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3.0étoiles sur 5
Could have been much more than it was..., Mars 12 2003
Like samurai?
Like vicious backstabbing and war?
Like demons, angered gods and magic?Good! Genpei contains all of that. But oh, there's a problem. Genpei is entertaining if you really, truly crave samurai-themed books. Everyone else is advised to beware. Apparenly, Kara Dalkey modeled Genpei on ancient Japanese books like Shining Prince Genji, and therein lies the chief problem. Those old books are fantastic for historical reference, but in terms of entertainment value, they suffer. Genpei is a dry and ponderous tome that feels twice as long as it actually is. Dalkey's writing is capable but stiff, lacking any voice or flourish. The dialogue is formal and devoid of wit, and the method of storytelling seems to be 'tell, don't show' (the story tracks decades in the lives of the Taira and Minamoto families, and much of the story is devoted to playing catch-up by summarizing what happened in the timespan between chapters). It's hard to work up sympathy for anyone, as the characters all seem to be an array of scheming and politicking old men, mostly so similar that it's difficult to separate them -- and not just because of the Japanese name-changing and similarity customs. The whole thing is just... boring. Even the villains are weak. A fantasy based on the Genpei wars could have been a fantastic read. It was a fascinating period in Japanese history, a time when courtly peace began its decay back into bickering feudalism. I was as giddy as a schoolgirl upon finding this novel in the library, knowing nothing about it. But after reading Genpei, I'd say unless you really, really, REALLY love samurai, you'd be better off skipping this one. I'm only giving it three stars because yes, I REALLY love samurai...
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