Review Parfume

 

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

by Patrick Süskind, Bima Sudiarto (Translator)

Seorang pembunuh genius,

aroma perawan,

dan parfum terbaik...

Pembunuhan berantai yang misterius. Dua puluh lima gadis perawan tewas mengenaskan. Pakaian beserta rambut dan kulit kepala mereka hilang. Tubuh mereka benar-benar layu, seolah tak pernah hidup sebelumnya. Seakan seluruh daya hidup yang pernah ada telah terisap tak bersisa. Semua pembunuhan identik. Dilakukan dengan amat rapi dan terencana. Masterpiece seorang seniman genius.

Jean-Baptiste Grenouille lahir tanpa bau tubuh namun memiliki indra penciuman yang luar biasa. Ia mampu memilah-milah seluruh bau yang ada. Dari seorang ahli parfum ternama, ia mewarisi seni meramu berbagai minyak dan tumbuhan. Namun kegeniusan Grenouille melampaui itu semua. Setelah “menangkap” aroma seorang perawan cantik, ia terobsesi untuk menciptakan ‘parfum terbaik’ beraroma perawan!

Dituturkan dengan amat brilian, Perfume adalah kisah yang sungguh memikat tentang pembunuhan dan kegeniusan yang menyimpang. Novel bestseller yang eksotis dan sensasional ini membangkitkan rasa penasaran yang menakutkan tentang apa yang terjadi ketika bakat, hasrat, dan kecenderungan seseorang akan bau dan aroma mengubahnya menjadi seorang pembunuh. Membunuh demi ‘parfum terbaik’.

428 halaman

Dastan Book 2006

Maulana: Tegang sampai akhir. Setiap manusia memiliki "wewangian khas". Dalam istilah biologi disebut feromon, sejenis aroma yang mampu memikat lawan jenisnya. Feromon tidak hanya dimiliki manusia, semua jenis hewan juga memiliki. Telebih menjelang musim kawin (baca: birahi), kadar feromon tubuh meningkat drastis. Mungkin basik pemikiran dari pembuatan novel ini ya? :)

Pera: This book say: see the world by smell...its new point of view and its amazing!novel ini keren abiesz...buku ini membuat pembaca membayangkan melihat dunia ceritanya melalui penciuman hidung....hanya saja yang sedikit menggelitik tentang pengertian cinta oleh penulis dalam cerita ini...cinta hanyalah wangi dari 24 gadis cantik????heheheh

Nielam: the cover was quite interesting.i guess that was the main reason why i read this book.

i wonder,do virgins really smell that good?n do pretty girls smell better that the ugly one?

but,if u can control people just by making some fragrance,i'd love to learn chemistry to get that effect.

its a good read though...

recently added:

i just pipping somebody review about this book, and he said, the reason why he read this book was because he loves the movie beyond reason.

and he also said one word to describe the movie is "lush"

i think i better start looking for the movie right away,hohoho...

Rini: This is a story about a man who felt different at first, but finally he embraced it. I admire this man because he is evil in-and out side, since the day his mother gave him birth.. and no fear to show it-he didn't afraid anyone will hate him.He thought and felt that (other) humans are unworthy, lower than him... the thing that i really admire this character is the firmness of his own thought, he didn't give a damn care about what other's talk and think about him. Not like me... sometimes i like to be an ignorance person so i can simplify my life but i just can't.

This book tell a bit strange story but it was not the story itself that so attractive. It has different point of view in describing the place, the scene, the people. Other books would take sight description as the place is beautiful, full of colors, and so on... but, not this book. Perfume use nose to make the story flow..., use smell to describe everything. A very unique book.

Review Of Mice and Men: Sebuah Impian Lennie

Of Mice and Men: Sebuah Impian Lennie

by John Steinbeck

George yang bertubuh kecil dan temannya, Lennie, yang jauh lebih besar dan berotak sangat sederhana, adalah pengelana. Mereka tak punya apa-apa di dunia ini selain diri mereka sendiri dan sebuah impian. Suatu saat nanti mereka ingin punya sebidang tanah di suatu daerah sehingga mereka bisa hidup dengan damai. Mereka mencari pekerjaan di sebuah peternakan di California, di Lembah Salinas, dengan harapan akan tinggal cukup lama di sana dan mengumpulkan uang bersama. Tetapi, Lennie, yang baik hati dan bersifat seperti anak-anak, sering mendapat masalah—tak mampu mengendalikan diri, baik emosi maupun kekuatannya yang luar biasa, sehingga ia menjadi sasaran kekejaman orang lain. Suatu saat ia mendapat masalah besar lagi. Tidak seperti sebelumnya, tampaknya kali ini George tak akan dapat menyelamatkan sahabat sejatinya.

