Rashomon the book...

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 14 Jul 2006, 23:29

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/8387 ... oduct.html

LD: you're into samurai fiction and stuff like that... have you read the rashomon tale or other stuff by this writer? Do you know if it's any good?
I saw it in Amsterdam today but it was priced almost 20 euros orso, which is obviously way too much, but at play's price I'm considering it...

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 15 Jul 2006, 00:04

Sorry, mate. Haven't read this. Walked past it quite often in the huge ass bookstore downtown. I like the German cover art.

Have avoided it as I thought that there was only the story in it which Kurosawa has later made into a film. Good to see there are more short stories in it. Means that I'll be getting this one soon.

I recently finished the second volume of "Tales of the Otori". I'm so desperate right now as the German paperback edition of part 3 has not been released, yet and it isn't even announced either. I'm not going to pay 20 Euros for the hard cover edition, especially since I already own the paperback editions of the first two parts, whihc then looks bad on the shelf.

I suppose you like reading books in English as well. I recommend you to get the Otori trilogy from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0330 ... n=52044011

Nice price if you ask me. Read a bit about the story at Amazon.

Well, in the meantime of waiting for part 3, I am currently reading "Shinju" by Laura Joh Roland, a Japanese American author. It is the first case of Sano Ichiro, a police captain, who solves murder cases. She has written loads of novels with this character solving murder cases. It is very different to the usual detective stories, as Sano Ichiro can't just ask questions anywhere he'd like to. As he received his position as a police captain as a favour from a Daimyo who happened to have been a friend of his father, he is bound to obey his wishes. Otherwise he'd bring disgrace over the Ichiro family and they'd get banned from Edo. So how can he solve the first murder case? While a forensic autopsy might have been a daily thing in our society, it was forbidden in Japan at this time as it belonged to foreign (Dutch, Yi) medicine. There is a scene I really like. He stands in front of the corpse that is lying on a table at the mortuary and he orders the doctor to open the corpse in order to check the lungs for water (the man supposedly drowned after he had committed suicide by jumping into the river). He clearly acts against the law and when he finds out that the guy was murdered, he has to prove it without letting people know he has opened the body.

Well, I am on page 100. The book has about 500 pages or so. Quite interesting, especially how Roland describes certain properties of the society and the conditions of work for a police captain from good ol' Samurai Japan.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 15 Jul 2006, 09:17

That Otori box set looks beautiful LD

I already have the first Otori book but not finished it yet, by a long chalk

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 15 Jul 2006, 09:22

Long chalk meaning you only read the first few pages I take it. Finish it. It's one hell of a breathtaking adventurous story.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 15 Jul 2006, 09:47

I've read more than the first few pages, more like the first few chapters

You're right though, I should finish it.

dragonhero005 · Post by **dragonhero005** » 15 Jul 2006, 09:52

I´m currently reading the second part of "The Tales of the Otori". I just started reading it. I really like the stories of Takeo and Kaede - it´s the first time I read a book of this kind. It´s great that there are books with this wuxia-like atmosphere and storytelling.

Unfortunately I had to start with part 2 as they don´t have part one at the library...

But, never mind... I think I´ll still get the story this way.
I´ll take this book with me on my Greece-holiday (starting tomorrow). That´s for sure.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 15 Jul 2006, 10:32

Sounds interesting, LD. But is it really about wushu/martial arts or more about fantasy-powers? Not sure yet if I'll buy it. I DO read (occasionally), but mainly biographies (Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, Cruyff) because those are books you can basically just open up on any page, and enjoy 1 or 2 chapters.
Anyway, I'll think about getting it, maybe read a couple of online reviews etc...

Arent there any books out that deal with stories about Shaolin or the Boxer's Rebellion stuff? And I mean novels, not real life stuff...

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 15 Jul 2006, 11:38

Dragonhero, I bought the second book first as well, as I didn't know there was a first part. I read the first page and noticed that there was a first part to it. Went back to the store and got it as well. You won't be able to fully understand the second book if you haven't read the first one.

Yi, it is not about martial arts and it is not about fantasy. It is a love story and a man and a woman who cliam what belongs to them. And in order to get it back they have to raise to power and fight in many battles.

The best things about the story are the sacrifices the characters are making. The descriptions of Takeo studying art, writing/reading, the art of war etc. take you to a new world. It's very well written, too.