S.J. Parris
S.J. Parris writes about her inspiration for Heresy, which masterfully blends true events with fiction into a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Adam Haslett
A conversation with Adam Haslett, author of Union Atlantic, a deeply affecting portrait of the modern gilded age, the first decade of the twenty-first century.
Across the Nightingale Floor: Summary and book reviews of Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn, plus links to an excerpt from Across the Nightingale Floor and a biography of Lian Hearn.
Across the Nightingale Floor Tales of the Otori, Volume I
by
Lian Hearn
Hardcover: Aug 2002,
304 pages.
Paperback: Jun 2003,
323 pages.
Every now and then a novel appears, completely unlike anything that has appeared before. Across the Nightingale Floor is such a work-a magical creation of a world beyond time.
Set in an imaginary, ancient Japanese society dominated by warring clans, Across the Nightingale Floor is a story of a boy who is suddenly plucked from his life in a remote and peaceful village to find himself a pawn in a political scheme, filled with treacherous warlords, rivalry--and the intensity of first love. In a culture ruled by codes of honor and formal rituals, Takeo must look inside himself to discover the powers that will enable him to fulfill his destiny.
A work of transcendent storytelling with an appeal that crosses genres, genders, and generations, Across the Nightingale Floor is a rich and brilliantly constructed tale, mythic in its themes and epic in its vision. It is poised to become the most captivating novel of the year.
Book Reviews
BookBrowse
Many books have kept me up at night but not many have caused me to wake up early to finish them. In this case, I took the book camping and was so hooked that, on waking at 4am, I left the warm confines of my sleeping bag, and sleeping family, in order to sit outside, shivering in the cold early morning, reading by flashlight until the sun rose two hours later! This isn't a particularly deep or intellectual book - just a ripping good mainstream historical fiction yarn.
Kirkus Reviews
Mythical medieval Japan never seemed so attractive as in this breezy epic, the first in a trilogy, about a boy with strange powers who gets caught up in a long-simmering inter-clan conflict....Once a marriage is arranged for her...her path and Takeo's wind closer and closer together in a complex plot that Hearn carries us through with the greatest of ease. ...A rousingly muscular piece of romantic adventure, replete with shadowy assassins, fluttering battle flags, and doomed love.
Publishers Weekly
Mystical powers and martial arts rampage through this pseudo-Japanese story, the first of a projected trilogy by newcomer Hearn, with an abandon that's head spinning.
Library Journal
The plot sounds intriguing enough in an ancient, mythical Japan, a village lad is suddenly thrust into the midst of sinister warlords. What's more intriguing is that this debut, the first in the Otori trilogy, has been sold to nearly a dozen countries and optioned by Universal.
Booklist - Carrie Bissey
The Lord of the Rings phenomenon should pave the way for the success of worthy adventure trilogies (film rights have already been sold for this one), and this tale of love, loyalty, and courage is deserving of comparison to old favorites.
Publishing News
A truly remarkable tale set in a mythical feudal Japanese land. Primarily a wonderful love story set against a background of warring clans and sudden death. It has a magical quality and the power of the story is truly awesome.
Christina Reader, Watermark Books and Cafe, Wichita, Kansas
What a wonderful book of imagination! It reawakens the side of longing for good stories, a desire instilled in childhood and never gone. One looses the tedious realities and escapes into that innocence of fascination. Thank you!
You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family.
The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during wartime, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.
Masterfully blending true events with fiction, this blockbuster historical thriller delivers a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. The Swan Thieves is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.
I read this book in two days and found it so refreshing. Although you will learn a great deal about barn owls by reading it, the book is not just ...
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I enjoyed reading this book, however, feel that this is not completely her own ideas. This books remembers me of a cross between 'ghost','Sixth ...
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Lisa See has written a great book! This story is satisfying on many levels, some scenes horrifying, but seemingly truthful, and her handling of the ...
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Amazon 'buy button' rumors abound(Mar 18 2010) Rumors swirled today that Amazon could revoke the buy buttons for books by Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin, or Hachette if the major publishers can't...
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Amazon's e-pricing threats(Mar 18 2010) With Apple's iPad launch just weeks away, Amazon raised the stakes again when it threatened to stop directly selling the books of some publishers online...
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Across the Nightingale Floor
BookBrowse
Christina Reader, Watermark Books and Cafe, Wichita, Kansas
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