Sepenggal kisah yang sangat mengharukan tentang orang-orang yang kesepian dan sendirian, Of Mice and Men merupakan salah satu buku karya John Steinbeck yang terkenal dan paling populer.

Ufuk Press 2006

Annisa: Setelah ditimbun dari kapan tahun akhirnya kebaca juga buku tipis ini. Buku yang bikin saya kaget dan sedih dengan endingnya. Ngga nyangka kalo buku setipis ini bisa menyebabkan efek sebegitunya. John Steinbeck ternyata ahli membangun emosi dan “panggung” dari ending yang sudah dia siapkan.

Tema besar dari buku kecil ini (menurut saya) adalah rasa kesepian dan persahabatan. Persahabatan antara Lennie, seorang pria berbadan dan bertenaga besar namun bermental seperti anak-anak dan George, seorang pria kecil yang (lumayan) pintar. Rasanya dalam buku tidak ditulis secara eksplisit tentang tahun latar cerita ini. Namun dari sumber-sumber yang saya baca cerita dalam buku ini berlatar ketika Amerika mengalami krisis ekonomi pada tahun 1920an.

George dan Lennie berpindah-pindah kerja dari suatu tempat kerja ke tempat kerja lainnya. Kebanyakan penyebab mereka harus berpindah adalah Lennie yang (secara tidak sengaja) menimbulkan masalah. Lennie adalah lelaki besar bermental anak-anak yang sangat suka mengelus2 hewan peliharaan atau apapun yang menarik minatnya.

Kali terakhir mereka bekerja, mereka harus melarikan diri karena Lennie ingin memegang baju dari seorang perempuan yang menurut Lennie kainnya bagus dan menarik. Perempuan tersebut ketakutan dan menjerit-jerit, karena panik Lennie tidak sengaja memegang tangan perempuan tersebut keras-keras. Lennie pun dituduh berbuat tidak senonoh dan mereka berdua harus kabur untuk menyelamatkan jiwa Lennie dari aksi “main hakim sendiri”.

Cerita dibuka dengan adegan dimana George dan Lennie sedang beristirahat di tepi danau dekat tempat baru dimana mereka akan bekerja. George memaksa Lennie untuk menyerahkan benda yang ada dalam sakunya yang ternyata adalah sebuah tikus mati. Lennie tidak bermaksud untuk membunuh tikus itu, bahkan dia ingin memeliharanya. Namun karena tenaganya yang terlalu kuat, Lennie tidak sengaja membuat tikus tersebut mati.

George marah dengan kelakuan Lennie. Namun pada akhirnya hatinya luluh. Dan saya terharu ketika dengan polos seperti anak kecil Lennie minta George untuk menceritakan ulang mimpi mereka berdua. Mereka berdua bermimpi memiliki sepetak lahan dan rumah lengkap dengan kebun kecil. Mereka juga ingin memelihara binatang seperti sapi, ayam dan spesial pesanan Lennie, mereka harus memelihara kelinci. Lennie sangat ingin memelihara kelinci sampai bisa dibilang nyaris terobsesi.

Sepanjang awal cerita saya terus-terusan mencari ulterior motif kenapa George mau bersusah payah mengurusi dan menjaga Lennie. Memastikan bahwa Lennie tetap aman dan tidak mendapatkan masalah. Tidak ada pertalian darah antara mereka. Mereka dua orang yang simply menjalani hidup berdua. Awalnya pikiran skeptis saya menduga pasti ada penyebab lain, hutang budi atau latar belakang sejarah lain yang menyebabkan Lennie sangat menghormati dan menyayangi George dan George juga sangat perduli dengan Lennie, walau terkadang tidak dipungkiri George pun merasa terbebani. Jawabannya ada dalam quotes ini yang dilontarkan oleh seorang tokoh di ¾ terakhir buku.

