true.

So the plot goes something like this. Haruko belongs to a middle class family. She’s the only child of a wealthy businessman. Despite her good background and education, she is still criticized and regarded as a ‘commoner’ when the young Crown Prince decided to choose her as his royal consort. It was just too sweet and kilig coz they only got acquainted through playing tennis (where Haruko mercilessly defeats him over and over). I think the Prince really likes her coz he was really persistent to marry her even after her family declined many times.

During these times, it is said that “a girl’s family was far more important than the girl herself.”

I like Haruko’s family here. Especially her dad. They are not like those ambitious and conceited rich parents who are so obsessed in conformity with the society’s rules and standards. They are very realistic. They didn’t ‘sell’ their daughter even to the Crown Prince because they knew the consequences of the situation, with their family being considered as mere commoners. I actually like every word that comes out of Haruko’s dad’s mouth. He’s witty, full of sense and very hilarious without trying too hard.

There was a part when Haruko was a teenager and her mom was so obsessed with the Crown Prince and the Royal family. So she was blabbing on about how “the Prince has grown three centimeters over the summer alone”. Haruko’s dad answered with this.

Haruko’s dad: “By almost every account he’s a fine young man. I’m simply trying to figure out why I should care that he’s three centimeters taller than he was in May.”

And when Haruko’s mom got mad at him for being disrespectful to the Prince, he said “Better to be impossible than measured in centimeters!”

When he was asked by the nosy reporters about random facts about Haruko, his reply was this: “Can she cook? Why certainly, I said, she can cook seaweed. If you like seaweed then she’s your girl. Can she write beautiful prose? Of course not, she’s a terrible writer just like her father. Can she count? Only when she’s spending my money, I told them, which she does very well indeed. Well, what are her good qualities, they wanted to know. Good qualities? Hmmm. I said give me a few days, I’m sure I’ll be able to come up with something.”

He’s very honest and he doesn’t take bullsh*t from anyone. He never conceals his daughter’s (or anyone else’s, for that matter) bad side. He believes in his daughter and his family. And most important of all, he sets his own policies and he goes by it. I just love this character. I hope he stays to the end.
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Aug 04, 2011 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: asian-hist-fic, historical-fiction

This was okay. I almost quit reading it after the first few pages because I thought it was miserably boring despite the fact that it's written about a subject in which I'm extremely interested. I wasn't really in the mood for reading so rather than started a new novel, I continued reading this one at odd moments throughout the day and before I went to sleep. I found myself wondering how it would end because I know more or less the story of the sitting Japanese imperial family and was interested...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club-2

I was excited to read a book based in Japan because I don't get around to doing that much, unfortunately. The book is a work of fiction, but is very clearly based on the life of Empress Michiko and later in the book, Crown Princess Masako. The beginning jumped around, giving you bits and pieces of Haruko's childhood (that's the one that's supposed to be like the empress). It was a bit too choppy for my liking. When we finally get into Haruko's twenties, when she's playing tennis and meets the pr...more

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Nov 08, 2010 Bobbi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Haruko was born in Toyko in 1934. She is from a financially secure family which socializes with the Japanese upper class. Haruko has a good education, nice clothes and her father makes sure she does not want for anything.

She becomes a good tennis player and eventually winds up in a tournament playing against the Crown Prince of Japan. He falls in love with her and asks for her hand. Her parents know what Haruko will go through as a Crown Princess and the cloistered existence she'll be forced to...more

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Sep 23, 2010 mwbham rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This spare, formal book was a fictional account not too unlike the real Empress Michiko and her daughter-in-law Crown Princess Masako. Both are commoners who married into Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne.

Schwartz, an American man, has Haruko, a Japanese woman, narrate her story of growing up in Tokyo during WWII, marrying the prince, and the difficulties she experiences isolated in the emotionally barren Imperial Court. I enjoyed the detail of the ritualized life of the royal family. The first 100...more

