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earwicker 's review for:
I read this over a period of a few months, which is possible because the book is written in small sections, little set scenes that sit apart, but mesh with the whole. The individual bits were related orally by a class of blind poets known as biwa hoshi. There are some comparisons to be made to ancient western epics like the Iliad, including the vast number of characters and the detailed battle scenes, but the tone of the Heike is completely different.
The tale is generally about the fall of the Taira clan (also known as the Heike) to the ascendant Genji. The causes of the fall are not unique -- the corruption of the powerful, internecine squabbles, overweening pride and arrogance. But there is a philosophical veil covering the whole book that speaks most powerfully at the end, especially in the "Initiates' Chapter" -- the Buddhist precept that all is transitory. What is up today will be down tomorrow, and the karmic cycle should never be taken for granted. That is the Tale of the Heike in a nutshell.
The tale is generally about the fall of the Taira clan (also known as the Heike) to the ascendant Genji. The causes of the fall are not unique -- the corruption of the powerful, internecine squabbles, overweening pride and arrogance. But there is a philosophical veil covering the whole book that speaks most powerfully at the end, especially in the "Initiates' Chapter" -- the Buddhist precept that all is transitory. What is up today will be down tomorrow, and the karmic cycle should never be taken for granted. That is the Tale of the Heike in a nutshell.