015 4 Amazon Book Assignment Alex
The book I read for the Amazon book assignment was called The Samurai's Tale . The story was set in 16th century Japan where warlords once rule over . Taro , the main character of the story , was a bushi , or a Samurai's son . His father fights for one of the warlords in Japan and died in battle while leaving Taro's mother and his two older brothers unprotected . One day Taro's father's enemy , one of the many other warlords in Japan , invaded Taro's village and killed his mother and his older brothers . Taro was then become a servant serving his father's enemy . After becoming a servant , Taro works hard and his status became higher and higher . Along the way , Taro met friends and enemies . Taro eventually Taro became a Samurai and was given the name Muratomo .
The Samurai's Tale was a great book . I learned a lot about the food , clothing , the Japanese culture , and the traditions of the 16th century Japan . It talked about loyalty , honor , and bravery and the wushidu , the Samurai's way of life .
The main conflict of the book was that Lord Akiyama , Taro's commander , fighting for Lord Shingen against the other warlords in Japan . They conquered the Iwamura Castle , but the castle was fallen and recaptured by the enemy warlord and Taro's master and his friends all died in the battle . Taro was to send a message to his master's father and he luckily escaped from the castle before it is recaptured and his life was spared from the fate of dying in his enemy's hands . As a result of the death of Taro's master , he became a lowly peasant again and work as a farmer . When I started reading the last chapter of the book , I thought there was going to be bad ending for the story as Taro became a farmer and had to wear the paper rags fit for peasants . However , it wasn't really a sad ending . Why is that ? Well , I guess you will have to read for yourself .
If you were to think of a movie that is similar to this book , you might think of The Last Samurai . However in my own opinion I don't think this book is alike The Last Samurai . It is because firstly , the story of the book is set in 16th century Japan while the movie The Last Samurai is set in the time where guns and canons were first used as a weapon in battle . Secondly , The Last Samurai is mostly about battles while The Samurai's Tale is about how a servant became a Samurai and gains his master and other peer's respect and trust . I think that both stories in the right place they should be . Because try to think of the movie The Last Samurai in a novel form and the book The Samurai's Tale in a movie form . I would not really like either of them .
On the back of the book cover of The Samurai's Tale , one of the comments reads A riveting tale for teens who like adventure infused with an ancient historical flavor . I would agree that comment but I don't think it is always true because in the novel , it not only contents adventure and the Japanese culture , but also relationship between people is also a big part in the novel . Throughout the story , Taro , or Muratomo , met many friends and masters . The book describes how he showed respect to his masters and show caring to his friends and peers . I think this book is suitable for all kinds of readers as it contains many different subjects .
Why did I read The Samurai's Tale for my Amazon Book assignment ? Some people might ask . Well , I can not really answer why but I think it was because a few days before the teacher assigned this project I saw my friend reading this book after finishing his work early in class . A few days later , the teacher bought us to the school library and told us to pick an appropriate book for an assignment . I wondered around in the library trying to find a book while not finding any book that I am interested in , I suddenly came up to this book that says The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard . I think I have seen this book somewhere a few days ago . . . I thought to myself as the teacher suddenly announced that we have only one minute left to pick a book . I made my mind quickly and pick this book for the assignment .
Overall The Samurai's Tale is a great book about ancient Japan . It described the people , religion , culture , food , clothing , etc . in so much detail that as you read the book it is as if it bought you back to 16th century Japan where the story took place . When I finish the book I was shocked that the author who wrote this book is not a Japanese historian but an American author .
001 4 This is a beautifully written tale of the life of the orphaned son of a samurai . It is filled with the dramatic changes of fortune that are commonplace in times of war , and imbued with the alien values and atmosphere of ancient Japan .
In the space of a day , the petted son of a noble samurai loses not only his family , but all his status . Rather than being killed with the rest , he unintentionally charms a samurai of the lord who killed his father and family , and is allowed to live - as a servant . Throughout his life , the boy seeks to return to the heights from which he descended . He meets wonderful friends , and learns many hard lessons - always in a state of war , or on the edge of it .
This is an excellent tale , filled with adventure and contemplation both . As is obvious by the schoolkids reviews on this site , it is not necessarily for the average child . But an intelligent kid , who is a good reader , and capable of understanding the differences between cultures , will enjoy this coming-of-age adventure .
002 4 This very well written novel is set at the beginning of the period that saw the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate . There is an excellent and unsentimental depiction of feudal life and the often horrifying warfare of that period . Haugard is able to make his characters sympathetic without sacrificing their historical reality . As with many fine juvenile novels , the maturation of the main character is a central element . In this book , the concept of loyalty and the conflicts between feudal loyalty and family loyalty are important themes . Recommended strongly for early teens .
