This is a difficult book for me to rate as essentially it simply wasn’t one for me. This doesn’t reflect on its quality. I could see that it is a well-written and very well-researched, a picaresque tale set in medieval Japan which tells the story of Matsuo who it seems is destined to be a Samurai warrior but who discovers that his true calling is to be a poet. So he discards convention and sets off on an adventure to do just that. As poetry is his true calling there is a lot, and I mean a lot, of poetry in the book, culminating in a poetry contest towards the end - where there is even more. Now this will appeal to many readers, but unfortunately it didn’t appeal to me. I enjoyed learning about medieval Japanese culture, and about the importance of poetry within that culture, but the picaresque side of things just didn’t work for me and I couldn’t relate to either Matsuo or the other characters. However, I would recommend trying it to discover if it’s a book for you.

Matsuo always had the soul of a poet, nevermind that he was to train for life as a soldier. When asked what he most wanted to do he replied he wanted to write poetry, and then was introduced to the grand poems of a samurai and his path was forged. Sensitive and poetic, this is truly a beautiful novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Don’t come to Denis Thériault’s new novel The Samurai of the Red Carnation (translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie) expecting plenty of battles and swordplay. There are battles but they are battles of wits and language. Because this is a novel about poetry, in its many different forms. And the ways that poetry and song can be used and misused, placed in a setting of feudal Japan.
The Samurai of the Red Carnation is set in feudal Japan and opens with a great fire in Kyoto in the 12th Century, being watched by the person who set it. The identity of that person and the reason for them starting a small fire in the first place are not revealed until later in the novel. Instead it focusses on a young man called Matsuo from a good family who is sent off to military school. Only Matsuo does not want to be a warrior, he wants to be a poet. After his parent’s death Matsuo flees from his responsibility, ending up on the road learning poetic craft from a debauched but influential Zen master. Later he finds himself in Kyoto where he finds himself writing poems and songs and falling under the spell of one of the princess’s ladies in waiting only she is already betrothed to a famous general. But this only leads to trouble.
Thériault makes the most of his feudal Japan setting, bringing readers the sights and sounds of Kyoto and the landscape around it. He also manages to capture the culture particularly through his explanations of the poetry, the importance and meaning of particular types of imagery. Matsuo is a dreamer but also has a core of toughness and makes for an engaging hero, even when he is clearly doing the wrong thing or putting his companions in danger. The Samurai of the Red Carnation is an enjoyable picaresque adventure and impossible love story.

I'm afraid this wasn't for me. I foolishly thought there would be more of the samurai and less of the red carnation ie more fighting and less poetry.

There is a lot of poetry including a poetry contest nearing the end which is very clever but not to my taste.

I normally love Japanese literary fiction but the story of Matsuo was just too heavy on the poetry for my tastes.

The story is about Matsuo who is trained to be a samurai warrior but wants to be a poet. He finally finds a teacher who will show him how to be a warrior poetry who could kill with his words. But the teacher betrays him with the girl Matsuo has fallen in love with and so he goes wandering again and, after falling in love again, he becomes a bandit.

For me there was much too poetry and I must have misread the synopsis.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the advance review copy.

What a rich tapestry of a book. Medieval Japan was fascinating and i never thought a battle scene could be so poetic. The heart and soul of this book is Japan's honour system and through the ages, this proves to be a really good backbone to showcasing so much about society at large.

I have reviewed The Samurai of the Red Carnation by Denis Theriault for book recommendation and selling site LoveReading.co.uk. The book has been chosen as a LoveReading Star Book and a Liz Pick of the month. Please see the link to the full book review. Thank you.

I absolutely loved this beautifully written homage to Waka, Tanka and Haiku poetry set in the medieval Japan.
Matsuo is raised for war but while training in an elite military academy, to follow in his warrior father's footsteps, he is introduced to, and falls in love with, poetry and the cutting power of language. So begins this epic voyage to learn all there is to know from experts all over the various kingdoms of his time.
It is a story of language, love, betrayal, loyalty and immortality.
The story is beaultifully told through an exploration of the various forms of tranditional Japanese poetry including courtship and battle scenes where the author/poet builds a world of language and metaphor.
This would make a wonderful text for older students who might want to explore the power of the tightly formed Japanese genre or who have an interest in the mystical and magical world of Feudal Japan.
I loved this and consumed it in a couple of sessions. However I did keep finding myself jotting down some of the beautiful verses to return to and it made me relook at The Tales of Gengi and some of my other texts from, and about, this era.

This was a really good historical fiction. I learn quite a bit and really got stuck into the world. Great book and excited to see what this author writes next.

A fascinating, well researched and indeed poetic novel of mediaeval Japan. I enjoyed the hero's early life , but it was acts 3, 4 and 5 that blew me away. Such a romantic tale. I loved the haiku battle in particular, really clever. The book explored the soul of Japanese honour and culture. A wonderful HF read. I will be recommending to friends, especially the poets among them!