Gregg answers “For those who have read Musashi as well as...”

ajaygee asked this question about Musashi:

For those who have read Musashi as well as Taiko, which would you recommend reading first?

Gregg In historical order, Taiko is first & Musashi picks up on events directly after Taiko but it is not a sequel per se. Yoshikawa wrote (or at least publ…moreIn historical order, Taiko is first & Musashi picks up on events directly after Taiko but it is not a sequel per se. Yoshikawa wrote (or at least published) Musashi first (1935 vs. 1967). Taiko is the story of the unceasing civil wars that culminate in the unification of Japan under Hideyoshi (titular character). Musashi is the (historical) tale of a ronin's quest to achieve enlightenment via the Way of the Sword during the peaceful aftermath of Ieyasu's Shogunate.

So I believe Musashi has a narrower focus, fewer names & battles to keep track of (though still plenty) & likely far less political intrigue than that of Taiko. In that regard, it may be the better to start with; either way I do not believe you can go wrong.

I am nearing the end of Musashi with Taiko unread on my shelf. I have wanted to read Musashi for some time even though I owned Taiko first, so I chose it first (It seems I am going backward through history as I will read Taiko next and I have just learned about another Yoshikawa novel, The Heike Story, which takes place in the 12th century). I also like to read novels in the order in which they were written to see the author's development. However, the translators are different so the text will likely flow differently. (less)

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