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Jul 27, 2010 Carma Chemezova rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I probably would have given this 3 1/2 stars if I could. I did enjoy the book. It was an interesting topic and had beautiful language and occassional moments of true feeling, however, I feel like the author was at times trying to hard to be profound- the kind that really just passed me by but then I wonder if it is just me- did I miss something- am I just not smart enough to get it? So maybe for someone else it would be 5 stars who knows. As an example, here is a quote from the book: "And mornin...more I probably would have given this 3 1/2 stars if I could. I did enjoy the book. It was an interesting topic and had beautiful language and occassional moments of true feeling, however, I feel like the author was at times trying to hard to be profound- the kind that really just passed me by but then I wonder if it is just me- did I miss something- am I just not smart enough to get it? So maybe for someone else it would be 5 stars who knows. As an example, here is a quote from the book: "And morning would come- the sun, or its simulacrum, would enter our window, and in that light I would stand before my mirror and see myself." I dare say that the word simulacrum was used improperly here. As I write this now, I could probably tease something nice and profound out of it if I wanted to, just like I did in my high school and college literary criticism courses, but really... I just can't stomach that kind of cowardly vagueness. I feel like people write like that hoping that they will fool others into thinking they are so profound- the emperor's new clothes thing. And yet I must admit that others may not see it that way because it is all subjective.
Anyway, the interesting thing of this book is the contrast of the traditions and customs of the Ancient Japanese Emperial court with the bright, intellectual women from modern society who are brought in to this world because those very atributes attracted the princes who wished to marry them, but then were expected to bow down to the inexplicible excentricities of this ancient world. I found my own personal connection to the story in the parallel I see with modern day motherhood. Women are brought up to be more and more independent and educated than ever before. As a result, motherhood has become an increasingly difficult endeavor. In my own personal experience, I have found it very difficult to walk the line between giving my children everything they need- being the best mother I can for them, and not loosing myself in the process. Especially while the children are young, my philosophical and academic nature serves no purpose and when I have tried to live in that world and the world of motherhood at the same time, I have felt that I failed in both. In this story, these women who become emperial princesses are bound by honor and duty to fill the roll of princess as dictated by tradition- their main purpose being to have a male son, then after that, to be a pretty face that shows up at various functions and delivers talking points- but never expresses herself. Her mind and personality are of no value. This is not exactly what motherhood is, but at times, one's responsibility as a mother does require sacrifice. The difference between the two situations is that as a mother, I know that my sacrifice is for a good, understandable purpose, whereas for these women, the purpose was to uphold tradition that was quickly becoming obsolete and without meaning.(less)

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Mar 17, 2010 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A decent, well researched historical novel about Haruto, a "commoner" who marries the Crown Prince of Japan about 1959. I thought the story was delicately and beautifully written as the author tells of Haruto's challenges as her royal duties take on every aspect of her life, and she no longer has any idenity as her former self. Quote: "And so life became a series of rituals written in another age. and rituals became life. --I was gradually disabused of my naivete and made to understand that in a...more

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Dec 17, 2009 Charles Matthews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

They lived happily ever after, all those Disney princesses swept off to the castle by their golden coaches and flying carpets. But real-world princesses are not always so happy. One word: Diana.

The ill-fated princess of Wales was probably on John Burnham Schwartz’s mind as he wrote his terrific new novel, “The Commoner,” but uppermost on it were two other princesses: the one who became the current empress of Japan, the former Michiko Shoda, and her daughter-in-law, the current crown princess, w...more They lived happily ever after, all those Disney princesses swept off to the castle by their golden coaches and flying carpets. But real-world princesses are not always so happy. One word: Diana.

The ill-fated princess of Wales was probably on John Burnham Schwartz’s mind as he wrote his terrific new novel, “The Commoner,” but uppermost on it were two other princesses: the one who became the current empress of Japan, the former Michiko Shoda, and her daughter-in-law, the current crown princess, who was born Masako Owada. In the novel, which is transparently based on their lives, the former is named Haruko Endo, the latter Keiko Mori.

Like the real Empress Michiko, Haruko is the daughter of a wealthy businessman. An intelligent, pretty, athletic young woman, educated at Sacred Heart University, she is invited to play tennis with the crown prince. People are shocked when she doesn’t let him win. They are more shocked when he falls in love with her and proposes marriage. Haruko has misgivings: She would have to leave her friends and family behind forever. She would give up any hope of independence. She would be forced into a regimented, ritualistic life at a time when Japanese women – the marriage takes place in 1959 – are beginning to discover their freedoms.

But she accepts his proposal, and becomes the first commoner to marry into the imperial line. Her one and only task is to produce an heir, which she does. She loves the boy, Yasuhito, but as Mrs. Oshima, her chief lady-in-waiting (and spy for the empress), icily reminds her, “He may be yours, but he does not belong to you.” And as the full knowledge of the hopeless emptiness of her life bears down on her, Haruko sinks into a clinical depression that robs her of speech.

Haruko recovers, only to see her own story recapitulated when Yasuhito grows up and falls in love with Keiko, a brilliantly accomplished woman with a promising career as a diplomat. Keiko has known more of the world than Haruko was privileged to know, and she turns down Yasuhito’s proposal. But Haruko herself persuades Keiko to accept – and then endures the pain of guilt when Keiko’s fate proves even more crushing than her own. For Keiko is unable to produce an heir. And she, too, falls into depression and withdraws from public view.

The secrets of the Japanese royal family are fiercely guarded, and Mr. Schwartz has based his novel on what little has leaked out from the imperial palace: that the Empress Michiko did in fact go mute for a while when she was crown princess, and that Crown Princess Masako has disappeared from sight after giving birth to a girl – reportedly conceived in vitro. But this is no tawdry, tattling roman à clef. It’s a subtle, finely wrought fiction that evokes Jane Austen.

