The Heike Story: A Modern Translation of the Classic Tale of Love and War by Eiji Yoshikawa

The Heike Story: A Modern Translation of the Classic Tale of Love and War Reviews

• 
  Tessa Nadir

  "Ce e soarta si de ce trebuie sa asteptam noi dupa ea?"
  Romanul are la baza epopeea medievala de la inceputul sec. al XIII-lea "Heike Monogatari", un document cu mare importanta istorica pe care autorul il rescrie intr-o cheie moderna pe intelesul nostru. La inceput avem inserat arborele genealogic al familiilor aristocrate conducatoare din acea perioada: Heike, Genji si Fujiwara.
  Figura centrala, eroul cartii este Heita Kiyomori a carui viata este prezentata de la 20 de ani pana la maturitate, saga continuandu-se atat cu faptele sale de vitejie cat si cu cele ale fiilor sai.
  Ne aflam in 1135 iar Kiyomori are 20 de ani si este nascut din parinti alesi. Tatal sau Tadamori este luptator din clanul Heike si functionar al Palatului, iar mama sa vine din distinsa familie imperiala Fujiwara. Traiul lor este insa destul de modest, tatal fiind delasator si macinat de o suspiciune ce planeaza asupra frumoasei mame, lucru despre care va afla in curand si Kiyomori.
  Secretul mamei sale, cum ca aceasta fusese de fapt amanta fostului imparat Shirakawa, iese la iveala iar paternitatea lui Kiyomori este pusa la indoiala. Relatia dintre el si mama lui se raceste, baiatul casatorindu-se apoi cu fiica unui nobil decazut, Tokiko, care ii ofera mai multi fii si o fiica ce va ajunge sotie de imparat. La 30 de ani este ridicat in rang si primeste titlul de Domn Aki, guvernator de provincie. Aflam apoi despre faptele sale de vitejie luptand pentru imparatul in functie unde iese victorios si primeste titlul de Domn Harima.
  Romanul prezinta asadar saga a 3 generatii, tatal Tadamori, Kiyomori si fiul sau Shigemori, dar si infruntarea dintre cele doua clanuri de luptatori Heike si Genji pentru putere, dominare si distinctie. Pe langa aceste teme principale care il insotesc pe erou cartea este plina si de povesti secundare despre oameni remarcabili si pataniile lor, din care avem foarte multe de invatat. Acestea sunt practic ridicate la rang de pilde. Iata cateva dintre ele:
  - istorisirea cu cele 3 vulpi crutate de catre Kiyomori la vanatoare;
  - povestea lui Yoshikiyo care isi paraseste familia si se calugareste;
  - patania nefericitului Morito care din greseala isi omoara iubita si este nevoit sa traiasca cu aceasta vina fiind izgonit;
  - povestea frumoasei sotii care il pacaleste pe Morito si prefera sa fie ucisa decat sa-si insele sotul;
  - fabula lui Asatori care pazeste Izvorul cu Salcie pentru ca imparatul sa aiba de unde sa bea apa.
  Nu este o lectura usoara insa povestile sunt minunate, foarte agreabile, insa s-ar putea sa vi se para greoi de citit pentru ca initial traducerea s-a facut din japoneza in engleza si multe dintre amanuntele specific traditionale japoneze s-au pierdut pe drum. Mai mult, varianta romana este o traducere din engleza nu din japoneza si evident ca ar fi fost de preferat o traducere direct din textul original, chiar daca ar fi fost o munca anevoioasa.
  Consider ca este un must-read pentru pasionatii de istorie a Japoniei, arta razboiului, perioada anterioara samurailor, traditiile japoneze, viata imperiala, obiceiurile de la Curte, precum si viata de zi cu zi a oamenilor din Japonia medievala.
  In incheiere atasez cateva citate interesante pe care le-am selectat:
  "Sunt vremuri tulburate, Heita. De ce sa iti lasi spiritul sa se cocoseze inca din primavara tineretii tale?"
  "Si totusi, ceea ce ma framanta este ca avem atat de putina mila sau dragoste pentru acelea care ne poarta copiii."
  "Atat invingatorul cat si infrantul cantau si dansau cot la cot. Victoria era inceputul infrangerii, infrangerea era punctul de pornire al victoriei. Aceasta era legea naturii, Roata mereu schimbatoare a Vietii din religia budista."
  "... ce era virtutea unei femei decat o marfa eleganta, un zalog gratios, acordat frecvent si retras cu aceeasi usurinta, pentru placerea barbatilor?"
  "Dar puterea este o otrava si mai ucigatoare. Fascinatia pe care puterea le-o arata oamenilor este intr-adevar o taina. Cel care o gusta o data nu va inceta sa nasca nenorociri sau sa se lase atras in ele."
  "... si exista ceva numai al ei, ca un parfum staruitor, pe care Kiyomori il recunoscu de-acum: era farmecul fara gres care il facuse odinioara pe un monarh sa o curteze..."
• 
  Faira

