Scan barcode
grubstlodger's review
5.0
An abridgement and translation of a Chinese novel in which about 70% is an abridgement and translation of a Tibetan epic…that’s a lot of filters.
But King Gesar was still pretty typical national myth stuff. A God is born human to fight the demons and struggles with humanity - plus magic, fighting and betrayal.
What made it really interesting was the Buddhist take on it all. That the Supreme Being assigns different religions to different regions, that people are re-incarnated (Gesar was was a God, but the God was once a demon).
I was also intrigued about what a dick Gesar is. Khrothrung, the big bad uncle, is de-fanged by everyone knowing he is bad so most of Gesar’s problems come from his own avoiding of his responsibility.
I also enjoyed the singer’s tale, how he was chosen to sing the song due to his likeness to the Anancy-esque character in Tibetan literature. That said, the singer’s tale doesn’t have much of a plot beyond wandering around, being confused by the modern world, and singing.
But King Gesar was still pretty typical national myth stuff. A God is born human to fight the demons and struggles with humanity - plus magic, fighting and betrayal.
What made it really interesting was the Buddhist take on it all. That the Supreme Being assigns different religions to different regions, that people are re-incarnated (Gesar was was a God, but the God was once a demon).
I was also intrigued about what a dick Gesar is. Khrothrung, the big bad uncle, is de-fanged by everyone knowing he is bad so most of Gesar’s problems come from his own avoiding of his responsibility.
I also enjoyed the singer’s tale, how he was chosen to sing the song due to his likeness to the Anancy-esque character in Tibetan literature. That said, the singer’s tale doesn’t have much of a plot beyond wandering around, being confused by the modern world, and singing.
sookieskipper's review against another edition
3.0
A fascinating story of a God like man and his fight to protect his people by fighting demons and other adversaries. Like any other epic goes, The Song of King Gesar is littered with Buddhist principles and morals. With King Gesar in the background, there are several stories rooted in the same epic and they all come to conclusion with or without Gesar's involvement.
There is a lot of Jataka Takes feel to it which is understandable given the common theme of Buddhism surrounding the two.
There is a lot of Jataka Takes feel to it which is understandable given the common theme of Buddhism surrounding the two.
More...