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)

Enjoyed Until Poor Ending

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. I was enjoying this book then it was suddenly over without any conclusion. It seemed the author was in a hurry to finish, just wrote a few quick sentences then it was over.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I enjoyed the interaction of the different social classes of people

Which character – as performed by Kevin Gray and Aiko Nakasone – was your favorite?

The lead male character

Was Grass for His Pillow worth the listening time?

No

Narration a little off, otherwise it's good.

The only real issue I had was Aiko Nakasone's narration. It was just off; certain words over emphasised, others under, and some with very pronounced pauses between syllables. It almost seemed like her recording was her first read through of the story, like she wasn't anticipating what was coming next or planning how to read it in advance. I did not look forward to her portions of the book.

I suspect that all of this likely stems from English being a second language to her, as that is honestly how it sounds. Of course, I can't know that for certain.

Kevin Gray's narration is really good. It's very natural and flows smoothly. I thoroughly enjoyed his portions of the book.

Aiko's narration aside, the story is good. It's not one of the best I've read, but it's certainly good enough for me to continue the series. I think "Across the Nightingale Floor" was better, but that's the nature of book 2 in many series.

Elegantly written and performed

Quite enjoyable. Second in the series, it slowly progresses the story towards the third and "final" book of the trilogy. The writing is excellent as are the narrators, evoking visions and feelings of being present inside the story. The descriptions are almost poetic in their details and comparisons. Some might find the book a bit lacking in action, but this book serves as a solid bridge between first and third books and the reader should hopefully be able to enjoy the journey as much as one listens to a symphony- enjoying the music as it comes and not looking to rush to the last notes.

Nice Story Development

Both characters mature in some ways but left much to be told in the next book or two!

Enjoyable and fun

As with the other novels in this series, I found this one enjoyable and fun, with very good narration.

Excellent!

This is a great book - well written and well read. Fun, dramatic fantasy - I highly recommend it!

Stilted

The narration was stilted and weird oddly stiff enunciation I did not enjoy the breathy note to it. Maybe the next one will be better

Good story; trying narrator

As is quite often the case, this book was not the "page turner" that "Across the Nightgale Floor" was. The development of characters continued to be quite good, but there was not as much action as the first book in this trilogy. The male narrator was wonderful; however, I found the female narrator's deliberate and emotionless reading to be quite tedious and distracting.

Decent story, but mixed performance

I enjoyed the story of the book, but I didn't enjoy Aiko's reading. I found it hard to distinguish between the different characters, and only occasionally did the words themselves really pop or carry distinct emotions.

Lovely and tragic

A well told story of both beauty and pain. Romeo Justin of ancient Japan.
The Art of War and Trojan Women combined.