  Setelah Musashi dan Taiko, kini para penggemar novel Jepang, khususnya karya-karya Yoshikawa Eiji, dibuat gembira dengan terbitnya The Heike Story. Secara garis besar, buku ini mengisahkan perjalanan hidup Taira no Kiyomori, yang berperan besar menempatkan klan Taira sebagai klan yang paling disegani di era tersebut.
  
  Ada beberapa hal yang ingin saya komentari tentang versi terjemahan Bahasa Indonesia ini. Untuk terjemahan, sudah cukup memadai, jadi tidak usah dibahas lebih lanjut. Sayang seribu sayang, ada satu hal yang bagi saya sangat mengganggu, yaitu sistem penamaan tokoh. Sepertinya penerjemah kebingungan kapan harus menggunakan nama Heike, Taira, Genji dan Minamoto? Contoh paling nyata, nama si karakter utama yang ditulis sebagai Heike Kiyomori. Dari dulu sampai sekarang, Kiyomori tidak pernah ditulis memakai nama Heike sebagai family name, melainkan Taira. Memang huruf Kanji Taira bisa dibaca sebagai Hei-yang bila ditambah dengan -ke yang berarti "keluarga", otomatis akan membentuk kata "Heike". Tapi "Heike" itu sendiri bukanlah nama keluarga, melainkan sebutan untuk para anggota keluarga Taira dan para pengikutnya.
  
  Hal yang sama terjadi pada karakter Yoshitomo. Di versi ini berkali-kali ia dan para anggota keluarganya seperti Yoritomo ditulis sebagai Genji Yoshitomo, Genji Yoritomo dsb, dsb. Lagi-lagi kesalahan seperti pada kasus Kiyomori. Kata Genji di sini juga bukan family name [walau memang huruf Minamoto juga bisa dibaca "Gen":], melainkan sebutan untuk para anggota keluarga Minamoto dan pengikutnya. Akan lebih tepat bila untuk nama karakter seperti Kiyomori, Yoshitomo, Yoritomo dll tetap memakai nama keluarga mereka, mis: Taira Kiyomori, Minamoto Yoshitomo, Minamoto Yoritomo dst. Sedangkan untuk sebutan Heike dan Genji, sebaiknya dipakai saat menyebut kedua kubu secara keseluruhan. Memang hal ini sepertinya remeh dan mungkin ada yang berpendapat, "Cuma masalah nama. Gak usah dipusingkan". Tapi karena ini sudah menyangkut sejarah. takutnya pembaca awam nanti malah kebingungan saat browsing "Heike Kiyomori", tapi malah dapat "Taira Kiyomori" XDD
  
  Oh ya. Akhirnya sekarang saya punya dugaan kuat mengapa di Taiga Drama Yoshitsune ada adegan Yoshitsune cilik [Ushiwaka:] bertemu dengan Shizuka Gozen cilik. Ternyata adegan itu ada di bab2 terakhir The Heike Story ini :)
  
  Semoga kelak ada penerbit lain yang mau menerbitkan kisah-kisah sejarah Jepang seperti The Heike Story ini. Cuma satu pesan saya: Tolong diriset dulu latar belakang sejarahnya lebih mendalam supaya kasus Heike VS Taira ini tidak terulang lagi.
  
