Grass for His Pillow: Tales of the Otori, Book Two

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!

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.

I am absolutely in love with this story. It's one of those books that I can't wait to get to the end, but at the same time, I don't want it to end! I almost missed a flight last week, because I was so engrossed in this superb tale. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. Intrigue, Politics, Magic, Betrayal, Forgiveness, Power, Love...it really has it all.

Just finished the trilogy and loved it however the second book rather bleak, mainly because there is not a hopeful character like Shigeru. This book should have been of the first or second but not one into itself. Most compelling is development of Kaede who changes the most from beginning to end of trilogy. I was very irritated by a reader who skipped her part of the book and referred to the author saying that HE the writer made her too strong in the first book. The writers is a woman and SHE does a great job of showing the struggle of faced by and independent women who dares to go against tradition. Also I had to remind myself that these were 16 year old kids hormone-ridden children who like most teens act stupidly and think they are invincible. Another refreshing aspect is the free expresion of homosexuality. shown in this book as sacred by the love of Makoto, and perverse in Lord Fijuware.

This book falls into many of the pitfalls of a second book in a trilogy: it needs room to set up the finale after a first book that needed to concentrate on being stand-alone in case an audience didn't take to it. Consequently, this book has long stretches where the action rambles, as do the conversations. On the other hand, this book contains the best single scene in the first two books: Kaede confronting her "mad" father. The psychosexual nature of the scene is harrowing and it had me on the edge of my seat. Later, when Kaede is plotting how she will keep her domain afloat in winter, the book also becomes intriguing: how will a woman in this culture of men retain control? While the ratio of Takeo/Kaede chapters remains equal it can be said that this second book is largely Kaede's. She comes out of the "shock" of the first book and must take ground to equal Takeo's epic journey. He, on the other hand, has more of an inward trip on this book, figuring out which way his life will go. Overall, the action of this book takes a back seat to the character development. While this is not bad, it can be disappointing to the reader who wants a brisk pace. If you really liked the first book then this second volume will not deter you from going on to complete the third (which, I hope, brings on the conflict/action in heavy doses). If you were lukewarm on the first book, I would not advise you to continue.

I still have nothing but high praise for Hearn and thank him for this wonderful gift he is sharing with us. I appreciate the continuing growth of Kaede and Takeo. I love the balance of characters....the evil are not unbelievably evil and the heros not unbelievably perfect. The conspiracies are not far fetched and overly complicated, yet they are layered and ever moving and changing as things have always been and ever will be in the real world. If you are new to the Otori Trilogy, be sure to read Across the Nightingale Floor first. Again, thank you Lian Hearn. Thank you Kevin Gray and Iiko Nakasone (forgive spelling please) for your wonderful narrations.

A wonderful, complex tale continues. Beware if you are driving! very distracting trying to keep all the characters straight. @ 65mph... Knowledge of Japanese helpful. However the narrator Aiko Naksone should be teaching gradeschool - she is sooo slow and overpronounces (is that a word?) everything. She drove me nuts but the story is a good one.

To get right to the point... Overall, I was very dissappointed in this book. I'm not sure what the point of this second book in the series was, other than providing some mildly interesting filler information to set up book three. This book could have been easily summarized in a short chapter or two at the beginning of the third book. I'll still listen to the third book, though, as the first was such a great story.

I have now enjoyed parts 1 and 2, and starting part 3. I did not get the sense of "male-bashing" that some readers complained about. I am missing the characters since finishing part 2, and look forward to "visiting" them again in the 3rd book. The writing is beautiful, and the reading is wonderful. Aiko Nakasone seems to be a little slow and stilted at first, but with listening it is so suitable for the story and the characters that it ads to the telling of the story rather than distracting from it. Both narrators are excellent.

The title of my review says it all. If you liked the first book you will most likely like this one and be prepared to want to read the third (like I am). If you didn't like the first book this one isn't as strong so is probably not up your alley.