Editorial Review
It is 1959 when Haruko, a young woman of good family, marries the Crown Prince of Japan, the heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne. She is the first non-aristocratic woman to enter the longest-running, almost hermetically sealed, and mysterious monarchy in the world. Met with cruelty and suspicion by the Empress and her minions, Haruko is controlled at every turn. The only interest the court has in her is her ability to produce an heir. After finally giving birth to a son, Haruko suffers a nervous breakdown and loses her voice. However, determined not to be crushed by the imperial bureaucrats, she perseveres. Thirty years later, now Empress herself, she plays a crucial role in persuading another young woman—a rising star in the foreign ministry—to accept the marriage proposal of her son, the Crown Prince. The consequences are tragic and dramatic.
Told in the voice of Haruko, meticulously researched and superbly imagined, The Commoner is the mesmerizing, moving, and surprising story of a brutally rarified and controlled existence at once hidden and exposed, and of a complex relationship between two isolated women who, despite being visible to all, are truly understood only by each other. With the unerring skill of a master storyteller, John Burnham Schwartz has written his finest novel yet.
Cached date: AWS Called=true
Customer Reviews
Consistent but not memorable 
2008-05-06
The Commoner is a narrative of a woman--a commoner--whose life was trapped within the confines of royalty. At a young age, well-bred and well-educated Haruko was persuaded to marry into the Chrysanthemum Throne. After producing a male heir, Haruko succumbed to a nervous breakdown, the result of the rigorous traditions she was forced to observe. She came back from this depression as a fierce woman whose opinions didn't die in silence. The story ended with Haruko revealing her true self--the young, feisty woman from Shibuya Ward who followed her own will.
Schwartz' novel was smoothly written. The elegiac sensation was consistent from beginning to end. However, after the last page was turned, it seemed that Schwartz only scratched the surface of his characters. The reader was not too deeply engaged in the characters' thoughts, only their actions. Sadly, this is the element that made the novel forgettable. Like water in a stream, it just flowed without making a dent.
romantic, realistic, and refreshingly regal! 
2008-04-22
My royal novel of choice is usually something about the British royal family - so "The Commoner" was a quite a refreshingly regal change for me. And that said - I loved every graceful, delicate word of it. The author's light touch and poignant tone captures the grace and humility of the Japanese imperial culture until you are immersed within the painful intricacies of palace life. Based on Japan's real-life royal family, the book takes you on the journey of two generations of Japanese Crown Princesses (both commoners) and the challenges these brave women face as their royal duty takes over every aspect their lives -- and forces them to question (and to remember) who they were before they became royal. I was often surprised that the author is male as his descriptions of female emotions were strikingly accurate and I was moved to tears several times. If you're tired of reading about Princess Diana and Henry the VIII - but still crave romantic and realistic royal material, this book is for you!
Lovely and enlightening book 2008-04-21
This was a grand book in every sense. The writing was elegant and yet understated. It never got bogged down. As a reader, I appreciate all of these things. I learned so much from this book, so many Japanese customs and traditions of which I was unaware.
I did not realize until after I finished the book that it was based on the current Empress of Japan. I found a great TIME magazine article from 1959, entitled "The Girl from Outside" which gave a lot of background about this "commoner" and the marriage.
I was sorry to have this book end because this kind of writing is so rare. I would heartily recommend it.
If a Prince Proposes Say NO 
2008-04-15
Based upon real people and events, this novel follows the life of Haruko Endo, the commoner of the title, who eventually becomes Empress of Japan. At the beginning we find Haruko a girl of ten, living through the horrors of war time Japan. She is a lively, intelligent daughter of a successful Japanese businesman. As a young woman she meets Shige the Crown Prince who woes her. When Shige proposes her parents at first are opposed to the marriage. But Haruko is in love and her parents relent. After the marriage Haruko is swallowed by Court life and its stultifying traditions. She is surrounded by hostile ladies in waiting, and Shige's mother,the Empress, who is surely the mother in law from hell. Haruko produces the requisite male child, Yansu (only male children can ascend to the throne of Japan). Against her will he is virtually taken away from her, but despite numerous insults to herself by the Imperial Court Haruko never stands up for herself.
