Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.
Fiction
1994 St. Martin's Griffin
Finished on January 13, 2002
Rating: 5/5 (Outstanding!)
Publisher's Blurb:
Critics nationwide have praised Gail Tsukiyama for her vivid characters and crystalline prose. They have acclaimed the exquisite beauty of her serene settings. But more than anything, readers have celebrated finding themselves in the hands of a strong storyteller with the wisdom and warm heart of an ancient soul.
On the eve of the Second World War, a young Chinese man is sent to his family's summer home in Japan to recover from tuberculosis. He will rest, swim in the salubrious sea, and paint in the brilliant shoreside light. It will be quiet and solitary.
But as he meets four local residents--a beautiful Japanese girl and three older people. What then ensues is a tale that readers will find at once classical yet utterly unique. Young Stephen has his own adventure, but it is the unfolding story of Matsu, Sachi, and Kenzo that seizes your attention and will stay with you forever.
Tsukiyama, with lines as clean, simple, telling, and dazzling as the best of Oriental art, has created a small, moving masterpiece.
My Original Thoughts (2002):
The perfect indication of a great book is one that you hug to your chest and whisper, "Great book!" upon completion. It's also the type of book you are tempted to read again the minute you've finished. This is one of those books! Beautifully written. Lyrical. Touching. Simply lovely. I didn't want it to end, so I read slowly, savoring each sentence. Closed the book with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I want to read everything else that Tsukiyama has written. I'll give this as a gift to my book-loving friends and relatives.
Honor, duty, loyalty. Unspoken love. Zen-like. A soothing, calm book. Beautifully "painted" images.
My Current Thoughts:
I read this with two online book groups (The Book Spot and On the Porch Swing) and as I recall, everyone loved the book. I plan to read it again this summer while on our trip to Canada.
I didn't write that I had read it with a group, but I did find my own write up of this wonderful book. April 2002!
ReplyDeleteThe Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama 1994 A+
Wonderful story, wonderful writing. Slow moving; carefully chosen
words. I have felt this way as a reader only when I read When We Were
Orphans. The characters were so real, and the story so interesting. I
felt like I was there in the village. Incredible depth of feeling.
This was set in a time and place I knew nothing about.
Print version.
So you read it shortly after me, Nan. And gave it the same rating! It's such a wonderful book. I hope to read it again this year. We'll see!
DeleteI LOVED this book when I read it, it is the one that got me hooked on reading all of Gail Tsukiyama's novels. At the time, my daughter was quite young (8 or 9) and she asked me to read it aloud to her and she loved it, too. I was a librarian at the time and I think I got about 15 staff members to read the novel.
ReplyDeleteHelen, that's awesome that your daughter enjoyed having you read it to her! It's one I recommended to readers when I was working at Barnes & Noble, even a decade after reading it.
DeleteThis was such a great read. I need to read more by this author!
ReplyDeleteIliana, I went on to read more by Tsukiyama, but none were as good as this one.
DeleteOh, how I loved this book, too! No longer have my copy (I think I loaned it out and never got it back!) but I'd love to reread it. Pretty sure I read another book, maybe two, by this author but don't remember much about them... not even the titles.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, I'm glad I still have my copy. I hope to read it again soon, but you know how that goes! I know I've read more by Tsukiyama, but like you, I don't remember the titles or the storylines. This one is much more memorable!
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