Musashi Readalong-Book IV: Wind
by Jenners • 11/01/2010 • Classics, Musashi Readalong • 30 Comments
What’s Happening
As with the previous books, so much happened in this book that it is impossible to write a comprehensive summary. With that in mind, here are some highlights.
- Musashi faces the Yoshioka School three different times and wins decisively on each occasion. First, he disables Seijuro (who ends up losing his arm). Then he kills Denshichiro. In the final showdown, Musashi faces off against a large force of Yoshioka students and manages to defeat them. However, to achieve victory, he kills the remaining heir of the Yoshioka School, a young boy named Genjiro. This slaughter of a child comes back to haunt Musashi afterward, although the warrior part of him felt it was the only way he could achieve a decisive victory over the school.
- Before the meeting the Yoshioka School for the third time, Musashi feels he might be walking to certain death. (After all, he’s walking into a battle against 70+ men.) He decides that he must tell Otsu about his love for her. At long last, they openly declare their feelings of love. Of course, Musashi survives the battle, and he decides to welcome Otsu into his life. However, once they are together, he is overcome by lust and oversteps his bounds, causing Otsu to pull away from him. Will these two ever find a balance together? We’ll have find out in the next book.
- Matahachi has quite a few problems in this book. First, he makes the mistake of passing himself off as the renowned warrior Sasaski Kojiro—to Sasaki Kojiro’s face. Oops! Kojiro decides to humiliate him rather than kill him by tying him to a tree and writing his misdeeds on the bark above him. Eventually Matahachi is freed and travels at various times with Akemi and his mother. At one point, he meets up with Musashi, who encourages Matahachi to become a better man by coming with him to Edo. Matahachi is moved by Musashi’s concern and compassion for him and vows to do right by his old friend. However, when he sees Musashi with Otsu, all the bitter feelings come flooding back and he vows to seek revenge on Musashi.
- Jotaro and Otsu have been traveling together, and Jotaro is increasingly concerned with Otsu’s poor health. Once they reunite with Musashi, he is confused by Musashi’s treatment of Otsu—failing to understand the dynamics between them. However, Jotaro is quickly becoming Otsu’s champion with Musashi.
Some Favorite Quotes
I found a two quotes that my dad had starred.
Caution was in order; in a case like this, victory is like the moon reflected on a lake. If one jumps for it impulsively, one can drown.
He recalled the old saying “It is easy to crush an enemy outside oneself but impossible to defeat an enemy within.” He had vowed to expel Otsu from his thoughts, had even bluntly told her this as she had clung to his sleeve. Yet he seemed unable to share her voice from his mind.
My Thoughts
- There were some rather amusing sections when Musashi and some new friends go to an establishment in the licensed district to drink and enjoy women. Consider how two of the men greet each other: “Before the maudlin greeting had run its course, the two were patting each other on the head and licking each other on the nose.” I marked this passage to share in my post and, about 15 minutes after doing this, Alyce sent me an e-mail highlighting the same passage. I guess the goofiness of this greeting jumped out at both of us.
- Sasaki Kojiro keeps popping up from time to time, insinuating himself into the conflict between Musashi and the Yoshioka School while professing to be impartial. It seems clear that eventually Musashi and Kojiro will come to blows.
- Here are some photos I found relating to the duel between Musashi and the Yoshioka School.
Shrine near the Battle of the Spreading Pine, where Musashi defeated the Yoshioka School for the third time.
Statue of Musashi near the shrine above. Click on photos for more information.
If you’re participating in the Musashi Readalong and wrote a post for Book IV, please link it up below. (Sorry I’m a bit late with mine!) I’m very much enjoying reading everyone’s posts, and I hope you are all still enjoying the book. My next Musashi post on Book V: Sky will be posted around November 8th. Happy reading!
I love reading your posts on this. I’m not sure I would tackle this one on a whim but I love that your dad left you so many clues about the parts that spoke to him.
