Was Genji based at all off of the protagonist , Genji, in Cloud of Sparrows (extremely obscure book)?
I was thinking randomly about the book (and Autumn Bridge for that matter), and them just thought… Genji’s nickname of Sparrow.
Then that whole thing crossed my mind.
I believe one of the inspirations for Genji was a sushi documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
What? A documentary?
Also, to OP, I keep hearing people say they make connections to that book but I am not sure.
What is it about?
I didn’t know many others knew about it. However, the last time I read it was say 2004, so really hazy memory here. However, I remember being completely sucked into reading both books though (for a person who generally avoids reading).
It’s about a lord (Genji) whose family has had a passed down ability of cryptic visions. The one vision that bothers Genji the most is he sees his own death (events leading to the other book Autumn Bridge), and he’s trying to piece together how it all plays together and well… win as shogun (we’ll just simplify it as win). The visions telling him he has to go to the Cloud of Sparrows castle (the way to win), but there is another significant vision showing a daughter with brown hair (meaning half Japanese) and an odd piece of jewelry belonging to an American missionary at the time he is dying.
Genji accomplishes everything (most notably) with two Americans: a gunslinger out for vengeance (Matthew), and a missionary he has foreseen he marries and has a family with (Emily), a Geisha whose actually a ninja, and his Uncle whose visions led to a very intense and horrifying Ch.1 of the book.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is definitely one huge reference point for the responsibilities of Genji and Hanzo, but I think that’s the start and end of it. Hanzo and Genji’s behavior and situation is based from the brothers/sons of Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
But yeah… Otherwise, it’s Genji… oh, like a Tale of Genji. Just the title of Genji being called Sparrow has nagged at me knowing of the book, Cloud of Sparrows… with the main character named Genji.
I’ve just been more suspicious of Genji being closer related to Cloud of Sparrows vs. The Tale of Genji.
That was interesting to read actually. Thanks for the synopsis fam! It does fit him very much.