  Tadinya saya mau kasih 3 bintang untuk versi terjemahan The Heike Story. Tapi karena masalah penamaan seperti yang saya tulis di atas, terpaksa diturunkan jadi 2 bintang saja.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Manea Ionut

  "Povestea familiei Heike este o transpunere modernă a unei frumoase legende japoneze. Atmosfera sa exotică, puterea narativă, descrierile minuţioase şi poeticitatea limbajului vor cuceri cititorul contemporan, care va avea, citind-o, prilejul unei fermecătoare lecţii de cultura şi istorie a Japoniei. „Când secretele marilor familii ale Japoniei se alătură tainelor din budoarele curtezanelor, când tradiţia nepătată a călugărilor budişti este tulburată de revolte înspăimântătoare, doar onoarea războinicilor mai stă în calea haosului. În tot acest labirint de evenimente, Eiji Yoshikawa plasează cu o neîntrecută măiestrie momentele de tensiune şi ştie cum să facă să rezoneze corzile narative ale poveştii sale, un adevărat bestseller.“
• 
  Angela Serban

  Dacă sunteți fani Japonia medievală ăsta-i un must. Am incercat si Musashi, dar a fost prea greoaie și prea înceată pentru mine. Heike a fost waw. O recomand cu tot dragul iubitorilor de samurai. N-o să găsiți samurai în carte, dar le veți cunoaște predecesorii. Traducerea și adaptarea pe care am citit-o e ciopartita la montaj din cate am inteles, dar tot merita. Are tot ce-i trebuie. Este lupta dintre doua clanuri, ce se întinde pe mai multe generații. Este o saga complexa cu multe personaje, cu nume atât de asemanatoare de-ti solicita toată atenția și toti nervii, cu povești de dragoste, curaj, onoare, sacrificiu și multi morti. Am devorat-o. Este povestea lui Kiyomori si drumul lui spre succes. De la mizerie, saracie si batjocora la faima, renume si statut.
• 
  Vera Maharani

  Awalnya saya pikir, apa yang mau saya ulas ya, saya pasti suka sama buku ini sih. Bagaimanapun ini kan
  
  1. Karya Yoshikawa Eiji. I have been smitten by his work eversince I read an excerpt of Taiko in my junior high years. Seperti yang diterakan pada akhir buku ini, Eiji Yoshikawa tidak terpengaruh oleh literatur Barat, terutama penulis Rusia dan Perancis (beda sama, misalnya, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, yang setiap baca tulisannya, saya jadi merasa harus baca lebih banyak literatur lagi. Prosper Merimee who? Polikouchka what? Jenis asyik yang beda dengan baca karya Yoshikawa). Yoshikawa's work is authentically Japanese. Katanya, ya. Soalnya saya belum pernah baca dalam bahasa aslinya, terjemahan kan pasti ada rasa yang beda.
  
  2. It is about the beginning of Japanese Shogunate. Well, kejadian-kejadian yang mendahuluinya sih. Kisah Minamoto no Yoritomo (pendiri Kamakura Shogunate) diceritakan lebih lengkap pada 'Minamoto no Yoritomo', juga oleh Yoshikawa Eiji.
  
  Saya selalu tertarik pada bagian yang berkaitan dengan sejarah Jepang yang ini. Semangat serta filosofi Bushido menarik untuk dipelajari dan diterapkan pada kehidupan sehari-hari. Selain itu, anekdot dan kebiasaan mereka yang borderline paranoid juga menarik untuk diingat dan diceritakan kembali. Tahukah kamu bahwa Uesugi Kenshin (salah satu daimyo terkenal pada masa Sengoku) dikabarkan meninggal karena ada ninja yang bersembunyi di lubang toiletnya dan menusuknya saat dia duduk?. So he went to do his business and the sword stabbed his anus and he bleed to death. After reading this, you might want to double check before you sit on your toilet.
  
  3. Tahun 2012 lalu, ada Taiga drama tentang Taira no Kiyomori (which I so wanted to see but dramacrazy.net was shut down before the English-subbed version came out completely and my fangirling soul was utterly devastated). Bahkan kalaupun nggak suka-suka amat sejarah, deretan aktor/aktris pendukungnya menjanjikan performa yang menarik sekali. Secara pribadi, saya pengen nonton penampilan kecengan aktor Jepang favorit saya, terutama Tamaki Hiroshi sebagai Minamoto no Yoshitomo dan Okada Masaki sebagai Minamoto no Yoritomo
  
  Jadi... yah, saya membaca ini sambil membayangkan wajah mereka. Nggak heran bahwa saya teramat sangat biased. hahaha.
  
