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doriastories 's review for:
The Tale of the Heike
by Anonymous
Moving, expansive, stretching across years and touching upon innumerable lives, and yet also exquisitely intimate and personal, the Tale of the Heike is a sumptuous tale. Tragic, enthralling, lyrical and often brutal, it offers us an unflinching description of life among the upper echelon of society towards the end of the twelfth century in Japan. We follow the rise and inevitable fall of the Taira (Heike) clan, whose family members grasp arrogantly after imperial power in the face of widespread disapproval, only to plummet from the heights when their luck turns. As their enemies gather and exact revenge, the hopelessness and tragedy of their fate is bewailed, and the ephemeral nature of success - "this dewdrop life" - is marveled at by all who have beheld their incredible ride on the wheel of fortune. I loved that this book is composed of so many stories within stories. It is as much the tale of many individuals and their personal histories - their grievances, romances, errors, foolishness and heroism - as it is an historical epic, in which the destiny of a nation is decided. Easily comparable in scope to Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, it achieves a genuine pathos and deep level of intimacy and spiritual introspection that felt to me more authentic than those Greek epics, although one could argue that this is purely subjective on my part. Who is to say that Lord Kiyomori's grief in foreseeing the downfall of his house is greater than that of King Priam of Troy? Is the desolation of former Empress Kenreimon-in at the loss of her child any less profound than that of Andromache? The one recalls the other inevitably, and neither is diminished; arguably both epics are enhanced by each other. What matters most is that the human condition - uncertain, ephemeral, by turns abysmal and glorious - is illuminated. We read, ponder and wonder at the adventures and experiences recorded so long ago, and recognize that the flame of human existence wavers but burns on, against all odds and despite ourselves, both then and now. What epics will our descendants read about us some day.......