“A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you.”

Mereka bersabahat, pure bersahabat karena memiliki seseorang jauh lebih baik dari kesepian sendirian. Tidak perduli seperti apa dan siapa orang itu, jika mereka sudah saling membantu dalam waktu yang begitu lama mereka akan begitu terbiasa satu sama lain dan menerima apa adanya.

Mengingatkan saya teori karangan saya sendiri tentang kaos bekas. Kaos yang sudah lama kita pakai di rumah semakin lama akan semakin nyaman, tidak perduli warnanya semakin pudar atau ada bolong kecil di sana sini, kita akan semakin nyaman memakai kaos tersebut karena sudah sangat terbiasa dengannya. Dan tidak mungkin kita dengan mudahnya membuang rasa nyaman tersebut. Metafora yang saya ciptakan sendiri tentang suatu bentuk hubungan yang ideal.

Anyway, George dan Lennie akhirnya tiba di tempat kerja mereka yang baru. Disana mereka bertemu dengan tokoh-tokoh tambahan yang juga sarat dengan rasa kesepian. Candy, Slim, Curley, Istri Curley dan Crooks.

Saya tidak akan menceritakan kelanjutannya ah. Nanti jadi spoiler. Yang jelas, saya berharap cerita ini memiliki ending yang berbeda. Karena ketika menutup buku saya dilingkupi dengan perasaan sedih dan muram. Seperti menonton film dengan ending yang menyesakkan.

Another great classics story yang simpel, sarat makna dan menurut saya wajib dibaca.

Posting review terakhir di tahun 2011. Mudah-mudahan di tahun 2012 lebih rajin baca dari pada rajin beli buku *lirik timbunan* hehehe..

Cindy: Sebuah kisah yang sangat menyentuh... tapi pada akhirnya, hanya bisa dikatakan, kesabaran manusia ada batasnya???!!

Ace: As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.

Why I Read This

One of my 2012 resolutions is to read more classic literature. However, I’m a bit out of practice (the last ‘classic literature’ I read was in college six years ago), so I wasn’t sure where to start. Goodreads “Quote of the Day” for 02/06/12 was a line from Of Mice and Men. I had a copy sitting on my shelf (it has been there for a couple years), and I figured it was as good a place as any to start.

A small note: I actually have no idea how to review a classic, as this was an entirely different reading experience than I have with my young adult titles. Still, I believe all fiction—regardless of the genre—should be held to the same standards. That said, let’s get this show on the road.

Main Characters

Of Mice and Men follows George Milton and Lennie Small as they try to work up enough money to buy an acre of land they can call their own.

As described in the text, George is “…small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features.” Though George comes off as gruff and impatient with Lennie, he actually has a big heart, and I found him to be very sympathetic. He does what he can with the lot he’s been handed in life, and he doesn’t turn his back on the people who need him, even when it threatens to ruin his life. He’s a strong, loyal character, though he’s certainly not without his flaws.
George’s counterpart, Lennie, is described as “… a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders…” From the moment I met Lennie, I couldn’t help being drawn to him. He has this childlike innocence and naivety that makes him seem very approachable despite his hulking size. He is a kind soul who puts so much trust in others, specifically George, that I found it impossible not to like him.

Supporting Characters

There are two supporting characters who stand out more in my mind than the others: Slim and Candy.

Slim is the unofficial leader of the group. He has a voice that “invites confidence”, and he is kind to others, even when he doesn’t have any connection to them. I really liked Slim’s interactions with George and Lennie.

Candy is a swamper who works with George, Lennie, and Slim. He has big dreams born from unshakeable fears. He is incredibly likable and sympathetic.

A little side note: All through school, everyone called me Candy (the unfortunate nickname derived from Candace), and I have never seen a character by that name in a book before. I never expected that the first time I’d see that name, it would belong to a male character.

Plot

At its core, Of Mice and Men is a tale of two men trying to escape a dark past and make something of themselves in California, but it is the characters who make this story something more than it appears on the surface.