003 4 I found this book to be a beautifully written tale of the life of an orphaned son of a samurai . One of the aspects I enjoyed the most about Erik Haugaard's Samurai's Tale is that the novel's story line is deeply sub-merged in war , friendship , love and death . I especially liked all of the various morals found within the novel's text . For example , one of the morals was no one wins a war , just one side losses less . There were also dramatic changes of fortune that are common place in time of war , such as death . This is an excellent adventure book because of its enormous amount of suspense , that is the main reason why I like this novel so much . For example there is one scene where 10,000 samurai charge an enemies castle , the author does an exquisite job on making you want to find out what happens next . Erik Haugaard's novel does an excellent job of exposing its readers to the lives and culture of the upper classes of ancient Japan . This novel offers a window to the alien values and atmosphere of ancient Japan .
004 4 This adventure will stay with you and won't let go . We are 5 sixth graders who were assigned Samurai's Tale by our language arts teacher . It kept us reading for nights and we ended up finishing weeks before the deadline . This story takes you through the feudal period in Japan with a young orphan named Taro ; his dream is to become a samurai just like his dad . Read The Samurai's Tale to see if Taro's dream comes true .
005 4 The Story Of The Young Samurai The Samurai's Tale by Eric C . Haugaard is an interesting and well-written book and appeals to anyone who enjoys an adventure . After his family gets killed and the estate gets ruined , young and devastated Taro is captured and made into a servant under Lord Akiyama . He starts out as a young stable boy and grows into a very skilled warrior . When Taro is forced into war he must leave behind his close friends and the girl that he loves . The action-packed novel describes the long adventure of Taro and Lord Akiyama's army battling the stronger army of their rival , Oda Nobuaga . I would recommend this book because it is action-packed and teaches the reader about some of the life styles of servants in Japan . An example of some of the action in this book is when the young warrior Taro is on his horse in the mountains and checking for bandits , he suddenly sees a samurai who is his enemy . Taro then draws his sword and starts to fight and then stabs his enemy and kills the samurai . An example of when the reader sees the life styles of a servant is when Taro is a stable boy and you see the living conditions of a stable boy in Japan . The living conditions are pretty harsh because he doesn't get nearly enough food and he works for nothing . He also sleeps in the freezing cold on beds that aren't good to sleep on . There are many fascinating parts in the story that make the book interesting and enjoyable . Even though this book is action packed and informative at some points of the book the book is really slow moving . For example in the beginning of the book it takes a while for the action to start piling on . Also in many places in the book , for many pages , Taro is just thinking to himself . Except this is not a good enough reason to not read the book because there is still so much action that it doesn't really matter if there are a couple of slow moving parts because these slow moving parts are almost always informative . So if you like a good adventure and lots of action , then read the book The Samurai's Tale !
006 4 This is the story of a boy named Murakami , whose family gets killed when he is not yet five . Soldiers want to kill him , but he defends himself , which saves his life . Someone gives him as a present to Lord Akiyama , a samurai who is fighting to help his master , Takeda Shingen , become Shogun .
The story is GREAT and there are a lot of parts to it . There is a part about his childhood , about how he became a samurai , about how he fell in love with a girl named Aki-Hime . Some parts can be boring but overall it is a fantastic book and a touching story !
007 4 The Samurai's Tale is the story of Taro , later known as Murakami Harutomo . His entire is family is killed except for him . He is taken in as a kitchen worker for Lord Akiyama Nobutomo . After witnessing the death of his master Togan , Lord Akiyama makes him a stable boy . From a stable boy he becomes a messenger for his lord . After that he becomes a warrior . He works his way up the ranks and becomes a samurai and one of the most trusted retainers of Lord Akiyama . However , he loses his master to Lord Oda Nobunaga . Now he is a ronin and knows he must take revenge for his master .
This book is one of the best books I have ever read . It has lots of action and feeling in it . I especially liked the part about the siege of Irwamura Castle . It shows Lord Akiyama's brilliance as a military strategist . I would recommend this book to anyone because it is a very interesting book with real facts about Medieval Japan .
