The Commoner: A Novel
by John Burnham Schwartz
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Book Reviews of The Commoner: A Novel
Book Review: The Commoner Lifts the Vail that Shrouds the Imperial Family
Summary: 5 Stars
John Burnham Schwartz has written a classic. His brilliant new novel will appeal not only to those who look for beauty and romance but also to those who seek intrigue, jealousy, and tragedy within the context of a modern historical dynasty. Carefully researched, The Commoner opens the window on a world that has been closed to outsiders for thousands of years to expose the struggles of two women -- born into a modern society outside the cloistered walls of the Imperial Household -- who marry into the Imperial Family and are consumed by its ancient traditions and rivalries.Book Review: Uncommonly Good
Summary: 4 Stars
Schwartz's prose is careful and deliberate, and his depiction of Japanese royalty is just as careful and deliberate. Haruko is a charmingly loveable character, from a little girl to an old lady. Descriptions of post-war Japan were unlike anything I had read before, but certainly did not coast on cheap shock value. For me, the pace was a bit slow--as a reader, I kept waiting for something inject this book with some energy, which never really occured. Nonetheless, this is definetly a novel worth reading. Not astonishing, but very, very good.Book Review: Lackluster and unoriginal.
Summary: 1 Stars
Schwartz fails to go where Anchee Min, Shan Sa, Dai Sije and Arthur Golden triumphed. When reading works by these authors I found myself completely lost in their stories and felt an insatiable need to immerse myself in the places and times they so carefully created. Schwartz has a convoluted, melodramatic style which constantly interferes with his attempt to tell the story. Fleeting heartfelt moments appear, only to be replaced by pretentious metaphors, superfluous phrases and wasted words. This is a poor excuse for a novel. I feel duped.Book Review: A wonderful read.
Summary: 5 Stars
Except for the impossible ending, this book was truly spell-binding. I don't want to harp on it, but the ending is pure Hollywood.
Haruko is heroic & noble. Her husband, the Prince, is also a hero as he accepts his fate with its boundaries.
The faces shown in public, so stylized, are quite accurate, I believe. I would like to have had more glimpses of the Empress, the mother-in-law, but all-in-all this book holds your attention to the end. I hated to come to the end. I could have read on & on.
Book Review: An Ordinary Girl Finds Herself In Extraordinary Circumstances
Summary: 4 Stars
In this roman a clef, Schwartz shows the life being drained from a vibrant young woman who falls in love with the crowned prince of Japan. Here, ritual replaces substance and future history governs the present. There is no spontaneity nor room for change. What was done will be done.
If anyone has ever envied the life of royalty, this book will show you the downside of not owning your own life, but rather playing a roll.
Sometimes the writing is repetitive. But overall this is a compelling story.