Writing

I have never been fond of written accents, but Steinbeck uses this style well throughout the dialogue, and it never overwhelms the scenes. The pacing is steady, building to a climax that, while suspenseful in its own right, is also a bit predictable. However, the characters and the writing overshadow the predictability.

Rating

It’s difficult to know how to rate a literary classic. Did I enjoy Of Mice and Men? Yes, I read it in one sitting and found myself flipping back to a few scenes. However, I can’t give it five stars because while the writing, characters, and pacing are really wonderful, I wanted more from the story. I want to know what happened after the final scene. Maybe I’m a little story-greedy, but I felt there could have been more. Still, I really enjoyed this story, and I would recommend it to those wanting to try some classic literature.

4 out of 5

Andy: "Crooks, the negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn. On one side of the little room there was a square four-paned window, and on the other, a narrow plank door leading into the barn. Crooks' bunk was a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung. On the wall by the window there were pegs on which hung broken harness in process of being mended; strips of new leather; and under the window itself a little bench for leather-working tools, curved knives and needles and balls of linen thread, and a small hand riveter. On pegs were also pieces of harness, a split collar with the horsehair stuffing sticking out, a broken hame, and a trace chain with its leather covering split. Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and for the horses. There were cans of saddle soap and a drippy can of tar with its paint brush sticking over the edge. And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about, ad being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than the other men, and he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back."
None of this is relevant to the story, and yet a middle chapter opens up with this vivid scene. Steinbeck succeeds because the characters he paints in your head are exact. The first time I saw the movie that was made out of this story, it was just as I had envisioned it. Though the story great itself, the reason I will come back to this book is for the little things, the very things that have made me love Steinbeck so much.

I first read Of Mice And Men my sophomore year of high school, when it was a required reading in Mrs. Beeler's class. I recall disliking almost all required school readings up to this point (though admittedly I had skipped out on the summer reading project of "The Grapes Of Wrath"). When this book was assigned, I knew it was different. I blew through it, reading it in a day or two, even though I wasn't supposed to. For once there was a school book that I enjoyed. And all the credit in the world to my teacher, who chose other good books the rest of the year. So it's been 6-7 years since I've read this, and now, reading it for the second time, it's just as memorable as I remember. The story sticks with you, the imagery sticks. The characters are among Steinbeck's best, painted in such a crystal clear vision of the time.

It's a near perfect short story, and one that I will surely revisit throughout my life.

K.D: This is my 2nd novel by John Steinbeck and I am not disappointed. I normally first read the said known masterpiece of an certain author before reading his or her other works. I got disappointed twice already: Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse which I enjoyed tremendously but when I read her Mrs. Dalloway, it was just not the same. Few years back, that also happened with Sebastian Faulks and his Birdsong. His other novels are just not at par with his masterpiece.
With Mr. Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men is definitely at par with The Grapes of Wrath. What makes this interesting is that this was written a couple of years ahead than Grapes, but it has the same strengths: gripping, poignant and sad. The setting is still the same: the Great Depression in California during the 1920's. The characters are also poor and marginalized. The only new character, which provides the difference here, is the nutty Lennie Small. But oh boy, what a big impact this dude brought to the plot.

I am not sure about who among the two main characters, Lennie Small and George Milton, is mouse and man. The descriptions at the start of the novel do not perfectly fit into the physical characteristics of man and mouse. Lennie is big (man) but with paws (mouse) but George is small (mouse) but strong hands (man). If Wikipedia is correct, the original title of the novel was Something That Happened until Mr. Steinbeck read a Burns poem.

I also did not see the series of killings that Lennie did would eventually result to killing a human being. He killed a mouse, then a puppy. He had not killed a rabbit yet when he accidentally killed a human being.

I did not like the talking rabbit towards the end of the story. Those dialogues could just have been mouthed by Lennie's Aunt Clara.

But the killing scene in the end is just brilliant. It is one of the most sad scenes in any modern classic novels I've read so far. It is disturbing but beautifully written. One that will stay in my mind for a long, long time.

Kudos to Mr. Steinbeck for another brilliant novel. Mr. Steinbeck, I am your big, big fan!

