The Last Samurai

The Last Samurai (2000) by Helen DeWitt is a book with linguistic complexity, multilingualism, nonlinear narrative, literary and philosophical references, and intellectual exploration. It traces the journey of a child prodigy to find his biological father. The novel explores themes of Intellectual Pursuit and Genius, The Challenges of Parenthood, and The Power of Language and Art to Enrich the Human Experience. The Last Samurai employs a narrative framed by first-person perspectives from the viewpoints of the two central characters, Sibylla and her son Ludo. DeWitt employs the past tense consistently throughout the narrative to evoke a sense of reflection and retrospection.

Helen DeWitt was born in Maryland in 1957. Her most celebrated work, The Last Samurai, exemplifies her unconventional style of blending philosophy, mathematics, and foreign languages into her narratives.

This study guide refers to the 2001 Vintage e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material features depictions of suicide, stigmatizing language about mental illness, and allusions to rape.

Plot Summary

The story begins with an introduction by Sibylla, an American student at Oxford University, who reflects on her father’s intellectual aptitude and his initial hesitation in joining a seminary. Later, her father befriends a man named Buddy and embarks on a venture to establish a chain of motels. Ultimately, he marries Buddy’s sister, Linda.

Sibylla has a strong affinity for classics and a multilingual background. She gets a job offer, enabling her to prolong her stay in Britain. Interspersed with recollections, she shares moments of her son Ludo’s intellectual journey. She think about the prospect of teaching Ludo Japanese in exchange for his reading of classic texts, pondering the elusive nature of genius. As Ludo delves into Homer’s Odyssey, Sibylla engages him in the mastery of complex linguistic, mathematical, and scientific concepts. While Sibylla spends her days digitizing magazines, Ludo frequently pesters her with questions.

The narrative shifts to the past: A young Sibylla encounters a well-known travel writer, Liberace, known as Val Peters, at a party. Despite her initial disdain for his writing, she eventually engages in a romantic encounter that leads to her pregnancy with Ludo.

Over the years, Sibylla repeatedly watches Akira Kurosawa’s epic film Seven Samurai (1954) with Ludo, aiming to impart lessons on masculinity. In a brief interlude, Sibylla’s mother participates in a Juilliard audition but ultimately abandons her aspirations.

The narrative follows Sibylla and Ludo as they ride the Circle Line (a London tube line) during a winter when heating their home becomes financially challenging. Fellow commuters take notice of the dense and diverse books that Ludo reads. Meanwhile, Sibylla grapples with concerns about whether her nurturing of Ludo’s genius might be detrimental. She reads about a pianist named Yamamoto, leading to an evening concert that extends into the early morning hours. A young Ludo, growing tired, walks home alone. After that, Ludo takes center stage through a series of journal entries, narrating his journey of learning Japanese alongside Sibylla while questioning the identity of his father.

As Ludo enters school, his initial concerns about lagging behind his peers are dispelled by his unparalleled intellect, eventually rendering formal education incompatible with his capabilities. Ludo’s quest to discover his father’s identity intensifies. He immerses himself in travel literature and diverse languages in preparation for an anticipated adventure with his unknown father. Eventually, Ludo stumbles upon his mother’s private documents, leading him to the revelation of the writer Liberace’s true identity as Val Peters. He initiates contact with Peters under the guise of being a fan, culminating in a visit that ends in disappointment, leaving their true connection concealed.

Sibylla shares with Ludo a tale of Hugh Carey, an explorer and classicist who once saved a child in China. Inspired by this story and despite his disillusionment with Peters, Ludo contemplates the idea of choosing his own father. He tracks down Carey, falsely claiming to be his son, but eventually admits his deceit, resulting in a heated confrontation. During a chance encounter in a supermarket, Sibylla and Ludo cross paths with a woman who once saved Sibylla’s life during a suicide attempt.

Sibylla and Ludo’s evenings often involve watching George Sorabji, a renowned astronomer, on television. To impress Sorabji, Ludo immerses himself in increasingly intricate mathematical and scientific concepts. He visits Sorabji’s residence and confesses to be his son, but he is met with anger. Eventually, they both apologize to each other and Sorabji offers to write Ludo a recommendation letter for his college admission.

Ludo’s pursuit of finding a perfect father figure continues as he visits a painter, Watkins, who specializes in experimental color explorations. The artist quickly discerns Ludo’s ruse, creating a painting for him with Ludo’s blood and offering insight into its potential value. Ludo’s attention shifts to Mustafa Szegeti, a man known for impersonating authority figures and a passion for bridge. Szegeti initially embraces Ludo’s claim to be his son only to later question it, sparking a discussion about their different views on Seven Samurai.

Lastly, Ludo visits Red Devlin, a daring explorer and travel writer, whom he finds in the midst of a suicide attempt. Ludo feigns being Devlin’s son, and they watch a movie together. Devlin ultimately consumes a lethal quantity of pills, leaving Ludo crying on his cold shoulders for hours. This incident puts an end to Ludo’s search for finding another father.

A musical encounter draws him to a home where he hears the strains of a complex piano composition. Ludo meets the pianist (evidently Yamamoto) and proposes the idea of creating a unique CD, offering a valuable item as an investment. They discuss the possibilities and agree to work together on the project.