Shogun vs. The Samurai Poet Title Fight

During the month of November, I've been running an ad on Google to promote my new book. It looks like this:

• The Samurai Poet: A Novel
• www.travisbelrose.ca
• Rediscover The World Of Shogun: Order The Ebook Today
• 
  

My main target has been readers looking up James Clavell's bestselling novel Shogun. The ad links to my website, but it doesn't compare the two books directly. By sharing a head-to-head comparison here, I'd like to make the connection between the two novels a little more clear for trepidatious readers in the hope that some might take a chance on my novel, saving Clavell's to re-read another day.

	Shogun	The Samurai Poet
Author	James Clavell was not only a multimillion copy bestselling author, but he was also a screenwriter. His credits include such classics as The Great Escape and To Sir With Love. The man knew how to spin an entertaining yarn.	Admittedly, I don't hold a candle to James Clavell. I stake my claim on one point. Every author needs to be discovered by someone at some point to be successful. I invest a lot of time supporting and searching out independent artists looking for the next big thing in music. Now I need readers who can return the karmic favour.
Book Length	1152 pages. I think epic is the only word that does this book justice. It's definitely worth the time, but I know that 1000+ pages is more than a lot of readers are willing to commit unless they are highly interested in the author or subject matter.	Given adjustable fonts, it is difficult to peg the length of an ebook. By Apple's reckoning, TSP is 508 pages long. I think most readers prefer a book in the 300 page range, but I'm told historical fiction fans have greater tolerance because they would prefer the author take the time to establish the context.
Characters	A swashbuckling hero, a sadistic villain, a wise patriarch, and a self-sacrificing heroine. What more can you ask for in an adventure story?  Clavell knew how to involve a reader with his characters. Personally, I found Yabu to be a bit cartoonish as far as villains go. Urinating on our hero, listening to the cries of torture victims as dinner entertainment. Not for me.	I'm taking a risk in saying this, but Ishikawa Jozan is more like a Forrest Gump character in the novel. While his I.Q. is higher than Gump's, he is somewhat of a "witness to history" character. For better or worse, I went this way to remain true to the character and the way he was telling his story. While he does encounter antagonists throughout the novel, none approach the level of Yabu.
Currency	In the 1970s the general awareness of Japanese culture in North America was much lower than it is today. Clavell had to write a novel that explained Japanese culture as he went along, slowing the story down at points.	In the last 40 years international travel, the Internet, and the number of people working overseas has greatly raised the profile of Japanese culture in North America. TSP responds to this fact by assuming a greater level of awareness among readers. This gives readers a chance to go deeper and re-examine stereotypical views of Japan.
Historical Accuracy	Clavell noted at the beginning of Gai-jin historical accuracy was not a main concern in his Asian Saga with the cheeky disclaimer, ". . . I have played with history [. . .] to suit my own reality and, perhaps, to tell the real history of what came to pass." This wise action allowed him to write a better story unconstrained by specific facts. One of the best examples is when he has the future Shogun, Toranaga (based on Tokugawa Ieyasu), dress as a woman to escape an assassination attempt, when it was Tokugawa's real life rival Ishida Mitsunari (Ishido in the book) who did this. So while you won't want to judge the character of a historical figure based on his fictional portrayal, Shogun still offers an exciting introduction to this period of Japanese history and can launch a satisfying nonfiction exploration.	TSP is first and foremost a novel. There are invented characters, imagined scenarios, and pure speculation about historical figures and their relationships to each other. At times, lesser-known events are moved by a year or two to fit the flow of the novel. That said, if you have an interest in samurai history and not much knowledge about it, TSP would serve as a solid introduction that gets the main facts right about big events like the battle of Sekigahara and the Osaka Campaigns of 1614-1615. It also introduces lesser-known phenomena like the rise of Neo-Confucian thought and the Ise Odori dancers, perhaps Japan's first anti-war movement.
Ninja Attacks	Shogun has one. Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai has one. Only problem is, historians doubt a lot of popular conceptions about the existence of ninja and what they did. As far as I know, not one shuriken (throwing star) has ever been uncovered in an archeological dig.	No ninja attacks. Guaranteed. Some farmers make a passing reference to ninja as my only nod to their 21st century pop culture currency. Any Western novel set in historical Japan that avoids an easy ninja attack scene deserves a chance, don't you think?
Plot	Conflict. Cliffhanger chapter endings. A clear beginning, middle, and end. A love triangle. Shogun wins hands down.	TSP is written from Jozan's point of view as he tries to make sense of each recollection and experience. The novel is structured around a subtle examination of the concepts of Yang and Yin.
Setting	Feudal Japan circa 1600. Aaron Sorkin fans will like how the story of Will Adams is revealed through one telling period of the fictional John Blackthorne's life.	Feudal Japan from 1589-1671. TSP covers a longer period of time--great if you like stories that capture the sweep of history.
Tone	Action packed, non-stop, with little time for reflection.	Meditative. Not without some drama and action, mind you, with even a bit of comedy sprinkled in.

By now, you have probably realized that I do not see my novel as a rival to Clavell's Shogun, but a companion. If you enjoyed his novel and would like to revisit the same time period without re-reading his lengthy work, why not download the free sample of The Samurai Poet and see if it worth your time as a reader?