Reviews

Japanese Tales by Royall Tyler

ndwisard's review against another edition

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3.0

Oh Japanese storytellers, LOVE YOU!

willwork4airfare's review against another edition

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4.0

I liked these stories so much, I wish I had gotten them in a different form. I read this on my library's ebook app so it was a struggle to finish them all in time (I had to rent it out for at least 6 weeks total to finish it in between my other readings) and the quality of the text conversion went significantly down towards the end as well. This would be a really nice collection to get in hardcover and to read small groups of stories at a time. It was so interesting to get a feel from the 200+ stories for Japanese cultural morals and folklore. I read this book in preparation for a trip to Japan I was supposed to take, but it's inspired a lot of interest in more historical lore and myths and legends from other cultures as well.

tomwbrass's review against another edition

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3.0

I feel I can't really 'review' folklore but the collection itself was nice. I like the way stories are grouped into 5 of a similar theme. However, the font size is tiny and 220 folktales in one collection, read continuously, might be a bit too many.

snugglor's review against another edition

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4.0

An interesting look at medieval Japan's folklore and religion.

The introduction gives a good background to the culture and the beliefs of the time and indicates how daily life was influenced by tradition, and how those traditions gave rise to these stories.

The stories themselves vary from haunting to relationships to monks seeking Enlightenment. I enjoyed reading them and seeing how these tales have a different aesthetic to Western stories.

jacobbou's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

mthebau's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

mshen42's review

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funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Collection of short Japanese tales. There are some really funny and entertaining ones and others are just weird and bizarre. They often involve elements of Japanese culture like Buddhism, Japanese gods/ghosts/monsters. Some of the stories get repetitive at times. 

afterglobe's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 / 5

Good exposure to Japanese folklore and themes. Can be a bit dry, but interesting overall.

princessofbeasts's review

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3.0

Oh Japanese storytellers, LOVE YOU!

rachael_baker8's review

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adventurous funny relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5