Customer Reviews

The Exile Way: A Mystery of Ancient Japan

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found this book to be elegantly written, very Zen in its spareness and simplicity. The heroine, Lady Aoi leads a quiet life as lady-in-waiting to a princess of the Imperial Court, where she is friends with the Great Minister of the Right and uses her medical skills to treat the Emperor for an eye disorder. Conflict and intrigue soon arise, however; escaping from a journey into exile Lady Aoi uses the help of those inside and outside the court to discover a traitor.

Exquisite period detail and an understanding of "the world above the clouds," where a raised fan across black eyes can conceal hatred as well as modesty, mark Ms. Woodward's work. You can almost hear the rasp of the reed pen Lady Aoi uses to create her calligraphy, see the twilight fall on pine trees shadowing miniature gardens. There is no unwarranted movement, no undo haste, yet Woodward manages to convey a sense of urgency as Lady Aoi works to discover the source of the dangerous lust for power that threatens all. By choice, Lady Aoi conceals her own involvement in the unfolding of the plot: "It was always her desire to be unremarkable, to retain the freedoms of an ordinary woman."

A note regarding the editing: the book I read has several typographical errors in it, including an error of word omission near the end of the book ...

I became an easy victim to Ann Woodward's highly readable and plausible yarn, set in 11th Century Japan. The story has a gothic tone, with a sense of ancient Japanese mystery and ritual that is neither too overbearing or too obtuse. The political drama captured in the story is every bit as grippping as Patricia Cornwell's bloody work. This effort of Woodward will find a place in my heart next to the other ancient historical mysteries I enjoy so well: Van Gulik's Judge Dee (Woodward's character is better developed emotionally), Lindsey Davis' Marcus Didio Falco (a better sense of humor), and Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder (a deeper, though much less poetic, sense of historical accuracy). I'm ready for the next one! Please make it soon, Ms. Woodward!!

Lady Aoi, lady-in waiting for the principle wife of an imperial prince, puts her own life in danger when she uses her cunning to try and solve the murder of a young girl. Woodward's book is very faithful to Japan's Heian period ("Tale of the Genji") where it takes place. Court dress, amusements, marital arrangements, the practice of aristocratic communication through poetry enliven the story. In her acknowledgements Woodward cites Murasaki Shikibu, Sei Shonagon and others as inspirations.

This book starts off boring, never picks up, and finishes with a big yawn as well. The characters and plot are flat, and it was a chore to get through the book. I tried picking up the sequel to "get through it", and I couldn't stand slogging my way through another of these books and had to put it down to read something else. I somewhat got the feeling that the author was trying, in some way shape or form, to produce a mystery that also contained elements or hints of "The Tale of Genji", with the end result being a very boring read. Don't waste your time with this book, or it's sequel.