008 4 The Samurai
This book offers excellent input into the lives and Culture of the upper classes of ancient Japan . The Samurai , begins with a young boy , the son of an honored military hero . News of his fathers death has just reached the household , along with the news that the victorious army is approaching their home . Unaware of the danger , the boy is shocked and disgusted when his mother forces him into the clothes of a servant and orders him and his nursemaid to hide in the cellars of their manor . For a day and a night they reside there , with no idea of outside goings ons . Then suddenly they hear voices from outside the room and are soon discovered . Pulled back into the light of day , they are led throughout the house that was once their own . Lying on the blood soaked floor he sees the butchered forms of his mother and her servants . He stares , unmoving in his shock until he is pulled away . Without explanation he is taken from the house and marched far away , to the house of a lord where he than serves , constantly attempting to recover the lost respect that his name once held . Slowly , and with a series of masters and events , he gets what he most desires , while discovering that it mattered not . A fine novel , it is highly recommended . This book offers an informative and entertaining view of life in ancient Japan .
011 4 I was browsing my school library on an impulse and this book popped out sinse I have just seen The Last Samuri and I picked it up and rented it on a whim , just to see what it was . I already was reading a good book , but couldnt set The Samuri's Tale down once I started it . This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read , the things I have learned from it keep me turning pages and my favorite I have heard so many good quotes and buetiful metaphors I cannot stop reading . After reading a few chapters I finally looked at who wrote it , I was amazed that it wasnt a Japanese guy . The detail and grapping story have touched me , not that this book is by any means boring or uneventful , there is fighting and death and saddness and drops of joy that comes w / it and always reminding you to keep hope and work hard .
012 4 I read this book for a school report , and I didn't expect it to be very good . After I read the first page , I was hooked . I couldn't stop reading ! Somehow , Haugaard combined history , action , sadness , joy , romance , and wisdom all in one amazing book . This book is the best book I have ever read , and don't let anyone tell you any diffrent .
013 4 The Samurai's Tale is a great novel for seventh graders to read . It is challenging with all the characters and changes in names . After reading the reviews of other seventh graders on this site , I decided I needed an enticing way to keep my students in the book . I combined an Interact unit called , The Warlords of Japan , with the reading of the book . We also created a class timeline to follow the story . The game helped increase their comprehension of the book . It is a great book but not easy reading .
014 4 This book that influenced my life A Samurais tale by Eric G . Haugaard , addresses the Habbit of mind Intellectual Curiosity because I've always wondered what life was like back in the fuedal age of japan as seen through the eyes of a Samurai . This book tells the story of how a young boy , Murikami whos father ( a samurai ) killed in battle is given a life as a peasent , but later in the book he gains the rank of samurai.I recomend this book to people who like to know about history and japan
016 4 An Excellent Tale of Determination
The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugard , is an adventurous story about the son of a dead samurai , who works his way from being a lowly servant , to becoming one of the very honorable samurai . He faces hardships such as cruel samurai , and being captured and made a servant for Lord Takeda . He befriends a cook named Togan , and for about seven years he grows up with Togan . Togan teaches the boy , who was given the slave name of Taro , important values of life , and Zen Buddhism . However in a fight with the same samurai who taunted Taro when he was a boy , Togan dies . Taro is sent to work on Lord Takeda's horses . Taro shows great determination to become a samurai , in this wonderful first person narrative .
I would recommend this book to an audience that really likes to get absorbed into the main character and setting . There is a lot of character development in this book . The reader can actually feel like he is Taro . For example , when his best friend Togan died , the author really vividly describes Taro's emotions , a reader can always know how Taro feels . The setting of medieval feudalist Japan is a hard setting to read about . Yet the author captures everything perfectly , the corrupt lords and the dishonorable samurai were all put into the story excellently .
With all of the strong points in this book , some sentimental readers might find a thing or two wrong with the book . The beginning goes a bit slowly , and some people might find it a bit depressing because so many people die . Some readers may think that Togan would be a main character of the story , yet when he dies , this might confuse some people . However , the many good parts make up for this one flaw . This book is a definitely a must read .
017 4 This story displays a large cast . Being an ambitious young orphan , Taro hopes to follow his late father's footsteps and become a samurai . Fortunately , Taro has numerous mentors throughout his life , including a cook , a messenger and even a servant . While serving his lord as the distributor of rations Taro meets a young girl and immediately falls in love with her . This tale of a boy who struggles to achieve the highest military rank takes in a war torn Japan during the golden age of the samurai .
As the story progresses the reader follows the hero through his varied adventures . When a rival family kills his mother and siblings are killed , Taro is spared because of his bravery which is prominent throughout the story . He starts out a lowly cook's boy but later goes on to become a stable boy , messenger , and guardian / distributor of the armies rations . While Taro is the cook's helper , his mentor teaches him to be content with who he is and what he is doing as long as it is morally correct . However , Taro continues to strive to become a samurai .