  So, why the 3-stars?
  
  Pertama-tama, soal nama. Heike Kiyomori, Genji Yoshitomo...serius nih? Setahu saya, 'Heike' dan 'Genji' itu digunakan untuk menyebut klan masing-masing secara keseluruhan. Untuk nama, bukannya nama keluarga mereka 'Taira' dan 'Minamoto'? Jadi seharusnya ditulis Taira no Kiyomori, Minamoto no Yoshitomo, dan sebagainya. Kalau saya baca ini dalam versi Word, saya pasti udah pencet Ctrl+F>Replace 'Heike' with 'Taira no'. Naluri editor membahana. Hahaha.
  
  Kedua-dua, menurut penjelasan di belakang, buku ini telah disederhanakan agar dapat dinikmati oleh pembaca non-Jepang. Saya nggak tahu, mungkin buku ini juga diterjemahkan dari versi Inggrisnya. Hasilnya, buku ini memang bahasanya lebih mudah dicerna daripada karya Yoshikawa yang lain, misalnya Musashi. Namun sebagai pembaca yang justru lebih suka memeras otak namun dapat menikmati suasana autentik Jepang, kebijakan ini sangat saya sesalkan. Misalnya nih ya, pada hal 273:
  
  

  Kepada Yoshitomo dianugerahkan, kata banyak orang, hadiah yang terbesar, yaitu jabatan sebagai Juru Kunci Istal Kekaisaran, sebuah jabatan yang belum pernah terdengar di kalangan Samurai. Bagaimanapun, sebagian orang percaya bahwa Kiyomori-lah yang menerima hadiah terbesar. Jabatan Gubernur di Provinsi Harima dan gelar Tuan Harima...

  
  
  Setelah baca ini, saya mikir Yoshitomo kerjanya jagain kuda sementara Kiyomori jadi gubernur. Dengan penafsiran semacam itu, nggak usah diperdebatkan siapa yang jabatannya lebih tinggi ya. Saya curiga ini semua gara-gara penerjemahan yang disederhanakan itu. Kayaknya lebih asyik kalau istilah-istilah bahasa Jepangnya aja yang diterakan sementara di bawah ada footnote yang menjelaskan, maksudnya jabatan itu apa. Oh, sepanjang pembacaan buku ini, sungguh saya mendamba footnote semacam itu.
  
  Ketiga-tiga, tentang typo. Saya sampai membaca dengan pulpen di tangan, siap sedia mencoret huruf yang salah atau berlebih. Terkadang fatal karena terkait nama, misalnya 'Yoshihira' dan 'Yoshihiro'. Plus banyaknya nama-nama yang bermunculan (berhubung ini adalah kisah epik dengan berbagai klan serta tokoh-tokoh non-klan), ini bisa jadi sangat membingungkan. Misalnya di bab 30-sekian baru muncul tokoh Yoshihiro, terus jadi bingung Yoshihiro ini siapa? Dari klan mana? Kenapa dia tiba-tiba melakukan hal ini? Akhirnya skimming untuk mencari nama Yoshihiro di halaman-halaman sebelumnya (and doing that in a 750-pages book is no easy feat). Setelah kebingungan dan membaca bab itu pelan-pelan, ternyata yang dimaksud adalah Minamoto no Yoshihira, anak sulung Minamoto no Yoshitomo. Zzzz banget. Hati-hati aja, sebab hal semacam ini tak hanya terjadi sekali. Untungnya sih, buku yang saya pegang ini baru cetakan pertama, jadi masih ada kemungkinan besar untuk diperbaiki pada cetakan selanjutnya.
  
