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)

Exquisite prose

I have "read" both Nightingale and Grass in a week and am eagerly watching for "Brilliance of the Moon>" Since it is available on CD I anticipate that Audible will offer it soon, or I'll be haunting my local library for it. "Tales of the Otori" is a joy for all ages. I intend to send copies of all three to my daughter and 16 year old grandson, as well.

Learner and Reader

To learn about history while experiencing wonderful storytelling is a true gift. Heros, heroines, monsters and monsterous people all woven to give a glimpse into the warrior class of ancient Japan....superb.
jp

Not the riveting tale the first one was

I really enjoyed Across the Nightingale Floor, however, this one is not nearly as good. This book splits the plot line into a male and female one. The male plot line is good, but the female plot line is weak, and the narration for it is stilted and dull. Not much happens in the female plot line and I found myself dozing off or waiting for it to end. Unfortunately it dominates the book. Hearn's style fits the material and the direct yet descriptive language is still fresh and interesting. Too bad most of the book wasn't.

okay

not nearly as engaging as across the nightingale floor. felt the plot only rambled and didn't actually go anywhere. takeo leaving the tribe was like someone leaving AAA. It should have been much more momentous. I just wasn't all that captivated like I was with the first book

Great second book

This book was a great follow-up to the first one. The writing was as excellent as the first one. I couldn't stop listening and was looking forward to commute time so I could hear more. The narrators are excellent. I liked the author's exploration of a woman's role in the male-dominated society. I didn't enjoy the "to be continued" ending. However, I have already started the third book, so no big deal.

Well Crafted

The book is well written - entertaining and intriguing. The audio presentation is delightful. The voices and presentation compliment the text - it highlights the duality of the story. As I listen, I hear not only the tale, but also the conversation between two lovers as their fate unfolds.
Few good works capture the essence of companionship, even when isolated, as well as this trilogy. Fewer still audio presentations faithfully capture that undercurrent and weave it into the reading itself.
I recommend this to other audiobook newbies like myself as an example of when the medium can compliment the author's tale.

Enjoyed the sequel more than the first book

I thought the first book was nice but not excellent, but I decided to give the sequel a chance anyway. I quite enjoyed this one - it was more thrilling and interesting than the first book. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book! I enjoyed the character development of the female lead quite a bit.

Even better than book one

The story in this installment of the Otori epic is even more fascinating than in volume one.
We seem to get closer to Takeo and Kaede, seeing
the story through each of their experiences.
I can't wait to hear the third book.

Another near outstanding story from Hearn

The dark, middle chapter of the Tales of the Otori trilogy acts as a strong setup for book three by sending our heroes Takeo and Kaede on seperate journeys. The book lacks the momentum of the first, but that's really unavoidable for the second act of the trilogy. Takeo spends most of the book struggling to reconcile his three identities and his story is slower and more heady. From the onset, the reader knows that he is destined to lead the Otori, not the tribe. This means that his time with them might have stretched a bit long as we are all anxious to see him get the story moving. The characters and culture of the tribe are not nearly as interesting as the clans.

Kaede gets the better tale, in my opinion. Her future is less predictable and following her felt like it had stakes. Whereas Takeo is virtually invincible physically and because he is the protagonist, I felt Kaede's vulnerability at all times. Seeing her navigate local politics and realize her potential as a leader was satisfying. Similarly, seeing Takeo return home and assume leadership of his clan had me cheering, particularly in his conversation with Ichiro.

The books ends with a kinda-sorta twist which I won't spoil except to note that it reminds the readers that our heroes are still well under eighteen, and still very vulnerable to recklessness. The book ends ominously, we are happy for Takeo and Kaede but recognize that they have made their situation unnecessarily more complicated than it needed to be.

This is a book about idealists being hardened by the harsh world they live in, yet ultimately retaining enough humanity to resolve to make positive change, even if it means some eggs will get broken. It's also a book about roles and obligations, how we can defy our obligations but will always face consequences. Hearn keeps the world realistic by making sure that no good deed goes unpunished.

Aiko Nakasone and Kevin Gray shine again. Aiko Naksone brings an authenticity to her performance and Kevin practically transforms from character to character. You will buy book three immediately after this one, and why wouldn't you?

Shogum Revisited

Any additional comments?

I don’t want to lessen the book by comparing it to another. However, the last book I enjoyed as much as the trilogy was Shogun. It brought me back to the pure pleasure that I experienced on read of the Clavell books. Most enjoyable