( spoiler ! ! ! )
Taro achieves his life goal . His name is changed . He engages in combat . the young man is very pleased with these knightly privileges . Sadly , his best friend dies in battle , and so Taro learns to respect life . After his lord is vanquished , Taro is reduced to rags , but when the story takes a final turn he forgets his sad state .
This is an enjoyable book . Being equally educational and pleasurable the reader is drawn into Taro's world . It is a typical life story with several subplots , making it hard to follow the main story line . Unfortunately , the reading is slow at times but mostly this story action-packed and not easy to put down .
018 4 This book was an outstanding book for teenagers and was written by a wonderful author too . This book is about a boy who was born in an era where Lord Takeda's troops were conquering Japan . When Lord Takeda's army hit this boy's , ( Taro ) , village his mother was killed but he was spared and raised . When time passes Taro gets older and wiser as he increases his rank in the world he has lived through and progresses throughout life . At first Taro starts out as a kitchen worker , the lowest rank in the village , he was then moved up as a horse keeper and now a messenger but then Taro was soon drafted to war as a rice manager O master of rice . ( pg .99 ) Then a very mysterious twist comes in the end which is very mind catching . I could not put down this book for a second .
The main character Taro is a very eager boy who always wants to strive to get to the top and the author did a very good description of this and the book . The author went into great detail and you can almost feel that you were experiencing Taro's adventures yourself . I could not even think about putting down this book the way the author wrote it .
This book is also most likely for ages 12 + because this book is about a boy's life journey .
Overall I gave this book a 4 star rating because I was an overall good book except it did not seem correctly put in the way the author organized the book .
019 4 ( Review by a nine-year-old third-grader , who read this book for a home school assignment )
The Samurai's Tale is about a boy who lives in the country of Japan when there were samurai . The boy's father has been killed . Now he and his family have to hide because the people that killed his father are trying to kill them too . But the boy survives and grows up to become a samurai .
I think that The Samurai's Tale is a very exciting book ! The samurai has lots of adventures . One of his adventures is when he dresses up as a ninja and runs to a castle to give a message . That is one of the exciting parts in the book . He has many more adventures as well .
I like this book because it tells about a person growing up to become a Samurai . I recommend this for people 10 and older .
020 4 This book kept me up for hours at night . the story is interesting from page 1 . this story is about the adventures of an orphaned boy named Taro , whose family was killed by the enemies of his father , who was a samurai . Taro is adopted by an army general , Lord Akiyama . the story is about his life as a servant and then his becoming a samurai and his adventures in battle and his friendships and losses .
this is a must read .
021 4 It's not just for kids , this is fun for adults who like a short book to read . It's an easy read also . I'm not going go into detail because you can get that with other reviews .
I got my copy few years ago at the Scholastic book fair at a school . I drive a bus so it was convienient to buy a book while waiting for students !
I was hooked at the first page . Tragedy opens a door for a orphan to become a great warrior . If you've watched many Akira Kurosawa or Toshiro Mifune fuedal Japan era movies you'll like this book , I picture the action as one of those movies . . . even in b w . . . heheh . . .
go read it , it's cool .
022 4 I found this book to be one of the best I have ever read . A young boy's family is killed . He is spared by his family's killer , and made a servant at his palace . We watch this boy grow and advance until he is granted a chance among the ranks of the samurai . Anyone who likes Akira Kurosawa samurai films , Japanese history , swordsmanship , and a beutifully woven story will enjoy it .
023 4 I just read this book to my 6 year old . He couldn't wait to hear the next chapter each night . ( To bad it is over the heads of the 7th graders ? ) Much to be said of the lessons of war - that no one wins a war - just one side losses less . It is really a great illustration of what life would be like without the rule of law . Why the Magnacarta changed life so much . Reminds us of how lucky we are to have plenty of food even for the poor .
025 4 This book was an incredible account of what life could be like for a samuri's son . It showed what could happen back then . I liked the book because it showed that there were differences between the classes in feudal Japan . It showed how different sects of Buddism did not always get along or agree with each other . I also liked how it showed what a big part of life rice actually was .
026 4 We read this book in 6th grade . It is a turbulent book about feudal Japan . This book was exciting in the beginning . We enjoyed the part when Taro became an orphan . He was really young . We felt like we were his servent , Yone , when she and Taro hid in the closet because two samurais were killing his family . His parents were killed and he had to redeem himself to become a samurai like his father . We would highly recommend this book to sixth , seventh , and eighth graders . it has high vocabulary and it is confusing because of the Japanese names , but it is worth reading .
