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Grass For His Pillow [Hardcover]

Lian Hearn (Author)

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Riverhead (HC) (Aug 12 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1573222518
ISBN-13: 978-1573222518
Product Dimensions: 23.7 x 16.1 x 2.8 cm
Shipping Weight: 590 g

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #447,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

From Amazon

Lian Hearn's second novel in the Tales of the Otori, Grass For His Pillow continues to enrich and expand his mystical imaginings of feudal Japan. Picking up where Across the Nightingale Floor left off, Takeo fulfills his debt of honor and accepts his heritage as a member of the superhuman cabal of assassins known as "The Tribe," and is thus ingested into their plots. But his heart yearns for Kaede, his one true love, and secretly wishes to fulfill the final wishes of his adopted father, Otori Shigaru. Meanwhile, Kaede returns to her homeland to find her father's estate in ruin and her inheritance in jeopardy. The two each encounter vast political machinations and deadly consequences as they unconsciously move toward their overwhelming urges to reunite and defy (or perhaps embrace) fate.

Hearn's second book into the Tales of the Otori series is a more poignant tale than the first, painfully examining the lines between honor, duty, and love. With its calming and satisfying conclusion, the landscape of Hearn's mythical vision of Japan braces for a dazzling storm in the book to come. --Jeremy Pugh

From Publishers Weekly

The pseudonymous Hearn's second thrilling installment of her Tales of the Otori trilogy (after 2002's Across the Nightingale Floor) is once again set in a magic-haunted version of medieval Japan where no one wields unchallenged authority and no one is safe. The swirl of treacherous, shifting clan alliances threatens to overwhelm young lovers and aristocrats Takeo and Kaede. Separated throughout most of the action, the two must develop their talents while trying to maintain their integrity. Takeo possesses superhuman gifts such as the ability to become invisible, project a double image of himself and hear distant conversations; however, he must discipline his skills and control his impetuous temper. He also must work out his relationship with the Tribe, a treacherous secret organization of spies and assassins that saved his life but that may have murdered his father. Kaede, meanwhile, has to escape the powerless role of a woman if she is to protect herself and her family domain from predatory neighbors. Adept at creating vivid natural settings where the supernatural feels unusually plausible, Hearn catches fresh details of trees, birds, rivers and mountains. With quick, direct sentences like brushstrokes on a Japanese scroll, she suggests vast and mysterious landscapes full of both menace and wonder. Hearn shows that middle novels of trilogies don't have to simply fill space between an exciting opening and conclusion.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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First Sentence
Shirakawa Kaede lay deeply asleep in the state close to unconsciousness that the Kikuta can deliver with their gaze. Read the first page

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Concordance

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, rises above the first., Mar 21 2004

Jason Denzel (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Grass For His Pillow (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed ACROSS THE NIGHTINGALE FLOOR, the first book in this trilogy. Although I was captivated by it, I did not rush out to buy this second book. But this second novel definitely improved upon the first. I am really fired up after having read the conclusion, and am ready to buy book three.

The whole series is fascinating, even if it does follow a familiar fomula. But it's a timeless formula, and one that has been proven to work time and time again. Lean Hearn is an expert at hinting at events rather than showing them directly. The way this book is written, you get the impression that it's like a piece of artwork itself: what's not there is just as important as the imagery you see.

I'm looking forward to the concluding book, and will rush out to get it right away this time.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Grass for His Pillow, Mar 12 2004

T. Zane (Daytona Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Grass For His Pillow (Hardcover)

I totally loved Book One. Book Two, Grass for His Pillow was a complete disappointment. The first half of the book was nothing but a repeat of material from Book One. In many instances, it was paragraph and chapter upon paragraph and chapter repeating text from Book One. Book Two was a rip off, I bought and read it based on the quality of Book One, and I was sadly mistaken. I am sorry I got and would not recommend it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, Feb 19 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Grass For His Pillow (Hardcover)

I don't think this was just fluff and filler for the middle of the trilogy. I thought that they developed Lady Kaede's character much more here than just having her be a hostage and a pretty face. We got to know her character better. It did seem a bit trite that she and Takeo are star-crossed lovers and they are so much in love as to turn their backs on everything else. Been there done that. I agree with the whole fulfilling a prophecy thing as being lame and contrived. Plus, finding out that all the main characters are related, oh come on. All in all, a good easy read and I'm looking forward to the third installment.

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› Go to Amazon.com to see all 53 reviews 4.2 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of unabridged audio version
Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good;... Read more

Published on Feb 3 2004 by Erik1988

3.0 out of 5 stars It was good but pretty please no more prophecies
I loved the first book, strong, imaginative, good story. More of the same here. But somewhere toward the middle I could see where it was going. Please! Read more

Published on Dec 22 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun but lots of filler
If you haven't read Across the Nightengale Floor much of Grass for His Pillow isn't going to make any sense. Read more

Published on Dec 6 2003 by C. Bobrick

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but...
I thought this suffered a little from "middle of the trilogy" syndrome. Dramatic events occurred in the first book, along with the introduction of many interesting... Read more

Published on Oct 4 2003 by A. Lee

5.0 out of 5 stars UNBELIEVABLE
It was UNBELIEVABLY good! I couldn't put it down. It is so unique and interesting. I would definitely suggest the book to anyone.

Published on Sep 28 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Epic adventures continue
GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW by Lian Hearn

The second book in a series called TALES OF THE OTORI by Lian Hearn, GRASS FOR HIS PILLOW continues the story of young Takeo (Tomasu) and his... Read more

Published on Sep 7 2003 by Ratmammy

5.0 out of 5 stars The finale is built up...
I bought the first book (Across the Nightingale Floor) and absolutely loved it! I couldn't put it down. Read more

Published on Sep 2 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent literary work of fantasy
Following his killing of the malevolent Lord Lida, Takeo feels ambivalent towards the Tribe who saved his life, but killed his adopted father even while he struggles to learn how... Read more

Published on Aug 5 2003 by Harriet Klausner