An Author's Own Drama

I had bought The Last Samurai by Helen Dewitt a couple of months back but had not the time to read it (story of my life). When I first spotted it, I'd thought it was, you know, the basis of the movie of the same name starring Tom Cruise.

But I picked it up anyway and was a little surprised that it had nothing to do with the movie. Yet I was intrigued by the synopsis and decided to buy it anyway. Imagine my surprise when I read the following news item last week:

'Last Samurai' Author DeWitt Reported Missing in NY
Wed May 26, 11:09 AM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Helen DeWitt, author of the acclaimed novel "The Last Samurai," was reported missing near her home in Staten Island, police said on Wednesday.

DeWitt, 46, was last seen on Tuesday morning, police said, asking for help in finding the author, whom they described as having blond hair and weighing 130 pounds.

Her critically acclaimed debut novel "The Last Samurai," which is unrelated to Tom Cruise's latest movie of the same name, tells the story of a single mother and her son, Ludo, who reads ancient Greek at age 4 and obsessively watches the classic Japanese film "The Seven Samurai." (Read more here.)

I followed the story with some interest and was glad to learn that she was finally found.

Now I can't wait to read the book.

[Note: For the record, Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai is inspired by the life of Saigo Takamori, one of Japan's most celebrated warriors. His life is documented in The Nobility of Failure by Ivan Morris and of course, The Last Samurai : The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori by Mark Ravina. Also for the record, I'm no big fan of The Cruiser.]