027 4 In English class in 6th grade , our teacher lent us copies of The Samurai's Tale to read . Through the book , the orphan , Taro , has many different positions and jobs . He was a servant , helping a cook named Togan . With Togan , Taro learned many things , including to accept his position and be polite . Then he worked as a stable boy for Lord Akiyama and later became a messenger in Iida Caslte . Taro also has many adventures . He meets a ghost and even falls in love . We thought this book was really interesting , though in some parts it got a little boring . We recommend this book to people who know a little of Japan and who like historical fiction .
028 4 and suddenly becoming the servant of the murderer of your family . A samurai's son , who happened to be four , witnessed the murder of his family . He was then taken by some men to a castle to work as a cook's helper . There they named him Taro . The young boy's dream was to become a samurai , as his father once was . Many years passed , and Taro changed in many ways , not just physically but mentally . Cleverness made a big difference in his life . The book ' Samurai's Tale ' , which we read in English class , kept us very interested . It made us want to read it all at once . If you like suspense , tragedy , adventure and mystery , this is the perfect book for you .
029 4 At age 4 , a young boy named Taro was sent to live as a servant due to the death of his father , the samurai . The only one who cares for Taro now is Togan the servants ' cook . His lord , Akiyama , goes to battle , making Taro a messenger . As a messenger , he meets his new best friend , Yoshitoki . The two bond and become very close . Finally , Taro's wishes come true , and he goes to battle . During battle , Taro gradually gains a higher rank . In a plot to raid a castle , he fights in his first battle . All the while , Harutomo is fancying someone named Aki-hime . The end is fascinating , therefore , we cannot give it to you . The majority of our group of ( we are students in a 6th grade English class ) reached the conclusion that this book was interesting and unique . Although this book had many long names , it was still a great book . We recommend this book to all people who enjoy adventure , death , and like reading raw emotional parts of a book . This book , we feel , is for many people , but for those over a sixth grade reading level . A true prize winner , says the group .
031 4 This is a great book to do fo a report . If your teacher wants you to read a book about the Medieval period read this book it covers a lot about medieval Japan . I liked this book because I'm into learning about samurai and this book being a fictional book actually tells you a lot about how a samurai starts out
and how hard work can actually get you places . so if you want to read a good book I suggest this one
032 4 THE SAMURAI'S TALE , by Erik Christian Haugaard , is a Japanese story about a boy named Taro and his long journey of friendship , love , and death to become a great samurai . It was an interesting book . There was a lot of suspense , like who would win a battle , or if Taro would marry his loved one . Something that made me like the book was that when you thought you could predict the outcome of a situation , something totally unexpected would happen instead . Because there are so many characters and it can get a bit confusing of who is who , the book conveniently has a list and description of each major character . The majority of the chapters were full of adventure . Taro would encounter an enemy who wished him dead . So , naturally , Taro had to defend himself . There were other scenes of over 10,000 samurai charging at a castle , battle strategies , and death . Another way this book was enjoyable was the main character , Taro , was a likable character . He was kind-hearted and didn't believe in tourture or cutting off an enemy's head to prove you defeated him . This was probably why most of the lords liked him .
If you're interested in a book full of Japanese adventure , suspense , and likable charaters , this is the book for you !
034 4 The Samurai's Tale is about a boy named Taro who lives in Japan . His parents were killed when he was four and he was taken in by Lord Takeda Shingen's top general , Lord Akiyama . As he made his way through the servant ranks , he met many life-long friends who helped him to achieve his dream , to be a samurai . Through the book he has many adventures and experiences love , war , and despair . Two of us said that this was an exciting and adventurous book that takes you through medieval Japan . Another one of us said that this book describes the life and routines of samurais in feudal Japan . We recommend this book to historical fiction lovers . It's chock-full of action and adventure .
035 4 I read this book in 7th grade as well , but I decided to read it before the class did . I read this book in one day . I could not put it down . Because of this book I have a great interest in Japanese history . If you even think you like Japan , definately read this book .
036 4 I read this book last year in the 7th grade . My Humanities teacher made us read it , along with a summary of each chapter and pictures to go along with it . I thought , ' greeeeeeeaaaaaaaatttttttt ! Another tedious book to read that has no meaning to me whatsoever ' . I found the book an interesting adventure into feudal Japan , and I found myself really attached to Taro . I was so excited that he finally won an identity for himself at the end of the book . After his parents ' death and the disappearance of his sister , he still stood strong . I wouldn't have bought this book in a bookstore if I strolled through one day , ' cause it's not my type . I'm glad that my 7th grade teacher introduced me to such a carefully woven novel .
