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libscote 's review for:
Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune
by Pamela S. Turner
I wonder if my review of this book is really fair, because my main complaints about it are structural things more than issues with the actual story. One of the things I never remember until I encounter a book with it is how much I dislike footnotes in the back that aren't indicated on the pages within the text. There were so many good notes and further explanations in the back matter, but I was constantly flipping back and forth, wondering when the next great explanation would come in. This led my reading to feel disjointed.
The story of Yoshitsune is fascinating, with its feats of daring and the origins of seppuku. I found myself having a hard time keeping everyone straight, but I think that's more from my own personal unfamiliarity with Japanese names and terms than Turner's writing. There's a great list of names in the front, which does help. Turner does an excellent job of explaining traditions that are likely foreign to most students in the United States. My issues with footnotes aside, the bibliography and additional notes in the back of the book are also good. I haven't read any of the starred reviews yet, so I'll have to go do that and see what they saw that I am missing.
The story of Yoshitsune is fascinating, with its feats of daring and the origins of seppuku. I found myself having a hard time keeping everyone straight, but I think that's more from my own personal unfamiliarity with Japanese names and terms than Turner's writing. There's a great list of names in the front, which does help. Turner does an excellent job of explaining traditions that are likely foreign to most students in the United States. My issues with footnotes aside, the bibliography and additional notes in the back of the book are also good. I haven't read any of the starred reviews yet, so I'll have to go do that and see what they saw that I am missing.