The Revenge of the Forty-Seven Samurai

"Grade 7-12. Jiro, a servant in 18th-century Japan, relates the revenge his master and 46 others take on the man who caused their lord’s death. Along the way, Jiro discovers the secret of his parentage and determines what career he is to follow. Haugaard’s story is long-winded and tediously slow, with numerous digressions, much philosophizing, and annoying repetition. Despite an introductory preface and list of characters, the book is often confusing. Many terms aren’t defined in context, and there is no glossary or pronunciation guide. The bright, intriguing cover and catchy title will probably attract readers, but few will endure past the preliminary chapters. Katherine Paterson does a superior job evoking 18th-century Japan in The Master Puppeteer (Crowell, 1976), which tells of another Jiro, a puppeteer’s apprentice, in a gripping, well-written story." (text taken from Amazon)