  Terlepas dari semua kekurangan itu, buku ini membuat saya banyak merenung. Tidak hanya bertebar pertempuran yang membuat berdebar, buku ini juga bercerita tentang cinta, belas kasihan, dan usaha memaafkan (walau, ya itu, porsi pertempuran lebih besar). Saya belajar bahwa ketika kekuasaan ditempatkan menjadi yang utama, kedamaian itu cuma fatamorgana. Dapat dilihat dari perseteruan golongan samurai, bangsawan, dan pemuka agama, bahkan antara mantan kaisar, kaisar berkuasa, dan calon kaisar (padahal kaisar-kaisar ini anak-beranak lho). Ayah mengasingkan anaknya, anak membunuh ayahnya, keponakan memenggal pamannya. Your head was never actually safe, even at the mercy of your own family (and your anus was never actually safe even in the privacy of your own toilet). Nggak heran kalau di masa itu para samurai jadi paranoid banget. Bersyukur banget hidup di masa kini, setidaknya hubungan keluarga nggak begitu-begitu amat.
  
  Hal lain yang menarik di sini adalah interaksi antara tokoh-tokoh lelaki, terutama Kiyomori, dengan perempuan-perempuan dalam hidupnya. Dikotomi antara maskulinitas dan femininitas yang sangat terasa. Misalnya pada kata-kata Kiyomori saat mengomentari permintaan istrinya untuk menjaga Motomori, anak kedua mereka yang baru pertama kali terjun ke peperangan (FYI, Motomori was 17 at that time):
  
  

  "Mereka, para wanita itu, tidak tahu betapa kejinya perang. Mereka tidak pernah melihatnya. Pertempuran pecah sepanjang waktu di wilayah Barat dan Timur, namun tidak pernah terjadi di sini sejak berabad-abad silam. Tidak seorang pun dari kalian mengetahui seperti apa perang yang sesungguhnya. Kalian baru akan mencicipinya untuk pertama kalinya, dan ini tidak akan mudah bagi siapa pun yang ada di sini." (hal. 229)

  
  
  Kiyomori mungkin menganggap rendah permintaan istrinya itu, yang dianggapnya pengecut. Namun sebagai samurai, dia pun belum dapat memahami penderitaan wanita pada masa itu. Nasibnya menunggu sementara ayah, suami, dan anak-anak mereka terjun ke medan perang, membela kehormatan atau apalah, alasan-alasan yang secara gamblang digambarkan Yoshikawa sebagai tidak terlalu penting bagi mereka, terutama melalui tokoh Fujiwara no Tokiko, istri Kiyomori. Kadang, orang-orang yang mereka cintai itu pulang hanya kepalanya saja, digantung di gerbang kota oleh pihak yang memenangi perang. Sementara wanita-wanita itu akan menjadi tawanan, atau diharapkan menjaga kehormatan keluarga dengan membunuh diri mereka sendiri dan anak-anak mereka. Penolakan terhadap kebiasaan ini menjadi lebih jelas karena kebanyakan tokoh wanita merupakan wanita istana atau berasal dari klan bangsawan Fujiwara, yang terbiasa hidup mewah dan tidak menyukai pertikaian langsung. Menarik juga bahwa menjelang akhir cerita, Kiyomori dibuat menyadari bahwa kekuatan wanita justru dapat terlihat dari kasih sayang dan ketabahannya.
  
  There were some loose strands in this story. Menurut catatan di belakang buku ini, Yoshikawa Eiji tidak sempat menyelesaikan buku ini, namun dua pertiga bagian yang sudah ada dianggap sudah memadai untuk diterbitkan. Mungkin gara-gara itu di sini saya nggak membaca tentang putri keluarga Takashina yang diperistri Kiyomori sebelum Tokiko dan beberapa tokoh lainnya yang saya baca dari sumber lain juga tidak muncul. Atau mungkin itu hanya licentia poetica, entahlah.
  
  Vera's tips on how to enjoy this book more
  
  1. As impossible as it may seems, read this book in few sittings. Interval antara pembacaan satu dan yang lainnya jangan terlalu lama. Kalau tidak, mungkin kamu akan mendapati nama suatu tokoh di bab 40-an yang kamu lupa banget itu siapa, karena terakhir dia muncul di bab belasan. Beberapa orang memilih skimming untuk mengingat kembali tokoh itu siapa, sementara beberapa orang memilih untuk bodo amat dan melanjutkan membaca. Keduanya merupakan pilihan yang amat menyebalkan dan mengganggu kenikmatan membaca secara keseluruhan.
  