The novel’s milieu, like that of Austen’s novels, is an island of custom and ritual in the middle of a world in change; after all, Austen’s country houses and their decorum-conscious residents existed in the eye of a hurricane: the Napoleonic wars. It’s the young – attracted to change, subjected to tradition – who must wager a choice between the burden of the past and the temptation of the future.

Some of the characters in “The Commoner” would have been at home in the Jane Austen world. The vaguely ineffective Emperor, modeled on the impotent postwar Hirohito, evokes the passive-aggressive fathers in her novels, such as Mr. Bennet and Mr. Woodhouse. Even some of the dialogue in “The Commoner” could have come, with only minor changes, from an Austen novel, such as this exchange between Haruko and the Empress:

“ ‘That must of course be right,’ I said. ‘But it’s rather confusing how nearly every time one picks up a newspaper of late one finds oneself reading the opinion that Japan has entered the age of progress and technology and must not, cannot, turn back. I wonder what one is to make of such statements.’

“ ‘You should consider reading less,’ my mother-in-law said.”

Mr. Schwartz has followed up his highly praised novel “Reservation Road” with a tour de force; the creation of a wholly convincing Japanese heroine by a male American writer reflects the triumph of imagination over experience. But it’s more than that, for the stories of Haruko and Keiko embody an essential and perdurable tragedy: the stifling of a human being’s potential.

They don’t live happily ever after. Maybe they never did.
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Sep 19, 2009 Tara Chevrestt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women-that-really-existed-fiction, historical-fiction, japanese-history-culture

This novel was good, but could be better. The story idea is fantastic, based in 1959 when a "common" girl, Haruko, marries the crown prince of Japan. Readers get a brief glimpse of her life before she literally hands it over, seeing life in Tokyo during world war two, her education, her childhood friend, and her close relationship with her parents, namely her dad. Here I have one complaint. When she meets the prince and begins to "court him" there is complete lack of emotions among all involved....more

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Jul 22, 2009 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wavered between a 3 and a 4 on this book. There were a handful of times as I was reading, when the author used a completely unlikely or unbelievable excuse to explain away why Haruko knew or felt something she ought not have. For example, during a tennis match with the Crown Prince, Haruko describes her tennis partner, an American teenager, as someone who likely came from the American Middle West. Schwartz half-attempts to explain how Haruko might know this, which makes the gaffe even w...more

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Jun 06, 2009 Kristie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me start with the positives -- I thought this was an interesting glimpse into a subject matter about which I knew little -- Japanese royalty. The author included a lot of details about the dress, the ceremonies, and the general culture of this society, which I found intriguing. I also liked the repetition at the end of the novel -- the author really drives home that it is the positions, and not the people, that are important.

However, I found several of the characters (the Crown Prince, the E...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Dot rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book very interesting. It is the fictionalised biography of Empress Consort Michiko of Japan, named in the novel as 'Haruko'.
Like the Empress Michiko, Haruko meets the Crown Prince on the tennis court. As she is a commoner, the marriage is opposed by the Japanese Royal Family and even after the marriage and birth of a son, her primary function being to secure an heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne, she is bullied by the Empress and staff. The story of her mental breakdown which causes...more

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Jan 14, 2010 Heatherfife rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have very mixed feelings about this book. The beginning is a great historical account of what it was like to live in Tokyo in WWII. Since I live in Tokyo, it was intriguing, moved quickly and was very interesting. The rest of the story wasn't quite as interesting or well-written. I have mixed feelings about the author himself. First of all, it was written from a Japanese woman's perspective, by an American man. I was skeptical about the emotional dryness of the book and wondered about the auth...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction-adult, read-in-10, asian-culture

Haruko, born in 1934, grows up during World War II, but she is from a pretty well-off family. We see her through her upbringing and to the time when she meets the Crown Prince of Japan and captures his attention and affection through a common interest in tennis.

We watch as she becomes part of the Imperial Family and what that all means. We quickly fly through a period where she has 2 children, don't get too much on their upbringing, and her children's choices in their marriages (where her son ma...more Haruko, born in 1934, grows up during World War II, but she is from a pretty well-off family. We see her through her upbringing and to the time when she meets the Crown Prince of Japan and captures his attention and affection through a common interest in tennis.

We watch as she becomes part of the Imperial Family and what that all means. We quickly fly through a period where she has 2 children, don't get too much on their upbringing, and her children's choices in their marriages (where her son marries a 'commoner' like she was.

Yeah, a quick span across about 60 years of Haruko's life.