The novel then jumps twenty years of so. Yansu is now seeking a wife of his own. He falls in love with Keiko an up and coming career woman, who speaks several languages fluently and is European educated. Keiko spurns his proposals because of her own fears of being swallowed up by the traditions of the Court. Haruko, now Empress herself,intervenes and convinces the young woman to marry her son. History repeats itself. Keiko is engulfed by traditional expectations. Poor Keiko seems unable to produce a child. After years of trying she produces a daughter, unacceptable as progeny to the Court. I will not divulge what happens.
There is much of interest in this novel, particularly the descriptions of the rituals and traditions of Imperial Japan. The story holds one's attention. The problem is the characters are cardboard characters. The tension in Haruko's mind when she must decide whether or not to accept Shige's proposal is never revealed. Nothing is shown of the relationship between Haruko and Shige or Yansu and Keiko. The problem is that it is impossible to bring to life 50 years of history in a mere 300 pages. What we have here is more an outline of a novel, then a fully realized novel. The only thing I could take away from this novel was that if a Prince proposes it is wise to say 'no thank you'.
As moving as it is close to what really happened 2008-04-08
I had no intention of buying any book like this...one that was reviewed as showing the life of the royals in Japan. These types of books always fall way short of showing real Japanese culture. I did not want to read another stereotypical view of Japanese life.
I was surprised and moved to find a book that had come close to giving us the flavor of Japanese culture.
Even if I did not know the story of the real Empress Michiko (in the book, Haruko) this would still be a good, moving story for anyone, but especially so for someone trying to understand the Japanese way. The characters are real and sympathetic. Bravo, Mr. Schwartz...from me..a 34 year long resident of Japan.
A Sense of Duty 
2008-06-27
Like Queen Elizabeth II, this book is based on a sense of duty. However, the two female characters, Haruko and Keiko, were commoners and gave up their educated, modern lives to become part of Japan's royal family. And I'm not sure why they did it.
Haruko was an athletic, bright girl absolutely adored by her father. She was not treated as inferior because she was a female. He was a successful businessman who gave his daughter freedom of choice. Nevertheless, when Haruko decides to accept the proposal from the Prince, her father is accepting but knows that he will never really see her again.
Haruko seems to love her husband but the confines and duties of her new life lead to despondency. Her mother-in-law, the Empress, represents the worst of all mother-in-laws with her constant criticism. This badgering and disapproval enhance her depression. Haruko luckily gives birth to the heir, a son. When it is time for the son to marry, he also falls in love with a modern, creative Japanese woman. Keiko also is persuaded to marry this Crown Prince. I cannot make any sense of why she would accept this future, except out of a sense of duty and a plea from Haruko.
Tragedy follows Keiko and she becomes more depressed and out of touch. She is trapped in the royal life which is the antithesis of her pre-marriage years when she traveled, made decisions and laughed. The end of the book is interesting and there is some triumph for these two commoners. However, it is difficult to grasp that these modern women would dedicate their lives to an ancient tradition.
BORING 
2008-06-24
sixty pages in, and i'm bored out of my mind. i could take another story about a repressed asian woman, just not one that moves as slow as this one. i am putting it down, with some regret, but life's too short!
Engrossing 2008-06-12
I found this novel to be a fascinating look at the life of one Japanese woman, her early life, and the enclosed and constricted world of the royal family. It is very well-written and I found the story engrossing.
Disappointingly FLAT... 2008-06-06
I agree with Japan Reader. I have been trying to complete this book for two months and I am one who can read a book in 3 days if I love it. I have read many novels based on Asian culture- this book never rises off the page. There seems to be a very contrived attempt to make the writing seem very "Japanese": poetic, sparse, elegant. I found that due to this, not one of the characters comes to life or breathes humanity. I am struggling to connect with anyone or even care about any of them. I know the real story well as I did live in Japan for a few years, but this version is so dull and tepid. I'll be lucky if I can finish it and I'll only do it out of duty.
Uncommonly Good 2008-05-12
Schwartz's prose is careful and deliberate, and his depiction of Japanese royalty is just as careful and deliberate. Haruko is a charmingly loveable character, from a little girl to an old lady. Descriptions of post-war Japan were unlike anything I had read before, but certainly did not coast on cheap shock value. For me, the pace was a bit slow--as a reader, I kept waiting for something inject this book with some energy, which never really occured. Nonetheless, this is definetly a novel worth reading. Not astonishing, but very, very good.