Review The Lone Samurai

The Lone Samurai: Kehidupan Miyamoto Musashi

by William Scott Wilson

The Lone Samurai adalah biografi monumental Miyamoto Musashi, tokoh Jepang legendaris yang termasyhur di seluruh dunia sebagai master pedang, pencari kesempurnaan spiritual, dan penulis Kitab Lima Lingkaran. Gambaran memukau seorang pemberani bertekad baja muncul di halaman-halaman buku ini. Dengan pengamatan yang penuh bela rasa namun kritis, William Scott Wilson menyelami alam pikiran Musashi ketika sang samurai radikal bergulat dengan gagasan-gagasan filosofis dan spiritual yang tetap relevan sampai sekarang. The Lone Samurai bukan sekadar gambaran hidup sebuah periode menakjubkan dalam era feodal Jepang. Buku ini merupakan kisah pencarian satu orang akan jalan yang benar dalam hidup, dan ganjaran yang akhirnya ia peroleh.

Gramedia Pustaka Utama 2006

Chris: The book the Lone Samurai is about the life of Miyamoto Musashi. The author William Scott Wilson wrote this because he wanted to get a better understanding of the man behind the legend. Which in my opinion the author gives get information of Musashi’s that most do not know.

Musashi is a legend in Japanese history because he is considered the greatest samurai of his time period from about the late sixteenth century to the early seventeenth century. Unlike most samurai of legend Mushashi is a “ronin,” or a masterless samurai. How you became a ronin was your clan was either destroyed by a rival, while you survived, or you were banished from the clan because of disrespect, or because of crimes. Ronin tend to be trouble makers for other samurai clans due to their tendencies to duel great samurai. This is done so that they may be noticed, and possibly assimilated into a clan as an instructor. However didn’t seem to be interested in joining a single clan, although he did favor some clans when going to war.

Musashi was unlike most samurai in the period. Most samurai wore very flashy or nice formal garment with clean hair and skin showing their dominance through wealth. Musashi was described as unkempt, and tended to take baths when he felt like it, and yet he always won. More importantly than his looks; it was his mind set that set him apart from other samurai. Durring many of his duels he would show up late, but not five or ten minutes late; he would show up two to four hour late. Why did he do this? He did this to mess with his opponent’s mind which would lead him to victory. Another thing he would do was use an weapon that was on hand, and in some cases he would use a wooden sword against his opponents.

During his many duels; he never truly lost to any opponent no matter how skilled the opponent he used a mixture of strategy and wit to fight his foes. By doing this he became a legend among Japanese history. If you wish to learn more of the man behind the legend read the Lone Samurai, and you will see the life of Musashi unfold; from his first duel to his last duel; to the writing of his famous book “the book of five rings,” as well as the battles he went through. You will know the life of the arguably greatest warrior of all time.

Halfino: Jadi, ternyata ada dua Musashi: yang historis dan yang fiksi. Musashi fiksi yang banyak dikenal adalah versi Eiji Yoshikawa, yang membangun kembali figur Musashi dengan pemahaman akan aneka latar kehidupan dan filosofi jawara pedang ini, sekaligus mengaitkannya dengan nilai-nilai budaya Jepang. Luar biasa.

Dalam buku ini juga ditampilkan beberapa lukisan tinta dan kaligrafi Musashi yang sangat impresif, juga patung kayu ukirannya. Ini makin menegaskan filosofi Musashi: jalan pedang adalah jalan kehidupan.

Mariana: A very interesting character, a skilled, undefeated warrior and a gifted artist at the same time. The book takes you to a different time - 17th century Japan - and follows the life of Miyamoto Musashi from the time he left home until his death. The author also talks about Musashi's book - "The Book of Five Rings".

Josh: The lone Samurai is based on the life of Miyamoto Musashi. It is a pieced together of scrolls and written accounts of his life as a swordsman, artist, zen master, budist priest, and hermit. Great book! I plan on passing it off to a few friends to read and recommend it for everyone.

Grayson: This is the biography of Miamoto Musashi; the greatest Samurai that ever lived. He was an artist, warrior, and poet. Even if this is not in your related interests, everyone will be astonished by the life this man lead.

Reuben: If you like Japanese history, philosophy in action, and reading a true life story of a legend, then this is a good book. This man was amazing and whose impact is still felt today in Japan and the modern world.

