Romanian audiobook platform Voxa launches James Clavell’s Shogun audiobook

Romanian audiobook and e-book platform Voxa announced that it launched Shogun for the first time in Romanian audiobook format. The book was recently adapted for television and brought once more to the cultural fore.

Shogun is a captivating saga about war, passion, and power in feudal Japan during the 1600s.

The first part of the audiobook was released on July 17, with the second part to follow on August 13, in the narration of actor Șerban Pavlu.

Shogun follows the story of the English navigator John Blackthorne, the first Westerner to reach Japan at the beginning of the 17th century. It quickly became an international bestseller and was adapted into a very popular TV miniseries in the '80s, which significantly contributed to the increased interest in the book and Japanese culture.

The Shogun franchise saw a spectacular rise in popularity after the release of the Disney series in 2024. The series brought James Clavell's book to the attention of a new generation of fans, and its global audience of over 120 million viewers solidified its place in popular culture.

The novel Shogun, first published in 1975, quickly became an international bestseller, which significantly contributed to the increased interest in the book and Japanese culture.

"In high school, the book Shogun was extremely popular and used to circulate among classmates. We even read it during classes. It was a real pleasure to reread this fascinating story and delve into the universe of Japanese culture for the recordings,” Șerban Pavlu declared.

“We loved the script from the beginning, and Șerban Pavlu perfectly embodied the character. He is an extraordinary actor with whom we had great chemistry throughout the filming. We are convinced that those who listen to the audiobook will definitely feel the book's atmosphere very well in his narration,” said Laura Karaman, a costume designer and coordinator of the HaramichiRo group.

The launch of the Shogun audiobook in Romanian will offer readers additional details about the characters' universe and new perspectives on the story, as well as a unique opportunity to rediscover this literary masterpiece. Voxa plans to release the entire Asia saga in audio format by the end of this year.

(Photo source: Voxa)