committedtomemory

Samurai's Garden

Is Harry Potter 6 really the last book I read? That's bad.

The Samurai's Garden was a simple novel about a young Chinese boy who spends a year in a quiet tourist village in Japan during the invasion of China by the Japanese.

While there, he succeeds in insulating himself from the horrors of war and in developing some of the closest relationships he has ever had in his life. Stephen felt he was close to his sister and his parents before he went to the island. But after meeting his family's servant, Matsu, at their summer home in Japan and after meeting Matsu's friend, he realizes what close really means. These people have few expectations of him and they live for others instead of themselves.

Little is said of the title through the book giving the reader the added benefit of trying to tie the title to the story. In what way was this book about a samurai's garden?

After searching the internet for about an hour for information on samurai gardens, I came across this quote on a landscaper's website. "We rarely reveal the whole garden at once." The landscaper specializes in Japanese zen gardens.

The quote very much symbolizes this book. No character is revealed at once. Even the main character gives more of his identity to others as the book develops. It is that unfolding of new scenery that makes each character compelling not only to the reader, but also to the characters in the book.

posted by dsimom @ 1:59 PM