[Erfael]

OKAY....I'm here. Busy month thus far, but things are calming and I am returning to the land of reading.

I enjoyed this one quite a lot. I liked that it was fairly short and simply stated. The characters at times seemed a little spare in description, but I felt that that fit well with the general feel of the book. I didn't feel that they were thin characters, just hinted at, like a delicate green tea--doesn't hit you full on, just gives you the essence of what is there.


For a while through this one I was a bit put off. I kept thinking to myself, "How can we have a medieval-Japan inspired book with no Go?"

I was pleased to see that Hearn kept go out of the book until she could use it for a little foreshadowing of what was happening to Lord Otori. I thought the tribe was treated in a very Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon way that was generally very subtle but well done.

I don't know much of the history of Japan during that period (haven't gotten that far east yet in my personal medieval studies), but I had similar thoughts about whether the Hidden may by representative of Christianity. As things settle in my head, I'll probably come back with a few more thoughts, but for now I'll leave with a shameless plug for go:
***************************************

If anyone is interested in strategic board games (chess, checkers, shogi, xiang-qui) or if you think you might be, you may be interested in learning go if you don't already know about it. The rules are super-simple(far simpler than any form of chess). The game is endlessly elegant.

I found the game a few years back in a game store and started studying it in earnest about 6 months ago. Previous to that I had been an avid chess player. Since learning go, I haven't looked back.

In addition to spreading music to children, I have now also made it a mission in life to try to spread the game of go to as many people as I can in hopes that at least some of them will pick it up and spread it further.

For a brief and simple introduction to the game, I would refer anyone who is interested to Go Interactive Tutorial (http://playgo.to/interactive) . If any of you are further interested, I would be happy to teach you anything that I know(completely free) through the Kiseido Go Server(KGS) online where I am also erfael. Please PM me if you are interested.

[Lani]

Well, I read mine in hardback published by Riverhead books and it did not have any excerpts from the next book in it, but I sort of wish it did. Well, I'll just have to wait till the next book's out.

As for KD, personally, it did not feel like a trick to me. After all it said that all the houses had their own appearance, so everyone in one house looked similar. In such sircumstances any deviation seems a flaw, so I wouldn't find it so unbelievable. I guess I take the author's word for things unless it really feels unrealistic and this certainly didn't.

[Nimea]

Mmh, how interesting. I always thought Go to be a Chinese game . . . at least its origins lay there, don't they?
So I never thought Japan - Go! ;)

FicusFan, I got the UK mass market paperback by Picador and it has the first chapter of the next book in it. I did not read it in depth but skimmed it. But I am interested in what you have to say about it . . .

[Erfael]

Go originated in China(Wei'chi) somewhere around 4,000 years ago, then moved to Korea(Baduk, Paduk) and Japan(Igo). It became most popular in Japan as it was government sponsored with rival houses competing for a government Director of Go office and annual games played in front of the Shogun at the castle in the capital city. The Golden Age of Go took place in Japan (dates, dates, so many dates in my head)--I want to say 1500 though mid 1800s.

I can give better info in the daytime when the lights are on and I can reference my books if you're interested. Erf.

[FicusFan]

Originally posted by Lani
Well, I read mine in hardback published by Riverhead books and it did not have any excerpts from the next book in it, but I sort of wish it did. Well, I'll just have to wait till the next book's out.


Well you can also stop in the nearest bookstore the next time you are near, and find the TP and read the chapter in the store. It is only 1 or 2 chapters, and not real long.

Originally posted by Lani

As for KD, personally, it did not feel like a trick to me. After all it said that all the houses had their own appearance, so everyone in one house looked similar. In such sircumstances any deviation seems a flaw, so I wouldn't find it so unbelievable. I guess I take the author's word for things unless it really feels unrealistic and this certainly didn't.

I have been thinking about this point and I suspect that if JC had done more foreshadowing of it, then I would have been ok with it. You know some others in the NightWorld thinking about it, and maybe consulting their texts, or their records. JC still could have had her sold to an outsider, cause those in the world were not quick enough to find anything, but I would have felt less pissed about it.

Gee maybe we should suggest Kushiel's Dart for the next read (September ?)

[FicusFan]

Originally posted by Nimea
FicusFan, I got the UK mass market paperback by Picador and it has the first chapter of the next book in it. I did not read it in depth but skimmed it. But I am interested in what you have to say about it . . .

Ok I will try not to give too much away.

The start of the next book seems to focus on Kaede. She is now orphaned, yet a great property owner (her father's estate) and Lady Murayami's (Otori's lady love) estate too. But she is still young, and still a girl in a culture that thinks of females as property. Some man/men, I forget who, try to bully her with the idea of forcing her into marriage, so the man can get his hands on her fortune/property. She stands up to the man/men and very well too. Almost like someone who has nothing left to lose. She really seems to gather strength from her experiences in book 1 (instead of being weak and soppy because of everyone dying and Taeko leaving her). But her strength is believable, she isn't Wonder Woman suddenly, and she is sad for all she has lost.

But anyway it suddenly came to me that she seemed a much more real and deep character than Taeko, and I was wondering if the POV of the next book, and maybe the rest of the series would switch from mostly Taeko, to mostly Kaede ? I am sure we will get chapters from him, but Kaede seems to be growing into the story more. Would that seem to be a cheat if he went off with the Tribe, and we only saw him when he came to visit Kaede (or kill people near her), and we never really got inside the Tribe ? So those were my thoughts/questions. :)

[Lani]

Originally posted by FicusFan

Gee maybe we should suggest Kushiel's Dart for the next read (September ?)

That would be pretty interesting, but I'm afraid that it will not go through because
a. it's part of the series
b. many people are sensitive to sex explicit scenes and KD definitely has some sensitive material in it.

[FicusFan]

Originally posted by Lani


That would be pretty interesting, but I'm afraid that it will not go through because
a. it's part of the series
b. many people are sensitive to sex explicit scenes and KD definitely has some sensitive material in it.

Well I may still suggest it anyway. Everything is part of a series, so long as you start at the beginning I don't see the problem. Seriously the only book we seem to have read in the Book Club that isn't part of a series is this month's Feist book.

I must have read a different version, cause there was nothing explicit in the book. It was very suggestive, but it was strictly mainstream in terms of sex, nudity, and even S&M/bondage. In fact JD even put clothes on Phedre in the scene she lifted from The Story of O.

However, I can understand that people may not want to deal with even the suggestions - but then they can vote against it.
:)

[Eventine]

I've just finished up this book (only 4 months behind).

I though it was an OK, light read. I'm amazed more people haven't commented on the fact this seems to be written as a young adult novel - maybe that's why Caldazar found it a bit lightweight? There's several reasons I picked this up:
The "accessible" prose - it's not overly flowery or heavy.
The teenage protagonists - a common trait in YA novels.
And several turns of the story, you know, boy and girl meet and fall instantly in lovfe, boy discovers hidden powers.

Having said that, I thought there were some interesting departures - the level of violence (both physical and emotional), some of the plot turns (not your standard fairy tale) and most obviously the setting.

Regarding the taking pleasure with boys:
I took it to be a cultural thing and just went along with it. I seem to recall a similar thing early on in Ash that had little if no bearing on the rest of the story.

I'll pick up the Grass for his Pillow when it comes out with the expectation of it being a quick, light, yet well written read.

[Eventine]

Also -
I didn't realise Lian Hearn was an Australian author until I read the acknowledgements at the end. Go you Aussie authors!