037 4 This was an excellent book showing the life of a young peasant climbing up the social ladder to becoming a samurai . Most schools require this book read . I don't blame them . Lot's O ' Battles . Great book .
039 4 The Samurai's Tale by Eric Christian Haugaard is a very vivid and realistic book that is an accurate description of a young boy with ambition to be a great samurai like his father . But then with two tragic deaths in a short period of time tarnishes and make unclear of his dreams . This boy is stripped of the things that mean the most to him giving him a hard way to go . The Samurai's Tale is not really a timeless classic but it has met my approval.I would recommend this book to just about anyone who likes a good satisfying book . I recommend this book because , while it is a first-person book , it also contains other things that are just good to know sometimes . This book really goes in depth some parts in cultural explanation . It tells talks about myths , prejudices and foods as well . I would also recommend this book because this also describes fears and feelings as they really are and not many books tell things as they are felt because a lot of things are embellished to seem better . The feeling that you have when you are going to do something that is right , but it would also benefit you , as this feeling is felt , it is written to perfection . This book is really for anyone who enjoys a good book that one can relate to . You really that you are there . No book is written to perfection , even while some may come close . This book has faults too . This book has no deep plot . Some may even say that this book has no order and tends to jump around a bit in terms of ideas and such , making it hard to understand even one idea . But it is this that makes this book so great . You feel such a greater sense of achievement after discovering what the book is talking about . This book really isn't hard to understand , when it goes to different topics there all have to do with the matter at hand . Samurai's Tale doesn't have a complex plot , true . But it doesn't really need one . If it had a plot so deep that you couldn't understand it off the bat , the you probably wouldn't want to read it . The story is basically about a boy with a dream . That's it . It so simple that any could relate to such a story .
040 4 I was assigned to read this book for an English assignment at school . At first I thought it wouldn't be a good book becuase of the title . But when I got to the 5th chapter , the story really started to get interesting . I got through with the book and I thought , Wow , I can't believe the sense of adventure in this thing ! All and all , The Samauari's Tale was a great book ! A book whom all you kids around 13 years old should read !
041 4 The Samurai's Tale is a great book to read of you like books with a lot of detail . I liked this book because it told a story of a young boy who works hard to become a samurai even though both his parents were killed . This is a book that explains everything around him ( Taro / Murakami Harutomo ) . So if you like books that cover samurais or your doing a report on the Japanese medieval period and you don't want to read a boring book buy this one .
042 4 I had to read this book for literature . I was confused at first , very confused actually . But then i kept on reading it and it really didn't seem that bad . If you were to get a choice to which book to read , and the Samurai's Tale was one of them , get it
043 4 Follows the life of the main character from age 4 to age 20 . Interesting insight into feudal life in Tokugawa era Japan . I was pleasantly surprised that the author's prose flowed so well and found myself having read through to the last page before I knew it . I hope this is a series .
044 4 I read this book once in high school for a report as a free choice . It turned out to a pleasure rather then work . It's a page turner for readers of all ages . It gives a much more presonafied look into the lives of samurai . A neat story of a orphans rise from rags to samurai with a historical story backing it . I read it again about a year ago and enjoyed it just as much as the first time !
045 4 Imagine being a high ranked samurai's son until one day when all that changes . This is what happened to a kid named Murakami in this book . In one day he had lost his family , his name and his rank . Now he is known as Taro , a low ranked servant for Lord Akiuama . Now , he must work to raise his status and achieve his goal , to be a samurai . This book is action packed and full of surprises . We totally recommend this book to everyone who is in the sixth grade and above and enjoys reading about action , thrilling adventure , suspenseful romance and gruesome violence . We found this tale exciting for everyone to read and hope you will read it too .
046 4 I just finished reading this book as of January 10 , 2001 . I would agree that it is a nice read for middle schoolers . There are details in The Samurai's Tale that have a certain style . ( Which is not a bad one . ) I picked up this book mainly because I am interested in Japanese culture , and the book is a wonderful example . It is pretty rare that you find good first person books , and in order to write one this way you would need pretty extensive research . The one thing I think could have been better are the adjectives . From what I remember , there weren't many . In some opinions there were just the right ammount . I personally think this book isn't very long , but that's not necessarily a bad thing . It is perfect for doing a report or just for a quick story . It all depends on your reading level .
