More than a thousand years ago, an extraordinary trove of early Buddhist sutras and other scriptures was secreted away in caves near the Silk Road city of Tun-huang. But who hid this magnificent treasure and why? In Tun-huang, the great modern Japanese novelist Yasushi Inoue tells the story of Chao Hsing-te, a young Chinese man whose accidental failure to take the all-important exam that will qualify him as a high government official leads to a chance encounter that draws him farther and farther into the wild and contested lands west of the Chinese Empire. Here he finds love, distinguishes himself in battle, and ultimately devotes himself to the strange task of depositing the scrolls in the caves where, many centuries later, they will be rediscovered. A book of magically vivid scenes, fierce passions, and astonishing adventures, Tun-huang is also a profound and stirring meditation on the mystery of history and the hidden presence of the past.
Tun-huang (New York Review Books Classics)
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Review
“A true historical imagination is exceedingly rare, and [Tun-huang] is a superb example of such an imagination at work.” —Robert Payne, ASIA
“The unique thing about Inoue’s work, for me . . . is that every story presents a vision, and that unlike the visions in books by other authors, I can always follow the vision as I’m reading, always believe it; Inoue has lived and felt these images and has the simplest and airiest language for them that I have ever seen. I don’t need to believe his illuminations, they are simply there in the book, as facts.” —Peter Handke
“a work of superb historical imagination. . . ” —James Kirkup, The Independent
“Early in the 20th century an incredible hoard of Buddhist sutras and other manuscripts was discovered by itinerant monk in Tun-huang. Archaeologists recovered thousands of documents that have been concealed in the Thousand Buddha Caves for 900 years. The author…speculated on the reasons for the hiding of such treasures, and this fascinating and exotic novel is the result.” —Publishers Weekly
“Historical reconstruction of a very personal and special kind.” —Donald Richie
“An enthralling tale.” —Oriental Economist
“A unique writer who has managed to escape the often narrow topical bounds of the Japanese novel.” —Japan Quarterly
"One of Japan's most prolific and respected authors..." —Japan Economic Newswire
“The descriptive passages in Yasushi Inoue's ‘Under the Shadow of Mount Bandai’ are worthy of the longer passages of an Anne Radcliff Gothic tale" —The Japan Times
''One of the most respected novelists in Japan.'' —The New York Times
“The unique thing about Inoue’s work, for me . . . is that every story presents a vision, and that unlike the visions in books by other authors, I can always follow the vision as I’m reading, always believe it; Inoue has lived and felt these images and has the simplest and airiest language for them that I have ever seen. I don’t need to believe his illuminations, they are simply there in the book, as facts.” —Peter Handke
“a work of superb historical imagination. . . ” —James Kirkup, The Independent
“Early in the 20th century an incredible hoard of Buddhist sutras and other manuscripts was discovered by itinerant monk in Tun-huang. Archaeologists recovered thousands of documents that have been concealed in the Thousand Buddha Caves for 900 years. The author…speculated on the reasons for the hiding of such treasures, and this fascinating and exotic novel is the result.” —Publishers Weekly
“Historical reconstruction of a very personal and special kind.” —Donald Richie
“An enthralling tale.” —Oriental Economist
“A unique writer who has managed to escape the often narrow topical bounds of the Japanese novel.” —Japan Quarterly
"One of Japan's most prolific and respected authors..." —Japan Economic Newswire
“The descriptive passages in Yasushi Inoue's ‘Under the Shadow of Mount Bandai’ are worthy of the longer passages of an Anne Radcliff Gothic tale" —The Japan Times
''One of the most respected novelists in Japan.'' —The New York Times
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Original Language: Japanese --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb novel.....,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Tun-Huang (Hardcover)
Typical to Inoue's style in historical fiction, he starts with a well-known historical mystery--namely, how a large set of valuable Buddhist scrolls came to be hidden in temple caves of Dunhuang some time in 11th century China under unknown circumstances--and fills in the gaps from his imagination.
The story takes place mostly in Kansu, Western China, where a new rising power, the Tanguts, have recently founded a state of their own called the Xia. The main character, a Sung scholar, fails an imperial examination by falling asleep while waiting for his name to be called. Afterwards, a chance encounter with a Tangut woman being sold in the city's marketplace leads him to a journey to the western borderlands of China where his adventures, both physical and spiritual, takes place.
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tun Huang,
By Chun W. Wong (U.S. - NYC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tun Huang (Paperback)
This is a great book and shows the depth of Inoue's imagination. It is based upon the Buddhist Scriptures found in Tun Huang, a part of the silk road path. Inoue tells the story of how these scriptures were placed there in the first place. The story has very little to do with Buddhism or religion. It is more of an adventure novel with a scholar as its hero. Well written and evenly paced, it takes the reader back to a time when there were magnificent battles in Asia. After you read this book, rent the video. Unfortunately, the American version of the video is chopped up so that the story is not really comprehensible. However, if you've read the book, you may be able to appreciate the movie a little better.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An insightful, meditative, and wise tale,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Tun-huang (New York Review Books Classics) (Paperback)
This quiet little (209 pages including the epilogue) story runs deep.
The line of this tale is easy to describe: an 11th century scholar wanders west into Central Asia and finds himself caught up in conflicts between established and emerging empires not unlike that region experiences today. Along the way, the scholar is drafted into an army, briefly falls in love with a girl who may have sacrificed herself for him, falls in with a fierce warrior, and spirits to safety a library of Buddhist scrolls before the final battle of the story. There are, of course, warriors, villains, and otherwise conflicted characters along the route. But that's not what this story is about, although it can provide a satisfactory read just for the story line. This story, delivered in simple, short, and direct language, not unlike the brush strokes in calligraphy, tells the tale of a man seeking, but not knowing what he seeks, until he finds it. What he finds in the end of his story is a calm that comes with accomplishing an act that is generous, virtuous, requires great effort, demands grace under pressure, an insightful understanding of events around him, and finally an understanding of how the ebb and flow of the conflicts that define the age and individuals living in those times are connected. Practitioners of Buddhism will see the six perfections (generosity, ethics, perseverance, patience, meditative concentration, and wisdom) in this story. But even for those not schooled in Buddhism, this historical fiction, I think, will create a sense of calm, even after reading about the strife and conflicts detailed in this lesson of impermanence. The ideas of this text are subtly woven into it. In contrast to many tales set in an historical setting, the characters in Tun-Huang are subtly drawn and complex. The virtuous have fatal flaws. The wicked perform virtuous deeds. The unguided realize purpose and direction. Relationships, cities, even ancient civilizations are impermanent and seldom accurately recalled in memory. I found this a most rewarding read. It leaves me with a sense of peace and calm, not unlike after a good meditation.
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