The Last Samurai

by Helen DeWitt
The Last Samurai cover
Good Books rating 4.58
Comedy/Humor
Technical:
  • ID: 730
  • Added: 2025-09-19
  • Updated: 2025-09-20
  • ISBN: 9781446424612
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2011-05-31
  • Formats: 23
  • Reviews: 3
Buy online
Waterstones
Paperback • £10.99

Eleven-year-old Ludo is a precocious boy with a voracious appetite for knowledge, having mastered multiple languages by the age of four. Raised by his mother Sibylla, who uses creative methods like showing him Seven Samurai on repeat to provide him with role models, Ludo is determined to find out more about his father, whose identity remains a mystery. /n/nArmed with his wit and curiosity, Ludo embarks on a secret adventure across London, determined to uncover the truth about his father, whom he affectionately refers to as the 'last samurai'. Along the way, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters and navigates the complexities of family, identity, and self-discovery.

Reviews
Reddit - r/literature · 2025-09-19
fantastic 4.50

The book is a hard-to-categorize post-modern masterpiece with significant emotional weight. It stands out for its unique narrative and depth.

The reviewer is overwhelmed by the book's complexity and emotional depth, describing it as a post-modern masterpiece. They appreciate its unique narrative style and the way it blends intellectual rigor with emotional resonance. The reviewer finds the book to be a standout work that defies easy categorization, making it a memorable read.

Quick quotes

    It's such a wonderful hard-to-categorize post-modern masterpiece.

    And it has such emotional weight to it, as opposed to a cold intellectual exercise.

    I too love this book. It's such a wonderful hard-to-categorize post-modern masterpiece.

RRHorton's Blog · 2024-12-18
brilliant 4.50

The novel is very funny and profoundly clever, built on a desperate and at times tragic foundation. It manages to be both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.

The reviewer highlights the novel's unique blend of humor and depth, noting its clever construction and emotional weight. They appreciate how the book balances its intellectual ambitions with a compelling narrative. The reviewer finds the protagonist's journey both tragic and inspiring, making it a memorable read.

Quick quotes

    The Last Samurai is a very funny novel built on a rather desperate, and at time tragic, substrate.

    It is profoundly clever without sacrificing emotional resonance.

    The novel manages to be both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.

The Times Literary Supplement · Lee Konstantinou · 2022-10-14
excellent 4.75

The novel is a multifaceted work that serves as a heist story, ethical treatise, and a send-up of media culture. The character portrait is indelibly memorable.

The reviewer praises the novel's versatility, highlighting its ability to blend multiple genres and themes seamlessly. They are particularly impressed by the character development and the novel's critique of media culture. The reviewer finds the ethical questions raised by the story to be thought-provoking and well-integrated into the narrative.

Quick quotes

    It is a heist story, an ethical treatise, a send-up of media culture, a defence of education and an indelibly memorable character portrait.

    The novel's versatility is one of its greatest strengths.

    The ethical questions raised are thought-provoking and well-integrated.

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