Grass for His Pillow

Tales of the Otori, Book Two

By: Lian Hearn

Narrated by: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Book II of the internationally best-selling Tales of the Otori trilogy, a sweeping saga set in a mythical, medieval Japan.

In Book I of the Otori trilogy, Across the Nightingale Floor, Lian Hearn created a wholly original, fully-realized fantasy world where great powers clashed and young love dawned against a dazzling and mystical landscape. Nightingale was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, one of Book magazine's best novels of the year, and one of School Library Journal's Best Adult Books for High School Readers.

In this second tale, we return to the story of Takeo (the young orphan taken up by the Otori Lord and now a closely held member of the Tribe) and his beloved Shirakawa Kaede, heir to the Maruyama, who must find a way to unify the domain she has inherited. In a complex social hierarchy, amid dissembling clans and fractured alliances, there is no place for passionate love. Yet Takeo and Kaede, drawing on their unusual talents and hidden strengths, find ways both to nurture their intense personal bond and to honor the best interests of their people.

Like its predecessor, Grass for His Pillow is a transcendent work of storytelling: epic in scope, shimmering with imagination, and graced in equal measure with rapturous writing and exhilarating action.

Don't miss the rest of the Tales of the Otori series.

©2003 Lian Hearn (P)2003 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"With quick, direct sentences like brushstrokes on a Japanese scroll, [Hearn] suggests vast and mysterious landscapes full of both menace and wonder." (Publishers Weekly)
"Lian Hearn has created a world I anticipate returning to with pleasure." (The New York Times Book Review)

Beautifully read

I could listen to their voices all night. The story takes us to another world and keeps us there, spellbound.

This is excellent material

This is an wonderful account of early oriental culture. It is written with breath-taking characters and an exciting story line. The story is nararated from both male and female view points which keeps the story intriguing.

Couldn't stop listening!

I couldn't stop listening and even drove around my neighborhood many times more than necessary to prolong my drive - then found myself hurrying inside to plug into my earphones! Great characters - very well-developed, well-paced, great drama and action scenes and the love in the book is sweet, not syrupy and "sacrifice all for love" or anything. A truly remarkable book that I definitely recommend.

good sequel

good story, not as exciting as first in trilogy. Narrator's voices are very soothing and do a wonderful job of keeping the pace of the story. It makes listening very natural and easy to do. I will definitely finish the trilogy!

better story

this book was even better than the first story. but you had to have heard the nightgale story first. the details and story line was fabulous. i was so captivated by this story, i listened to parts over and over before progressing forward. i felt in love with the two main characters of the book.

History/Fantasy....I'm not sure

What a great listen. I thought the narrators did an excellent job of bringing the listener in and keeping them in suspence. Who knew about the hidden? Who knew about the Otori. Brutal, gentle and emotional all at the same time.

I feel like I could have just skipped this book...

There were a few powerful events in this book but honestly I spent most of the time just waiting for it to end. The first book was really good, this one seemed to have been just a bridge to take you to book three.

Very slow, with only a few moments of exciting parts - the author spends most of the pages delving through the unspoken thoughts of the two main characters: Takeo and Kaede and the wrestling of their psyche against inner demons.

Good book. First one was better

I liked this book, but liked the first one better. The story seemed to drone on in some spots but is still very good all the same. I'm also not a huge fan of the female reader--she is too measured (slow) for my tastes. But this is still a really good book by all rights.

I'm really looking forward for the third one in the trilogy to come out!

Very Good Story. Great Narration

If you have an interest in medieval Japan this is a very interesting book. The main characters are a man and a woman whose 2 lives intertwine but only with difficulty because of class structure.
each chapter is either the male or female's point of view each done in an appropriate voice. I really enjoyed the narration and think it is very well done and increased my enjoyment of the publication. I've listened to both and anxiously await the next one.

Undertone

I really loved the First book in this series and I believe this book follows through with alot of the same styles and portrayals of the characters. The one things I have to say about his book is the continuous undertone of anit-male sediment in half of the story line. In the first book, Lian writes accurately of the male dominance role of the time and within the Japanese culture and seems to fit well within the story line. However, I felt with Grass in the Pillow, the continuous anti-male story segments seemed to be a little over the top where the segments fit less into the story line and more towards the bias of the Author.