Musashi: The Bushido Code v. 4: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era (Paperback)

It's not hatred, in fact he respects his enemies and in some sense loves them. And he cut through his enemies in such respect.

However my opinion is that after cut through all the obstacles this attitude becomes his final shackle that he can't throw away.

He had mad a painting of a bird standing on the top of leafless tree. I guess this mirrors his own life,too.

the story begins at "ground zero" as it were for best friends takezo - later to be musashi - and matahachi, both young men out to prove themselves and earn their place in the world, dreaming of becoming "rich and famous" quickly by joining the army to fight a big battle at Segikihara. they lost.

from the same starting point the two lives diverged significantly. takezo, a brash if not violent youth, was to realise that might is not right and there are things larger than himself with "help" from takuan soho, a monk, who seemed to be walking about the country trying to save people from themselves.

the transformation into musashi began in theory as it were - having being "imprisoned" in a room of a castle. cut off from the "real" world takezo read and study texts such as art of war for three years. when he emerged he is given the name musashi miyamoto and began his journey of way of the sword.

sword fights and duels are quite graphic but no buckets of blood. the death of a 13year old challenger may shock but not if understood from musashi's point of view.

woven closely is the love story between musashi and otsu, the once-betrothed of matahachi. there is also the hate-story of osugi, the mother of matahachi, and musashi. single-minded and always praying for justice, osugi chased musashi all over seeking revenge on him and otsu. but, true to japanese storytelling, there are not clear cut good or evil characters.

matahachi's misadventures of lazy drunkeness drifts from dreams of glory, masquarading as a well-known samurai, and a would-be assassin. a downward spiral. although musashi's elevated path led him to notoriety and "self-improvement", he too realised that he is also "too" human with his own failings.

in the end each went through a "hell" of their own making to perhaps find redemption.

definitely worth a second or third reading...now if only i read japanese