book data
1831 ratings, 4.11 average rating, 246 reviews
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published
June 3rd 2003
(first published 2002)
by Riverhead Trade
binding
Paperback, 320 pages
setting
Unknown
literary awards
New York Times: Notable Book (2002), Book Magazine’s: Best Novels of the Year, Nielsen BookData/ABA: Book of the Year Award (shortlist), Times: The Most Compelling Novel to have been Published This Year, Wirral Paperback of the Year (2004), Dutscher Jugendliteratur-preis (2004), Peter Pan Award , Prix Litterature in the La Nuit De Lire , Winner of the Alex Award
isbn
1573223328
(isbn13: 9781573223324)
description
The debut novel of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series, Across the Nightingale Floor, is set in a feudal Japan on the edge of the imagination. The ...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 2332)
Read in August, 2007
This is a weird book for anyone who has more than a passing knowledge of Japan.
The author is a great fan of Japan, its culture and its history. That's obvious just by looking at her name, Lian Hearn, which is a pseudonym. According to Wikipedia, it's a contraction of "heron," an important bird in the Tales of the Otori series, but it's also the surname of one of the most famous Western experts on Japan, Lafcadio Hearn. She's gone to great lengths to instill Japanese culture...more
The author is a great fan of Japan, its culture and its history. That's obvious just by looking at her name, Lian Hearn, which is a pseudonym. According to Wikipedia, it's a contraction of "heron," an important bird in the Tales of the Otori series, but it's also the surname of one of the most famous Western experts on Japan, Lafcadio Hearn. She's gone to great lengths to instill Japanese culture...more
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Read in December, 2008
Historical fiction set in an alternate Japan. Basically: one where there are ninjas. For reals, yo! Magical ninjas! Watch out; they will kill you in your sleep.
The first couple chapters of this really grabbed me: teenage Takeo returns from wandering the hills to discover that everyone in his village has been massacred. He’s rescued from the murderers by Lord Otori, and the two escape through the forest. Meanwhile, Lady Kaede, who’s spent almost her whole life as a prisoner of war...more
The first couple chapters of this really grabbed me: teenage Takeo returns from wandering the hills to discover that everyone in his village has been massacred. He’s rescued from the murderers by Lord Otori, and the two escape through the forest. Meanwhile, Lady Kaede, who’s spent almost her whole life as a prisoner of war...more
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3 comments
Read in June, 2004
recommends it for:
everyone who wants something different
This is a brilliant series and I'm currently re-reading them just because I can. The writing is beautiful, it is like looking at a painting. The characters are perfectly drawn, the setting is easy to visualise. It's one of my favourites.
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Read in December, 2008
This book was a wonderful find and very refreshing.
Across the Nightengalefloor is a fantasy/romance set in Feudal Japan, and revolves around a young boy named Takeo who, after being tragically orphaned is adopted by Lord Shigeru of the Otori. From here, he discovers his true bloodline and the powers behind it.
Some of these powers are heightened senses like increased hearing and sight, and Lian Hearn uses this, combined with a beautiful first-person narrative to paint a beaut...more
Across the Nightengalefloor is a fantasy/romance set in Feudal Japan, and revolves around a young boy named Takeo who, after being tragically orphaned is adopted by Lord Shigeru of the Otori. From here, he discovers his true bloodline and the powers behind it.
Some of these powers are heightened senses like increased hearing and sight, and Lian Hearn uses this, combined with a beautiful first-person narrative to paint a beaut...more
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Read in October, 2007
A beautiful story...
Dimana takeo bertemu dengan lord otori (shigeru), diangkat anak dan bagaimana takeo yang ternyata merupakan keturunan kikuta memiliki kemampuan untuk membalaskan dendam lord otori shigeru dengan membunuh lord iida... Ceritanya bagus menarik banget, dulu sampai ga sabar nunggu buku keduanya,, takeo jadi kayak kebagi antara dia seorang bangsawan pewaris shigeru dan seorang kikuta. Dan takeo jatuh cinta sama kaede gadis bangsawan yang cantik banget yang dijodohin sama lord...more
Dimana takeo bertemu dengan lord otori (shigeru), diangkat anak dan bagaimana takeo yang ternyata merupakan keturunan kikuta memiliki kemampuan untuk membalaskan dendam lord otori shigeru dengan membunuh lord iida... Ceritanya bagus menarik banget, dulu sampai ga sabar nunggu buku keduanya,, takeo jadi kayak kebagi antara dia seorang bangsawan pewaris shigeru dan seorang kikuta. Dan takeo jatuh cinta sama kaede gadis bangsawan yang cantik banget yang dijodohin sama lord...more
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Read in December, 2008
This book is nothing other than a flight-of-fancy on the part of the author. The main character, Takeo, is virtually without flaw, which makes for an uninteresting protagonist and a predictable story. The female protagonist, Kaede, had slightly more promise that never managed to materialise, leaving her as a two-dimensional love interest for Takeo.