047 4 War ! Terror ! Blood . This was the setting of the book , The Samurai's Tale . The young noble boy , Taro , turns from a samurai's son to a lowly servant . In one day his parents are dead and his name is gone . Slowly , he fights to raise his status in the feudal system and to regain his noble place . He goes through many perilous adventures and battles and meets new people through the treacherous journey of his life . We recommend this book to people who like challenges , adventures , action and romance . As J.P . Carroll says , I learned many new words such as ' seppuku ' which means ritual suicide . Another person , Nishant Krishnan , states , This book is extremely interesting and highly educational . This book , authored by Erik Christian Haugaard , was very well written with many interesting details and high level vocabulary words ! We all recommend it highly .
048 4 At first I was ambiguous on how the story was starting out but then everything began to unfold , and I was drawn into to the story , I saw myself not being able to put the book down . The reading level is very simple , but the imagery was fantastic . But in all and all It's a great story for all ages with a great message that even us as adults seem to forget .
049 4 This is a really great book . It took a while for me to get into it , but after a few chapters I couldn't stop . I really loved the book , except that all the names were confusing at first .
050 4 . . . a 4 - year-old samurai's son , Taro , lives through the horrifying experience of losing his family . He is picked up by some other lord's raiders and sent to serve under the warlord that slaughtered his family . At first , he would have had an honorable future with a samurai's title . That fateful day would change his life FOREVER ! ! Will Taro ever reach his life-long goal to become a samurai ? Read and find out ! We strongly recommend this book for people interested in the feudal period in Japan , and people who like wars and action , death and blood , love and faith . Read this book for your enjoyment .
051 4 This was a fairly easy book to read , although I wouldn't even have picked it up if my language arts teacher hadn't assigned it . Of course , it is what most teachers would call Good Literature . But , I would still read this even if it isn't assigned to me .
But , if you are an aldult looking for a really good book to buy for your kids , I would strongly suggest this book because for one thing , it teaches you about many of the cultural things in Japan during the feudal area . Although you may not have to answer questions after each chapter like we did , you would probably still benefit from buying this book . So , go ahead , buy it . After all , it isn't that expensive , and it is also like one of those learning experiences that adults talk so much about .
It has been fun to know you , and if you have the chance , e-mail me at the address shown ( the leo does NOT stand for Leonardo DiCaprio . . . it stands for the horoscope sign leo . . . yeah . . lion . . . )
052 4 Usually when you think about a samurai ; you think of a great warrior , but not in this case . The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Hauguard is a story about a boy named Taro . At a young age Taro's family was killed . Lord Akiyama took Taro in and treated him like a son , although taro worked for him . Taro witnessed a lot of deaths in his life , but none as big as his friend Togan . Togan was killed trying to defend Taro . Leave the boy alone ! Togan shouted as he protected Taro ( Hauguard 26 ) . I wouldn't recommend this book to readers because there's not much action for a samurai book
I wouldn't recommend this book , because its dull . At times when you think its going to get good , it doesn't . Like when Togan was killed I thought Taro was going to go crazy and become a solo warrior and fight for himself , but he didn't . Instead he went to his room and thought about it . Another interesting moment that I thought would spark something is when Jiro smacked the horse and Taro beat him up .
In the old Japan days you inherited your class from your parents , which would have meant taro should've been a samurai , but since his family was killed he had to do other jobs for Lord Akiyama to earn this job . The book hardly talked about Taro being a samurai . He was a messenger for most of the book , not a samurai and this is why the book should be called The Messengers Tale . The title doesn't really fit the book . Its all about his journey .
The book overall has a good story to it . I think how Taro's family was killed right off the bat caught readers attentions quickly . The way the story was told , allowed you to picture everything as it was happening . This kept you off your seat wanting to know what was going to happen . I was like this when Togan was hiding in the rice shed and soldiers were just walking by not noticing him .
I don't recommend this book because it was dull , nothing extremely exciting happened and I don't really think it should be a samurai book , because there wasn't much action . If the book had more action scenes it would be a lot better .
053 4 I thought this book was not very exciting but it was historicly accurate and provided an insite on the life styls of the samurai and thier obstacles in life . I wouldn't recomend to read this outloud but maybe induvudually and the do a small fun project on it .
054 4 I think this was a ok book . For a 12 - year old , we had to read it in class . It was sort of hard to understand , but still made sense . At first it was boring but got better during the end . It is about a boy named Taro . He is a samurai's son , until his dad gets killed by the lord's soldiers . They spare Taro's life , and let him live and work in the castle . He goes from different ranks , until he finally becomes a samurai just like his dad .
