Through a glass darkly: Feudal Japan.

[vegetius]

summer grasses
all that remains
of soldiers' dreams
-- Basho

Finished reading the Tales of the Otori trilogy by Liam Hearn. It is fiction inspired by Japanese history and culture, and not set in feudal Japan proper. The first book started strongly, and promised well for the series, but the subsequent books failed of their promise

Comments

[cktraveler]

Interesting. I have the second Otori book, but since I couldn't find the first I haven't touched it.

I found the Sano series interminable -- it was the series I alluded to long ago in my LJ which had an interesting world, an interesting storyline, and horrible, stilted writing. To each their own.

It's Chinese, not Japanese, but if you've never read Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds you absolutely have to. (I may have already told you this.)

[vegetius]

Interesting. I have the second Otori book, but since I couldn't find the first I haven't touched it.

The first book was acceptable, but it does not stand alone. There's not much point in reading it and not finishing the trilogy.

It's Chinese, not Japanese, but if you've never read Barry Hughart's Bridge of Birds you absolutely have to. (I may have already told you this.)

I read both The Story of the Stone and Bridge of Birds a long time ago (about the 90's or so). Have not been able to obtain Eight Skilled Gentlemen. A pity the publisher decided there was no market for the Master Li and Number Ten Ox novels, and so there will be no more forthcoming.

At a later date I might make a similar entry on the Judge Dee mysteries and the Master Li and Number Ten Ox novels, but I've read fewer books set in China than in Japan.