So, The Commoner is told in Haruko's voice, her perspective, yet I didn't feel like she was 'open' to me. I didn't feel the extremes of her passions. Yes, I guess I knew about them (especially the struggles and sadness of many of her years as Crown Princesses), but she just didn't feel...alive to me. We are with her as she grows up, and yet I feel even as a girl/adolescent/teenager/young woman/pre-Crown Princess position that she is much more serious than a 'normal/common' girl. I guess I didn't have as intimate a connection with her as I wished I had had.

From the very beginning, this book did open my eyes to how the Imperial Family and how us common folk are viewed. Never did I realize how NOT enticing it was to marry a prince. I guess Disney will never do a movie about marrying a Japanese Prince??? ...unless you were running away, disappearing with your daughter ;), from your life as a Crown Princesses.

All that being said: It was an enjoyable enough read, a quick read, and I did cry in some parts. I'm glad I read it. It's just not a WOW!! book. Though in some parts I thought it would be very visually appealing for a movie (the countryside, wedding scenes, etc.)

Here are some quotes:
"One doesn't stop wanting certain things simply because they've been taken away; one simply wants them more. .... The trick is to appear to kill desire while actually storing it away in a place so private that no greater authority will ever know of its existence."

"A girl's family was far more important than the girl herself."

"What I am famous for is not what I am. To truly understand what I mean, you must come closer."

"The old does not accept the new."

"your constant criticism gives one little opportunity for reflection."

"Stones, too, must be tended to keep their spirits."

"One can be frightened and still move forward."

"It is possible to recover from a catastrophic loss without ever getting over it."(less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This novel chronicles the struggles of Haruko, the first commoner to become Crown Princess of Japan. Set apart from her old life by her new status from even her own family, yet still lacking in the breeding and bloodline of the nobles, the Crown Prince's love match finds herself very much alone without even ladies-in-waiting who extend friendship or respect to her. Haruko's only joy lies in making her husband happy--a more and more difficult task as his expectations have risen exponentially sinc...more This novel chronicles the struggles of Haruko, the first commoner to become Crown Princess of Japan. Set apart from her old life by her new status from even her own family, yet still lacking in the breeding and bloodline of the nobles, the Crown Prince's love match finds herself very much alone without even ladies-in-waiting who extend friendship or respect to her. Haruko's only joy lies in making her husband happy--a more and more difficult task as his expectations have risen exponentially since their marriage. Haruko eventually finds a modicum of acceptance, if not amicability at court when she is able to perform her only duty and produce a son and heir for the Crown Prince.

The central question implied is whether or not Haruko's parents did her a disservice by allowing her to marry into the royal family, knowing that she would face hardship in adjusting to their way of life and forging new relationships in a world not her own in exchange for allowing her to marry the Crown Prince--the man she thought she loved.

Yet knowing what it cost her, Haruko convinces another young woman, Keiko, to make the same sacrifice. Keiko leaves behind her life and successful career to marry Haruko's son. She too faces all the same difficulties of integrating into an ancient royal family with ancient bloodlines and traditions. But Keiko faces the additional burden of infertility when a Princess's only duty is to produce male issue. With only one live daughter after numerous miscarriages, Keiko is stigmatized to the point of threatening her sanity. SPOILER ALERT!!!!! Haruko's guilt over having convinced Keiko to become part of this world drives her to help Keiko take her daughter and leave the royal world to be with her mother.

I confess I really didn't know much about the Japanese monarchy after World War II, but this book did stimulate my interest. It was very well written and clearly highlighted the difficulties inherent in entering an insular royal family as a commoner, but it was very dark and I could not see much reason for a woman to stay other than feeling trapped. I read it in one sitting, but it haunted me for days.(less)

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Aug 21, 2010 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: swapped-donated

The story of Haruko, a "common" Japanese woman who marries a Prince of Japan. Haruko tells her story of her life and the difficulties she has adjusting to her life a Princess and eventually an Empress.

This book started very slowly for me. The first 60 pages or so seemed like background information. I was very worried because the book is only 351 pages long.

I loved the relationship between Haruko and her father.

I feel like there is something missing in this book. The author describes the physica...more

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About John Burnham Schwartz

John Burnham Schwartz grew up in New York City. At Harvard College, he majored in Japanese studies, and upon graduation accepted a position with a prominent Wall Street investment bank, before finally turning the position down after selling his first novel. Schwartz has taught fiction writing at Harvard, The University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, and Sarah Lawrence College, and he is the literary d...more

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“Men had suddenly become a scarce commodity, if not quite as sought after as rice.” — 4 people liked it

“Along the wide curving moat surrounding the palace, rows of cherry trees announced the end of their seasonal beauty. Some of the trees were weeping: blossoms in white and palest pink, ponderous with decreptitude, eddying on the brown water, stirred by the paddling of ducks.” — 3 people liked it

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