A sumptuous novel inspired by one of history’s most intriguing forgotten chapters—the arrival of Japanese Samurai on the shores of Europe. In 1614, twenty-two Samurai warriors and a group of tradesmen from Japan sailed to Spain, where they initiated one of the most intriguing cultural exchanges in history. They were received with pomp and circumstance, first by King Philip III and later by Pope Paul V. They were the first Japanese to visit Europe and they caused a sensation. They remained for two years and then most of the party returned to Japan; however, six of the Samurai stayed behind, settling in a small fishing village close to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where their descendants live to this day. Healey imbues this tale of the meeting of East and West with uncommon emotional and intellectual intensity and a rich sense of place. He explores the dueling mentalities of two cultures through a singular romance; the sophisticated, restrained warrior culture of Japan and the baroque sensibilities of Renaissance Spain, dark and obsessed with ethnic cleansing. What one culture lives with absolute normality is experienced as exotic from the outsider’s eye. Everyone is seen as strange at first and then—with growing familiarity—is revealed as being more similar than originally perceived, but with the added value of enduring idiosyncrasies. The story told in this novel is an essential and timeless one about the discoveries and conflicts that arise from the forging of relationships across borders, both geographical and cultural.

lgrsfic/R:\!fiction\0day\eng\_IRC\2\2017-06\2017-06-21 Part 1-2\John Healey - The Samurai of Seville (retail) (epub).epub

lgli/John Healey - The Samurai of Seville (retail) (epub)

The Samurai of Seville (Samurai #1)

Healey, John J.

Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated

United States, United States of America

New York, 2016

New York, 2017

New York, 2019

Reprint, 2017

2017-06-13

lg_fict_id_2004159

A seventeenth-century young Japanese man takes part in a cultural exchange with Spain in this sumptuous novel based on a true story. In 1614, twenty-two Samurai warriors and a group of tradesmen from Japan sailed to Spain, where they initiated one of the most intriguing cultural exchanges in history. They were received with pomp and circumstance, first by King Philip III and later by Pope Paul V. They were the first Japanese to visit Europe and they caused a sensation. They remained for two years and then most of the party returned to Japan; however, six of the Samurai stayed behind, settling in a small fishing village close to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where their descendants live to this day. Healey imbues this tale of the meeting of East and West with uncommon emotional and intellectual intensity and a rich sense of place. He explores the dueling mentalities of two cultures through a singular romance; the sophisticated, restrained warrior culture of Japan and the sensibilities of Baroque Spain, dark and obsessed with ethnic cleansing. What one culture lives with absolute normality is experienced as exotic from the outsider’s eye. Everyone is seen as strange at first and then—with growing familiarity—is revealed to be more similar than originally perceived, but with the added value of enduring idiosyncrasies. The story told in this novel is an essential and timeless one about the discoveries and conflicts that arise from the forging of relationships across borders, both geographical and cultural. “An exciting summer read. . . . At the center of this novel are love relationships, betrayals, friendships and the appreciation of Japanese and Spanish civilizations of the early seventeenth century. The best and worst features of these two ancient worlds are illuminated and brought together by the advent of necessity and greater glory.” —Berkshire Eagle

A sumptuous novel inspired by one of historys most intriguing forgotten chaptersthe arrival of Japanese Samurai on the shores of Europe.
In 1614, forty Samurai warriors and a group of tradesmen from Japan sailed to Spain, where they initiated one of the most intriguing cultural exchanges in history. They were received with pomp and circumstance, first by King Philip III and later by Pope Paul V. They were the first Japanese to visit Europe and they caused a sensation. They remained for two years and then most of the party returned to Japan; however, six of the Samurai stayed behind, settling in a small fishing village close to Sanlcar de Barrameda, where their descendants live to this day.
Healey imbues this tale of the meeting of East and West with uncommon emotional and intellectual intensity and a rich sense of place. He explores the dueling mentalities of two cultures through a singular romance; the sophisticated, restrained warrior culture of Japan and the baroque sensibilities of Renaissance Spain, dark and obsessed with ethnic cleansing. What one culture lives with absolute normality is experienced as exotic from the outsiders eye. Everyone is seen as strange at first and thenwith growing familiarityis revealed as being more similar than originally perceived, but with the added value of enduring idiosyncrasies.
The story told in this novel is an essential and timeless one about the discoveries and conflicts that arise from the forging of relationships across borders, both geographical and cultural.

2018-07-15