I enjoy trashy fantasy, but this novel was just so predictable and so mundane that I couldn't get into it. It has nothing new to offer,...more
I enjoy trashy fantasy, but this novel was just so predictable and so mundane that I couldn't get into it. It has nothing new to offer,...more
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Read in February, 2007
Penerjemah : Meithya Rose Prasetyo
Penyunting : Miq Acango
Diterbitkan oleh Penerbit Matahari
Cetakan I, Juni 2005
Tomasu tak pernah menyangka pertemuannya dengan Lord Otori Shigeru, akan merubah jalan hidupnya dari seorang Hidden menjadi pewaris tunggal salah seorang bangsawan dari klan Otori itu. Tomasu dan Lord Otori bertemu ketika anak muda berusia 16 tahun itu sedang berusaha melarikan diri dari kejaran Iida Sadamu, pemimpin klan Tohan yang ditakuti.
Tom...more
Penyunting : Miq Acango
Diterbitkan oleh Penerbit Matahari
Cetakan I, Juni 2005
Tomasu tak pernah menyangka pertemuannya dengan Lord Otori Shigeru, akan merubah jalan hidupnya dari seorang Hidden menjadi pewaris tunggal salah seorang bangsawan dari klan Otori itu. Tomasu dan Lord Otori bertemu ketika anak muda berusia 16 tahun itu sedang berusaha melarikan diri dari kejaran Iida Sadamu, pemimpin klan Tohan yang ditakuti.
Tom...more
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Read in October, 2008
Mengisahkan tentang perjalanan dua tokoh utama, Tomasu/Otori Takeo dan Shirakawa Kaede di tengah2 konflik politik dan budaya dengan setting Jepang kuno.
Penceritaannya mengambil sudut pandang orang pertama yang berganti-ganti antara tokoh utama (Takeo, Kaede, dan kadang2 tokoh lain juga)
Buku pertama dengan tema 'Nightingale Floor' ini menceritakan latar belakang kedua tokoh utama. Takeo, mulai dari desa asalnya, diangkat sebagai anak oleh Shigeru dari klan Otori, sampai usaha me...more
Penceritaannya mengambil sudut pandang orang pertama yang berganti-ganti antara tokoh utama (Takeo, Kaede, dan kadang2 tokoh lain juga)
Buku pertama dengan tema 'Nightingale Floor' ini menceritakan latar belakang kedua tokoh utama. Takeo, mulai dari desa asalnya, diangkat sebagai anak oleh Shigeru dari klan Otori, sampai usaha me...more
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I am planning to embark on these books next but because of the difficulty with names and places, and not seeing them in print (the visual equals reality to me), the onus will be on the narrator. So first up is Across the Nightingale Floor.
Across the Nightingale Floor more than lives up to its billing as an exceptional new literary sensation, from the tragic excitement and drama of a sacked village on the opening page, to the later multi-layered court intrigues and tales of family rev...more
Across the Nightingale Floor more than lives up to its billing as an exceptional new literary sensation, from the tragic excitement and drama of a sacked village on the opening page, to the later multi-layered court intrigues and tales of family rev...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
literate fantasy types...
This was recommended to me by the always reputable Tom Holbrook, owner of RiverRun Books in Portsmouth. I resisted his urgings to read The Time Traveller's Wife for so long and then enjoyed it so thoroughly, that I vowed to never doubt him again.
Hearn has borrowed heavily from the Shogun style of feudal Japan to create a world that closely resembles that country's historical setting with outcast heroes, warrior monks, deadly ninja like assassins with supernatural abilities and beaut...more
Hearn has borrowed heavily from the Shogun style of feudal Japan to create a world that closely resembles that country's historical setting with outcast heroes, warrior monks, deadly ninja like assassins with supernatural abilities and beaut...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
fantasy readers [young adult]
Apart from the usual powerful but nice enough hero readers can relate to who is working to save the world, what I loved the most about this story is the fact that for once here is a fantasy story that is not Western influenced - that is without the usual midieval huha with dragons and knights etc. but here is a narrative where Hearn creates a magical empire heavily influenced by Japanse culture and history. For me personally, it was hard to believe it's not true [although I bet avid fans of Japa...more
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The premise of this book is intriguing, there is nothing better than a story about feudal Japan with secret tribes and ninjas running around in stealth mode, but the book is quite dull and did not live up to its expectations.
