The Karma of Words: Buddhism and the Literary Arts in Medieval Japan [Paperback]

William R. LaFleur (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (May 8, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520056221
• ISBN-13: 978-0520056220
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,436 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning work, worth the hassle, February 20, 2002

By 

"louiskoplin" (Louis Koplin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Karma of Words: Buddhism and the Literary Arts in Medieval Japan (Paperback)

This is a truly amazing study. I read it for a class I was taking on medieval Japan. The professor warned that this book was very dense and difficult to read, but I thought - No problem! It's under 200 pages, I'm a fast reader, I like the subject.

So let me restate: this book is a DENSE read. Every sentence has deep significance, and don't be surprised if you have to reread paragraphs several times, even if you're used to memorizing things with a once-over.

That said, this book was so good that it gets 5 stars despite the difficulty of reading it. LaFleur deftly weaves together strands from medieval forms of Japanese Buddhism (specifically Tendai and Shingon) during the Kamakura and Ashikaga bakufus with earlier cultural tendencies from Heian times right through to the flowering of new cultural ideas in Tokugawa Japan. He does not shy away from appreciating art or fine points of theology on their own terms, but also does not hesitate to show how the two blended together and shaped one another.

I personally enjoyed the sections on the Hojo-Ki by Chomei more than his sections on No and Kyogen, but that's personal preference. You will also gain a new understanding of major poets and monks of the era, such as Chomei, Basho, and Zeami. Rather than try and define such difficult concepts as yugen, he illustrates them through use of those individuals and their own efforts at definitions.

Read a chapter at a time or all at once, a great book.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, October 7, 1998

By 

Kyle Gorden (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Karma of Words: Buddhism and the Literary Arts in Medieval Japan (Paperback)

This book is good for both those with casual interest in Japanese culture and specific interests in the field of Buddhism. Special attention is paid to the relationship between religion and the traditional theatre forms of Noh and Kyogen.