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A review by martydah
The 47 Ronin Story by John Allyn
2.0
Flat, pedestrian and dull. I'm sorry to say that, because the premise is so interesting. The introduction lead me to believe that this would be a swashbuckling tale. The legend of the 47 Ronin certainly has that potential - against all odds, 47 loyal retainers of the executed Lord Asano plot to avenge his death. They have to be crafty about it since the Shogun's spies are shadowing them wherever they go. Their target is the corrupt court official Kiro, who is the cause of their Lord's death and disgrace.
The book isn't all bad. The historical/cultural details are quite interesting. Sadly, that's not enough to resurrect this bland retelling. Some portions seemed tacked on, as with the affair of the commander Oishi and the geisha Agaru. There wasn't much character development either. The characters seemed a bit like automatons. I'd give this one a pass.
The book isn't all bad. The historical/cultural details are quite interesting. Sadly, that's not enough to resurrect this bland retelling. Some portions seemed tacked on, as with the affair of the commander Oishi and the geisha Agaru. There wasn't much character development either. The characters seemed a bit like automatons. I'd give this one a pass.