Rahmat: Musashi is one of the great martial artist, philosopher, performed-artist, painter etc. His Zen's influences on his arts is amazing and very meaningful for application in life. Nice book for collections.

Ray: Miyamoto Mushashi, Japanese kensai (sword-saint), definitely one of the greatest swordsmen of all time. During his first 30 or so years, he fought in over 60 duels, loosing none. He also took part in 4 major battles. In his later years he took up painting, sculpting, even writing (his classic The Book Of Five Rings is still in wide use today). He eventually died in his 60s of old age.

But perhaps the most impressive fact is that he did this all as a masterless, wandering swordsman (shugyosha). In medieval Japan, with it's rigid social structure, Musashi managed to live his entire life as a free man, occasionally accepting guest status under a lord but nothing more.

The author (who is the one responsible for translating Hagakure into English) not only tells the tale of Miyamoto Musashi, but takes time to tell the other side when there are alternate accounts of the same event. He also goes into great detail on the artists and monks that Musashi met during his lifetime, and speculates on meetings that probably happened but were not documented.

As an added bonus, the book also includes an extensive chapter on dramatic work about the life of Musashi, not just films but Kabuki theater and the like.

Cahyo: Salah satu biografi terakhir yg gue baca - dan akan sangat gue sarankan; the Lone Samurai - Miyamoto Musashi, karya Wilson. Bahasanya sgt bagus (terjemahannya jg), strukturnya menarik, ulasannya detil, tp nggak kehilangan kejelasan nya maupun juga tdk terjebak mjd bertele2. Buku tsb juga tidak terjebak ke salah satu sisi; tdk memuji2, tetapi juga tidak mencaci-maki. Akan sgt disarankan bila elo terlebih dahulu sudah baca novel nya Eiji Yoshikawa yg segede bantal itu (tapi udah gue baca ulang 20x, hanya dalam waktu 3 tahun, hehe.. My most fave book ever; pertama baca dlm bentuk serial di majalah Hai th 80-an.. Bener nggak sih?).

Tak dapat disangkal betapa besar nya pengaruh Miyamoto Musashi dlm membentuk jiwa bangsa Jepang modern spt saat ini, dan bahkan pengaruhnya pun juga terasa di dunia Barat. Musashi lah, tokoh sejarah satu2nya di seluruh dunia yg seolah tak pernah habis diceritakan dan diceritakan ulang; tentunya semua dg versi masing2 dan mnrt kepentingan sendiri2. Tak jarang masing2 cerita tsb bertabrakan dg seru nya, atau bahkan menggambarkan Musashi scr ngawur - baik dari segi sifat, penggambaran suatu kejadian, maupun lokasi & waktu kejadian. Tetapi dari kesemua versi tsb, tiba2 Yoshikawa Eiji menyodok dg novel Musashi, yg pertama kali diterbikan sbg cerita serial pada sebuah surat kabar Jepang terkemuka.

Semangat Musashi digambarkan dg baik saat nama nya dipilih sbg nama salah satu dari 2 (dua) kapal tempur (battleship) terbesar di Jepang, dan bahkan terbesar di dunia, yg dibangun & diluncurkan menjelang berakhirnya Perang Pasifik. Nama kapal lain nya adalah 'Yamato', yg merp nama kuno Jepang (mungkin spt nama 'Nusantara' utk menunjuk Indonesia). Dari situ dapat terlihat cerminan semangat, harapan, dan pertaruhan bangsa Jepang menjelang saat2 yg sangat menentukan tsb.

FYI, saking menariknya novel tsb, sebagian besar dari kita secara tidak sadar lantas menerima nya sbg suatu kebenaran; sbg sosok Musashi yg sebenarnya! Hal tsb dapat dimengerti karena adanya kebutuhan mendasar kita yg scr psikologis merindukan sosok yg spt kita. Sosok pejuang sejati pencari kebenaran; yg tdk dapat diikat dg kenikmatan, kemewahan, dan kepalsuan duniawi. Sosok yg tegar, jujur, independen, dan gaung nya yg sayup terasa romantis.

Sosok yg karena kemampuannya bersosialisasi dan berdiplomasi dapat berada di mana2, tetapi sekaligus juga tidak berada di mana2. Sosok yg dapat bergaul & diterima oleh semua kalangan; di zaman yg masih mengandalkan pada perbedaan kelas.

