Enter the colourful and descriptive world of the Japense court (The Tale of Murasaki - Lisa Dalby)

Member Name: clairelw101

Product:	The Tale of Murasaki - Lisa Dalby
Date:	01/11/09 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Descriptive writing style

Disadvantages: Ending is a bit of a let down

After reading Memoirs of a Geisha I saw this book and as Liza Dalby was a consultant for the film thought I would give this a try.

The book is actually told by Murasaki's daugther but after the first couple of chapters this style changes so that it appears that Murasaki herself is describing her life and the events in it.

Liza has a writing style that draws you and paints the scene in you head as to what is going on in the world that Murasaki lives in and the people that are around her.

The book is set in the 11th Century Japan and revolves around live at the Japense court. It starts of with Murasaki describing life as her father sees it as a famous Chinese poetry expert and then progresses on to her own more detailed descripitions of life at court when she joins herself.

The book does contain several surprises which include hints at lesbianism and the imagery of a woman in this time trying to defy her family by not wanting to follow their wishes in getting married. Murasaki like her father has a command of chinese poetry and throughout the book there are various poems, written in chinese/japense and also explained in English which add an extra element.

This book is very good but is not one of those books that you just can't put down it does take some perserviance to finish. Towards the end of the book you are left with the feeling that the writer struggled to find a way to end the book and it kind of just peters out without a definative ending.

Overall I would recommend this book but you may find that it is one of those books that you put down and pick up several times before you manage to finish it.

Summary: Good book but one you put down and pick up several times before you finish it