  2. Peta silsilah di halaman-halaman depan sangat berguna untuk mengingat hubungan antartokoh.
  
  3. Kalau bisa beli cetakan kedua dan selanjutnya aja, serta berdoalah semoga typo dan kesalahan di cetakan pertama sudah dibetulkan
• 
  Gertrude & Victoria

  The Heike Story is an epic tale of two rival clans struggling for power. The loyal Heike and Genji clans have served the Fujiwara court well, but later find themselves in a battle for military and political control of the Imperial throne.
  
  In this tale we follow three generation of Heike commanders starting with Tadamori, then Kiyomori, and finally Shigemori. Throughout most of this historical novel, Kiyomori takes center stage, and it is primarily through his eyes, we can comprehend the tumultuous times of that era. Through him we gain insights into the strategies and strategems of warfare, as well as, learn something quite different and mundane in comparison, that of domestic life. He is the greatest of generals, but like all military men, succumbs to illusions too grand for any one man to handle, even a great man like Kiyomori.
  
  The plot, driven by a series of fierce and bloody battles, tempered by noble overtures of peace, captures the imagination as we get a rare glimpse into the life of twelfth century Heian, Japan. This is not just a story of war, but also, one of love and politics. Here the intrigues of the heart are equally as potent and diabolical as clandestine agreements between court officials or military commanders. From beginning to end we are consumed in the affairs of royalty, military men, politicians and priest monks, where courage, mercy and betrayal are woven together so beautifully, so effectively, we can feel both pain and joy, through their defeats and in their victories. This tale is nothing less than the story of life itself.
• 
  ~Andreea°

  Deși nu este prima mea experiență cu stilul lui Eiji Yoshikawa, "Povestea familiei Heike" m-a captivat încă din primul capitol.
  Este, într-adevăr, o adaptare accesibilă a poemului epic „ Heike Monogatari” sau, în cazul meu, o lucrare pregătitoare pentru intelegerea originalului.
  Cartea are un stil lejer, capitole scurte cu sporadice momente comice. Tragedia însă este o componentă esențială a poemului, iar Yoshikawa le prezintă cu măiestrie. Avem, drept exemplu, cazul Kesei Gozen, ucisă de Morito, un tânăr îndrăgostit nebunește de ea, deși era deja căsătorită. Este un eveniment absolut neașteptat care schimbă atmosfera lejeră si optimistă creată până în acel moment. Punctul culminant al întâmplării este fuga din capitală a lui Morito si regretul pe care îl exprimă cititorului. Adevărata lui țintă era soțul Kesei, Wataru, fapt de care femeia era conștientă. Așa că îl păcălește pe Morito, spunându-i să vină noaptea să-l ucidă. Astfel adormi Kesa în locul unde sabia lui Morito avea să-i spintece capul. Amărăciunea și disperarea lui sunt palpabile, iar pentru el nu am putut simți decât compătimire. (O altă versiune interesantă, în stilul analizei psihologice, este „Kesa și Morito” de Ryunosuke Akutagawa.)
  Narațiunea este lineară, centrată mai mult pe acțiune decât pe interioritate. Există mici segmente in care trăirile psihologice ale unor personaje sunt discutate, însă nu în mod complex: neputința de a-și hrăni copiii si separarea de ei însoțită de singurătate a doamnei Tokiwa sau ura tânărului Kiyomori pentru mama care l-a abandonat din cauza sărăciei sunt câteva exemple care îmi vin în minte.
  Am de discutat însă despre nemulțumirea pe care o am față de ediția în română. „Povestea familiei Heike" este prima carte pe paginile căreia am scris vreodată, iar asta pentru că în lista de personaje am găsit anul 1989, deși acțiunea se petrece in mijlocul secolului XII. Am mai corectat și alți ani, presupunând că pot să iert persoana responsabilă deoarece multe date sunt vagi. Nu am putut ierta însă greșelile gramaticale, mult prea multe pentru a putea fi scuzate. Nu mai vorbim și de nume așezate în alte locuri, astea sunt detalii.
  