Takeo is rescued from his village as it is being massacred and he is adopted by Lord Shigeru. He is trained to assassinate Shigeru's enemy, but just before the assassination is to take place something unexpected happens and this event affects the outcome of every...more
Takeo is rescued from his village as it is being massacred and he is adopted by Lord Shigeru. He is trained to assassinate Shigeru's enemy, but just before the assassination is to take place something unexpected happens and this event affects the outcome of every...more
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The main character, Takeo starts out in a rural village in an asian feudalistic empire. It is a pre-modern time when chamber pots are used and horses are transportation. The warriors are the ruling class and the farmers are not treated well. This elaborate piece of fiction is told from the point of view of a young boy in a religious community called "the hidden", that is persecuted for their beliefs, including an oath to never kill for any reason.
Takeo is away hunting when ...more
Takeo is away hunting when ...more
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Read in July, 2005
I was curious about this book and its series for a while now, and more than one person recommended it to me. I read comments on the book and was naturally excited about it, so I started reading it with high expectations. I loved the story, I truly did, but it was a love that grew as I read, tempered by some problems I encountered with the book. No book is ever flawless, and Across the Nightingale Floor has its fair share of aspects that could use some work in my opinion. As the first book in a t...more
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Read in February, 2008
A boy on the verge of manhood returns from mushroom picking in the forest near his remote mountain home to discover chaos - his home in flames, his stepfather dead, warriors on horseback taking swords to the secretive members of a persecuted minority religion. This book starts fast and never slows down, as the author takes the reader on a galloping journey through a fictionalized feudal Japan.
Our hero takes the name Takeo while in exhile, and find protection from a traveling man with...more
Our hero takes the name Takeo while in exhile, and find protection from a traveling man with...more
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Read in January, 2004
The stories take place in a fantasy world based on ancient Japan. The stories follow a boy, Takeo, as he is thrust into a warrior-based society after his family is slaughtered. It also follows the tale of Kaede, a beautiful, but cursed girl who becomes the love and passion of Takeo's life.
The stories are derivative of many boy-hero books, you'll see hints of Lord of the Rings, and even Star Wars if you look carefully enough. While the book relies heavily on this style, it doesn't take ...more
The stories are derivative of many boy-hero books, you'll see hints of Lord of the Rings, and even Star Wars if you look carefully enough. While the book relies heavily on this style, it doesn't take ...more
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Read in September, 2007
It's been difficult to write about this series of books. The first three are a trilogy and then there is a "final" book, and a pre-quel (ignore all misspellings.) Though these are listed as science fiction, it is obvious that they are based heavily on life in medieval Japan, where family and regional ties bound people together, and alliances between feuding regions/families were made not on paper but by arranging marriages of their children. Though there are people with extraordinary...more
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Read in January, 2003
I remember having read this book while on the way to and from an anime convention and as I recall, it was a very well writeen, very intricate book. It was an ideal Japanese fantasy, interwoven with ninja clans, magics and fantastic devices. The story is of a boy who grew up amongst The People, a clan of men and women dedicated to the ways of the assassin. The boy is ripped from this society before he can fully become a part of it and is found by a local lord of the Otori clan who takes him in. A...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
teen readers
I picked this book up after a friend recommended it. It is young adult fiction so it is a very easy and fast read. The story centers around the two main characters Takeo and Kaede and is set in a kind of fictitious medieval Japan.
Takeo loses his family in the beginning of the book and is adopted by an Otori Lord. The man provides for Takeo's education and Takeo discovers he is one of the mystical people known as the Tribe. As the book progresses he learns and pursues his final de...more
Takeo loses his family in the beginning of the book and is adopted by an Otori Lord. The man provides for Takeo's education and Takeo discovers he is one of the mystical people known as the Tribe. As the book progresses he learns and pursues his final de...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
older teens
I found this book quite compulsive and easy to read after I got past the first few chapters. It is a melodrama set in a Japan-like world: the names, geography and traditions are Japanese with the added extra of magical powers. The narrative is told from the perspectives of Takeo (a boy brutally orphaned who discovers magical and military skills under his adoptive father) and Kaede (a girl who is held hostage by political intrigues). Their romance is a predictable "love at first sight" ...more