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mary_soon_lee 's review for:
Under Heaven
by Guy Gavriel Kay
In the past two years, I've read approximately 150 books. Of those, only eight were books that I was re-reading. There are so many books that I've never read--that I want to read or ought to read--that re-reading is a luxury. As a result, out of those 150 books, only eight were ones that I allowed myself to re-read. Of those eight, three were by Guy Gavriel Kay. I love the way he writes: his clear, lyrical prose; the heightened sensibility, where characters and events are shaped by a master storyteller; his heroic characters. Kay carefully, eloquently evokes worlds that are almost but not quite like our own past. In "Under Heaven," he evokes Tang Dynasty China with a fantastical slant. Beautifully. Movingly.
The book's opening chapter establishes the main character, Tai, and what it is that Tai has been doing for the past couple of years, a deed that echoes through the rest of the book. I found Tai a very sympathetic character, as were many of the secondary characters. I note that these include strong women, including both a highly skilled warrior and a courtesan. The stories of two of the minor characters (Pei Qin and Wujen Ning) moved me especially, as did much of the poetry included as part of the book. (For others who like the poems here, I recommend Kay's single book of poetry, [b:Beyond This Dark House|104090|Beyond This Dark House|Guy Gavriel Kay|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309376967s/104090.jpg|100367].) My one gripe is that Kay sometimes pointedly withholds pieces of information, a device that feels as though it is intended to hook the reader, but which, being hooked already, I find rather irritating.
This is a wonderful book. For me, perhaps one shade less wonderful than my very favorite of Kay's work, but among my favorite few. I am glad I re-read it.
The book's opening chapter establishes the main character, Tai, and what it is that Tai has been doing for the past couple of years, a deed that echoes through the rest of the book. I found Tai a very sympathetic character, as were many of the secondary characters. I note that these include strong women, including both a highly skilled warrior and a courtesan. The stories of two of the minor characters (Pei Qin and Wujen Ning) moved me especially, as did much of the poetry included as part of the book. (For others who like the poems here, I recommend Kay's single book of poetry, [b:Beyond This Dark House|104090|Beyond This Dark House|Guy Gavriel Kay|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309376967s/104090.jpg|100367].) My one gripe is that Kay sometimes pointedly withholds pieces of information, a device that feels as though it is intended to hook the reader, but which, being hooked already, I find rather irritating.
This is a wonderful book. For me, perhaps one shade less wonderful than my very favorite of Kay's work, but among my favorite few. I am glad I re-read it.