The Tale of the Heike (Paperback)

by Helen McCullough (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
The great Japanese civil war in the latter half of the 12th century between the Taira (Heike) and the Minamoto (Genji) ended with the Minamoto victory at Dan-no-Ura in 1185. The story became the subject of many compositions, crystallizing in the Kakuichi version of 1371, of which this is a translation. It is handled very clearly and efficiently, with an extensive glossary, chronology, and lengthy discourse on the work from a literary point of view that helps the reader get a grasp of what is, to Western eyes, a somewhat disjointed and episodic narrative. It is good to have a bright new translation to stand beside Seidensticker's Tale of Genji , representing the two great Japanese epics. Donald J. Pearce, Univ. of Minnesota, Duluth, Lib.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“This version of the Heike is superb and indeed reveals to English-language readers for the first time the full scope, grandeur, and literary richness of the work as a masterpiece of medieval writing.”—Journal of Asian Studies

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Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; 1st edition (March 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804718032
• ISBN-13: 978-0804718035
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,319 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great translation of a venerable classic, August 17, 2001

By	Hong A. Ooi (Loveland, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Translations of Japanese and Chinese classics are often hampered by the archaic language used in the originals. This was not the case here and the translator has achieved a balanced fusion of great story-telling and accurate presentation of the text. This is no small achievement since the Heike tale is populated by many diverse characters some of whom are only mentioned once whereas others have great influence on the plot despite their brief appearances.

I have found that the best way to read the book is to treat oneself to the episodic nature of the chapters. This reflects the original format of the story; that it was expressed in minstrel style story-telling by the "biwa-hoshi" in nightly recitals. As such each segment of the story can be treated like individual pearls in a string, each complete and entertaining by its own merit but strung together to form the whole epic saga of the Heike. Attempts to read the book in the style of a conventional Western novel with its continuous narrative will result in frustration since the story seem to take many didactic excursions and side plots. This may also have been the rootcause to the earlier frustration of another reviewer who encountered too many characters to comprehend at one single reading. A similar experience can be found if a first time reader tries to read the Bible continuously from Genesis to Revelation.

The other great challenge in this translation is in its reference to the characters of the story. The long titles accorded to each individual felt cumbersome and unnecessary at first but as I continued reading I began to appreciate that the original narrators of the tale were relating to the traditional Japanese audience, not the modern reader. As such the titles and honorifics were not only essential but required for reasons of protocol. Many listeners in feudal Japan were related or held similar positions to those described in the story. This realization helps the reader to savour the vintage of this work.

The book also helps to lift a veil over 12th Century interaction between Japan and China. The narrators often recited characters from ancient China as part of the shared heritage of Japanese perceptions of honor and duty. The exchange of ideas and cultural practices between the two empires comes across as very vital and alive at that period as expressed by the presence of a Chinese physician during Taira no Shigemori's death. My initial fascination about the extermination of the Taira (from reading the story of Earless Hoichi from Kwaidan by L. Hearns) have been greatly enriched by the full account of the Gempei Wars found here in the Tale of the Heike. The sense of karmic justice where the terrible fate that befell the Taira clan was a direct result of the evil deeds of Kiyomori was all but pervasive in this book. Great reading!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Japan before the Shogun, May 27, 1999

By A Customer

As one of Japan's most important pieces of historical literature, the Tale of the Heike provides a glimpse into the last days of the courtly Heian period, just as it was replaced by the Kamakura Shogunate at the end of the Twelfth Century. Those readers accustomed to stories of Sixteenth-Century samurai will find this an interesting change of pace. The sensibilities revealed in the narrative provide an interesting insight into the thought processes of the people of medieval Japan.

McCullough's translation is very good; her prose is compact, but maintains the poetic quality of the original texts with a minimum of distracting footnotes.

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost what I expected, September 8, 2003

By A Customer

But Helen McCullough left me feeling like not all the translations made it through with all their meanings intact. I realize such a minor point should not keep me from rating her a 5, but the poetry of Japan has so much expression (and double meaning; see Genji) that I felt left out of the story.