Utk pertanyaan, "...Apa sebagus buku musashinya eiji yoshikawa?..". Jawabannya; keduanya JELAS tidak bisa diperbandingkan. Karena hukum dasar perbandingan adalah harus "apple-to-apple"; alias hrs membandingkan hal yg sama persis. Sementara buku Wilson merp BIOGRAFI sedangkan buku Yoshikawa Eiji jelas2 merp NOVEL, walaupun berlandaskan sejarah, dan dapat dipertanggungjawabkan. Bila kita tela'ah lebih mendalam, akan segera terlihat bhw banyak kasus, atau bahkan sosok, di dalam novel tsb yg ternyata FIKTIF; guna lebih 'menghidupkan' jalan cerita.

Akan tetapi, nah ini dia yg menarik; Yoshikawa Eiji menciptakan tokoh2 fiktif tsb dg pertimbangan teliti, dengan cara membuat personifikasi atas unsur2 dasar dlm kehidupan manusia, maupun berdasarkan prinsip2 Jalan Pedang Musashi. Hal ini dimaksudkan guna mengisi 'bolong-bolong' yg terdapat pada diri Musashi sbg catatan sejarah. Contoh gamblang dapat segera terlihat; Matahachi (karib Musashi) merp perwakilan sifat malas & gampang menyerah, ibu Matahachi merp perwakilan sifat dengki, iri hati, dan kebencian yg membabi-buta, Oetsu merp perwakilan cinta kasih, kepercayaan, kesetiaan, dan ketulusan.. dsb.

Kesemua hal tsb, yg digambarkan scr implisit di dlm novel Yoshikawa Eiji, sebaliknya disebutkan secara sangat eksplisit dalam biografi Wilson, yg didukung dg penelitian sangat intensif dg menggunakan berbagai sumber otentik ttg diri Sang Maestro. Dengan pengamatan yg penuh perhatian tapi tetap kritis, Wilson mencoba menelaah pikiran Musashi sbg seorang samura legendaris dg berbagai ide filosofis dan spiritual, yg masih sgt relevan hingga hari ini, sbgmn relevan pada zaman nya dahulu. Musashi menemukan kedamaian dan kebahagiaan sprititual dalam upaya pencarian cara utk menyempurnakan Jalan Pedang yg dipilihnya, dan akhirnya menyadari bahwa apapun Jalan yg kita pilij utk kita tempuh, pastilah akan menuju pada kesempurnaan.

The Lone Samurai bukan hanya sekedar cerita ttg zaman feodalisme Jepang; biografi tsb jg menceritakan ttg kisah seorang manusia dlm perjalanannya utk mencari jawaban, kesempurnaan, dan 'Jalan' itu sendiri..

Fakta lain yg diungkapkan dlm biografi tsb adalah bhw Musashi tdk pernah mandi selama hidup nya, kecuali hanya membasuhkan handuk dingin ke sekujur tubuh & wajahnya. Dengan demikian, salah satu adegan yg terjadi dalam novel Musashi, di mana beliau masuk & bertahan di bawah curahan ber-ton2 arus deras air terjun (setelah seorang diri membantai puluhan samurai Klan Yoshioka yg terkenal), sedangkan Oetsu terpuruk di tepian karena cinta, tampaknya tidak pernah terjadi --> pdhl ini salah satu adegan terkuat & paling emosional dlm novel yg sangat gue sukai itu..sayang sekali..hiks..:p

Ada bbrp fakta menarik lainnya dlm biografi tsb; terutama yg paling menarik adalah kehidupan Sang Maestro stlh 'duel Pulau Ganryu' melawan Sasaki Kojiro. Duel itu sendiri merp duel satu lawan satu yg paling terkenal dlm kehidupan Musashi, yg lantas merubah jalan hidup nya, dan kelak akan sangat mempengaruhi sejarah bangsa Jepang selama bbrp ratus tahun berikutnya.