It is like a most magical treasure hunt through the book. (And it isn’t a book you read on a whim!)
“It is easy to crush an enemy outside oneself but impossible to defeat an enemy within.” – how true.
You must feel very close to your dad reading these books.
That quote resonated with me too. And it has been wonderful feeling this connection to my dad while reading. I’m hoping some of the other books have more markings by him.
The quotes chosen by your father are amazing. I know they could stir an interesting, reflective conversation. Great review once again Jenners.
It has been so fun to find out what caught his attention while he was reading it. I can’t wait to find more.
I thought your post was great and I loved the images that you found. My post with my thoughts about Books 3 & 4 will go up tomorrow.
I’m very curious to see what happens between Musashi and Kojiro. I’m assuming there will be some sort of epic battle.
Based on a statue I saw when Googling images for this post, I think Musashi and Kojiro do have an epic battle. Maybe it will last for more than 30 seconds!!!
sounds like an interesting book, and i love that
your dad left some notes.
this is a wonderful story you’re telling us of the
love for your dad and the books he loved.
It has been a wonderful way to feel connected to him.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the books. It’s almost like you’re reading along with your dad.
Exactly! I wish I’d read it when he was alive so we could have talked about it. I was too intimidated by that book for too long.
I’ve been going through my Dad’s books…it’s enlightening, isn’t it?
It really is. A wonderful way to explore their interests and minds.
Ok, I have some explaining to do. The reason I haven’t been around here lately is my Kindle. Honestly. The horrifying thing is this: I am actually not doing too much reading on the thing, even though is is almost always in my hand. What, you ask, am I doing with it? I AM PLAYING GAMES. Good grief, I now understand what all these American children are addicted to! I have the score of my “Triple Town” memorized. There are Scrabble words swimming around in my brain! And don’t even get me STARTED on “Every Word!” Got to go. Is fertable a word?
You are too funny. I’m going to have to look at Triple Town … haven’t heard of that one!
I can’t read this yet, I’m just about finished a little late but better late than Quit. I shall reserve my comment till then.
No worries. Do it when you can! If you want to skip this week, that is fine too!
The Bear and I have added this to our joint reading list. It’s on there…it just might have to wait a bit. We’re both interested.
I love that you are going to read this together. How romantic! I couldn’t imagine Mr. Jenners reading this with me under any circumstances.
Coming across the passages your Dad marked must be wonderful and make this such a special reading experience.
The nose licking was hilarious – I forgot about that one for my post.
Still enjoying the book immensely and can’t wait to see how the romance progresses.I have a feeling there will be more dramas before ‘happy ever after’ – if there is one.
I know … poor Musashi and Otsu do not have a smooth way to love. And I could see it ending badly without a “fairy tale” ending.
Glad you are still enjoying the book!
How fun that you found photos to go along with this for us! So I guess you’re roughly halfway through?
Yes … about halfway through. I’m at p. 565 of 970!
And it has been fun finding the photos. I wish I’d done that from the start.
I love the fact that your reading your father’s copy of this book with his annotations. That’s so cool! And I love this line:
“Caution was in order; in a case like this, victory is like the moon reflected on a lake. If one jumps for it impulsively, one can drown.”
Wasn’t that a wonderful line? And it has been special to read my dad’s copy of the book. It makes me feel closer to him.
It sounds like this particular section had a lot going on in it. I like the greeting as well, and am curious about the new love affair that has started between Musashi and Otsu. I hope that the next book really delves into that, and of course, that you tell us all about it! I need to read this book!
Things are heating up between Musashi and Otsu … as only things can “heat up” in a Japanese romance. : )
I think it is really cool that you are able to read the book that your father owned and can see the quotes that meant something to him. You are following in his reading footsteps. I wonder what insights you will have when you are all finished?
It was one of the reasons I chose the book … to feel a connection to him. I love that he left me these little things to find along the way.