055 4 I had to read this book when my class was studying Japan . I hated it because it was so boring . The majority of my class thought it was boring also . The story is about a boy who was a samurai's son and then he was turned into a servant . After many boring chapters , he became a samurai . It sounds like an interesting book with lots of excitement . There is almost no plot . Nothing happens that is actually interesting . I made a survey in my school to see what people thought of the book . Most people thought it was boring and pointless .
057 4 Just like the other person from Santa Rosa , California who I'm very close friends with I think that this book is terrible . I had to also read it for a 7th grade project and I could barely get through it . The only chapter that even kept my interest was chapter 1 when Murakami and Yone get taken . I also like reading , but this is definently something I would never want to read again . It was so bad that I fell asleep 5 times trying to get through chapter 13 . . . I've never done that , well until I read this book . And the names in the book are long and hard to pronounce , such as Tsutsujigasaki . I'm sure if I took time out to sound it out I could get it , but I shouldn't have to do that , at least to that extent . This book just rambles on and on about nothing , it's so called plot is just scattered . I'll save some of ya ' a whole lot of time by telling you . . . . don't read this book . If you want to go read some good material read something written by Mildred D . Taylor ! No offense to Eric Christian Haugaard .
059 4 In the 7th grade we were asked to read the book The Samurai's Tale . It seemed so long and boring . And it was . I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone because it was really bad . It had to many complicated names to understand and it didn't get to the point . You had to read so much just to even know were you were . There was no plot to the story it was all just scattered around . I like reading but this book was really bad and if someone asked me if they should read this book I would encourage them not to .
060 4 This book was a truly amazing stor . . . NOT ! ! ! I absolutely hated this book . It was boring and didn't really have much of a point to it . I am thirteen years old and I would never recommend this book for teenagers . If you are younger and enjoy learning about japan and war , then go ahead . Same for adults . But for 12 - 16 year olds , don't even pick this book up . In class , we had to write cliff's notes for it , and I skipped from chapter 12 to practically the ending because i didn't like it so much . I am sorry if I offend anybody who likes this book , but I despised it every moment . I hope my review helped you decide whether or not to read this book .
033 4 A SAMURAI'S TALE IS ABOUT A YOUNG BOY WHO'S VILLIAGE AND FAMILLY IS DESTROYED LEAVING HIM ALMOST 4 YEARS OLD AND HIS MOTHERS SERVANT GIRL 11 YEARS OLD THE SAMURIA AKIYAMA SPARES THIER LIVES AND HAS TARO WORK IN THE KITCHEN . AS TARO GROWS SO DOES HIS RANK UNTILL HE BECOMES A SAMURAI , AND LEARNS WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE LOYAL , TO LOVE , AND TO LOSE A FRIEND . THE BEST AND GREATEST BOOK IVE EVER READ , AND I WOULD PAY TWENTY DOLLORS TO BUY IT . IT TRULY IS A GREAT BOOK , AND I WOULDN'T BE SUPRISED IF IT LEFT A TEAR IN YOUR EYE
058 4 I had to read this book for an 8th grade book critique . This book was BORING . So boring that in the end i skipped 4 chapters just to be done with it . I dont know why everyone else thought it was good but MAN , it isnt . didnt even know what was going on half the time cause it was so bad .
The Samurai's Tale ( Paperback )
I bought this for Alice , a 6 - grader because she needs it for her homework . It turns out to be a very good and fascinating novel and Alice loves to read it .
Gang Chen , AIA , LEED AP BD + C , Author of LEED GA Exam Guide , Architectural Practice Simplified , Planting Design Illustrated , and other books on various LEED exams , architecture , and landscape architecture
009 4 This review is from :
The Samurai's Tale ( Paperback )
I bought this for Alice , a 6 - grader because she needs it for her homework . It turns out to be a very good and fascinating novel and Alice loves to read it .
Gang Chen , AIA , LEED AP BD + C , Author of LEED GA Exam Guide , Architectural Practice Simplified , Planting Design Illustrated , and other books on various LEED exams , architecture , and landscape architecture
010 4 I bought this for Alice , a 6 - grader because she needs it for her homework . It turns out to be a very good and fascinating novel and Alice loves to read it .
Gang Chen , AIA , LEED AP BD + C , Author of LEED GA Exam Guide , Architectural Practice Simplified , Planting Design Illustrated , and other books on various LEED exams , architecture , and landscape architecture