Kemudian fakta2 menarik lain ttg kehidupan 'keluarga' Musashi (beliau mengangkat bbrp murid mjd anak nya; salah satu nya, Miyamoto Iori), ttg kebebasannya dan keluasan pergaulannya (termasuk dg kalangan bangsawan & penyair/seniman terkemuka saat itu), dan ttg betapa sbnr nya Musashi juga terkenal dlm banyak bidang lain di luar perkelahian dg pedang - yaitu sbg pemahat, pelukis, seniman minum teh, seniman kaligrafi, pelempar pisau ulung, arsitek pertamanan, ahli strategi, ahli tata kota (planologi), dsb.

Btw, dari buku itu, gue tertarik utk eksplorasi lbh jauh dg cara beli buku sampingannya - yg saling melengkapi & banyak sekali disebut2 dalam pembahasan buku biografi tsb (kmrn, beli di amazon jg);

The Unfettered Mind - Takuan Soho
(pendeta Zen pengembara yg mjd guru spiritual nya Musashi, dan pencipta 'Acar Takuan' yg hingga skrg msh mjd makanan pendamping wajib di Jepang). Buku tsb disebut2 sbg saling melengkapi dg The Books of Five Rings. Dan tentunya..

The Books of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi
kitab ke-3 & terakhir karya Musashi, yg diselesaikan hanya bbrp saat sblm beliau wafat. Berisi konsep Jalan Pedang yg diyakini & diamalkannya, strategi tempur, dan pedoman2 lain. Sejak terbit hingga skrg luas dibaca di barat & seantero dunia sbg Buku Strategi Manajemen yg mumpuni; bersaing dg Kitab Perang Sun Tzu. Hanya saja perlu diingat, bhw kitab Musashi yg fenomenal tsb tnyt tidak berisi ttg metode2 "How To", tetapi utama nya berisikan konsep2 pengendalian diri yg adiluhung, di mana keahlian kita telah berkembang sedemikian rupa hingga telah mjd bagian dari diri kita & kesadaran kita sendiri, yang bersatu mjd 'kehampaan'. Atau disebut juga 'Konsep Bergeming' (terjemahan Gramedia dlm 'the Lone Samurai' yg mnrt gue agak kurang pas) - bergerak tapi tidak bergerak, berpikir tapi tidak berpikir. Singkatnya (penafsiran pribadi gue) mungkin dapat disebut sbg 'Just Do It', jangan kebanyakan pikir2 nanti gimana.

Hints: mungkinkan pengarang buku laris "Blink" terpengaruh oleh konsep Musashi tsb? Setahu gue, the Unfettered Mind blm diterjemahkan (adakah rekan yg tahu barangkali ada penerbit yg merencanakan penerjemahan buku tsb?). Sedangkan the Books of Five Rings pernah gue beli terjemahannya 3 th lalu (Kitab Lima Cincin) di toko buku Newsstand, Pasar Festival, Kuningan. Sayangnya, buku tsb skrg sulit dicari; mungkin karena diedarkan oleh penerbit kecil dg modal kecil pula (3,000 exp only?). Sayangnya lagi, buku tsb terlihat jelas HANYA merp ringkasan kasar dari pikiran2 Musashi, dan ternyata merp terjemahan dari Thomas Clearly, dan bukannya Wilson. Kelebihannya, buku tsb juga memuat buku "Sejarah Keluarga" karangan Yagyu Munenori. Kitab tsb sendiri merp pusaka keluarga Daimyo besar & terkenal Klan Munenori; yg merp pendekar pedang dg gaya pedang tersendiri. Selain berisikan metode pedang, kitab tsb juga berisikan berbagai hal lain yg tak kalah menariknya.

Lebih jauh, sbnrnya sih, Clearly juga merp seorang penerjemah karya2 Jepang (dan Timur) yg cukup terkenal. Tapi spt nya cara penulisan (dan pemahaman) Wilson jauh lbh menarik; just a though. Faktanya; Wilson merp penerjemah edisi bhs Inggris novel-nya Yoshikawa Eiji.

FYI, adapun the Books of Five Rings diterbitkan dlm bhs Inggris baik oleh Clearly maupun Wilson. Tetapi pilihan gue tentu tetap pada Wilson (karena alasan2 di atas). Dan walaupun gue udah punya edisi Clearly versi bahasa Indonesia yg ringkas itu, kmrn gue tetap beli edisi Wilson versi bhs Inggris. Mudah2an akan jauh lebih berguna..:p