• 
  Anasylvi

  În Japonia secolului al XII-lea existau două clanuri de războinici rivale: Heiké (Taira) și Genji (Minamoto). În Povestea familiei Heiké, autorul aduce treptat la lumină, într-un amplu tablou, modul în care funcționa societatea niponă a acelor vremuri. Urmărește destinul lui Kiyomori al clanului Heiké, ascensiunea acestui de-a lungul anilor de la nivelul unui băiat sărac, cu o paternitate incertă, deși membru al unei familii de luptători de vază, până la un om de o mare putere militară și cu influență la Curtea Imperială.
  
  Detalii aici:
  https://adropofinspiration.wordpress....
• 
  Philipp

  There are three 'big' books by Eiji Yoshikawa you can get in English:
  Musashi,
  Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan, and The Heike Story. All of these books are modernised (1950s) retellings of Japanese roughly medieval historical events over hundreds of pages. What is interesting that each of these books deals with a different 'layer' of Japanese medieval politics: Musashi is the story of one famous swordman's life. Taiko is the story of Hideyoshi, the man who would unite Japan, one of the most powerful Japanese in history. I absolutely love both Musashi and Taiko.
  
  Heiko sits in the middle of these - it's the story of a clan, aligned with the emperor, and its constant battle with a second clan for power, told across three generations of clan-leaders. However, for some curious reason, reading Heike does not feel as 'epic' as reading Musashi or Taiko. I wonder why? The afterword mentions that English translators and editors cut many subplots and chapters to make the book work with a Western audience. I wonder whether they cut out the magic.
• 
  Eadweard

  Fun novelization of a historical event.
  
  I'll be generous and give it a 4/5 since I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I had some issues with the translation (mostly choice of words) and the fact that it's an abridged edition for the western market.
• 
  Victor Bruneski

  This is a strange book, and I'm glad there was an historical note at the end to explain why. The story doesn't end first of all, it just stops. In the historical note it explains that the novel is only 2/3 of the way done. Why would they release an unfinished work you might ask. I'm guessing because Eiji Yoshikawa passed away in 1962. The tale ends with the oldest Genji escaping the capital, who would go onto bringing the Heike down. But there is no explanation of that unless you read the note at the end.
  
  The book is also a translation of a translation. What I mean is that Tales of Heike were old Japanese poems from after they lost power. Eiji Yoshikawa then translated them into a modern story...in Japanese. This is the English translation. It reads well and is enjoyable, but some of the translation put me off a little. Two things that come to mind is warrior class and some religous terms. I was confused at first if they had Samurai back then, and if it was the warrior class. It is easily researched and found out. Some of the relgious terms sound too western, like Bishop and church. It doesn't really detract from the story though, and for someone not familier with Japanese terms it works out.
  
  All in all I still recommend the book if you like Japanese history. It is quite entertaining. The Heike story is not just about the Samurai, but the Emperor, court, merchants (My favorite character is The Nose), and beggers. You really get the feel for the period and place. I had trouble rating it a 3 or a 4, if I could it would have got 3.5.
• 
  Keith Alverson

  This is not a novel in the real sense. A collage of stories with common characters. It does however provide a window into a very interesting period in Japanese history. I guess this window is a bit long for the average vaguely curious reader though. Yoshimori of the Heike was obviously a great leader in an interesting time.
• 
  Indri Juwono

  Membaca buku ini, berharap akan menemukan kisah semenakjubkan Taiko, dengan perjuangan dan keputusan-keputusan bijak yang diambil.
  
  Mungkin moral ceritanya yang saya tangkaplah yang membuat saya hanya mendapat kesan begini datar. Saya nggak tahu apa yang salah dengan buku ini, apa penerjemahannya atau teknik penceritaannya yang membuat saya tidak bisa terpaku, dan membuat jeda yang amat panjang di antara masa2 membacanya.
  Campur aduk antara cerita yang berbunga-bunga, kadang deskripsi yang berlebihan terhadap suatu tokoh, yang membuat saya berpikir siapa dia, perlukah ditampilkan sekilas pintas. Malah penggambaran si tokoh utama, Heike Kiyomori, cukup banyak ditenggelamkan oleh banyaknya tokoh2 lain di sekitarnya, juga oleh bunga-bunga bahasa yang betebaran di sana sini.
  Banyaknya tokoh membuat beberapa pertempuran menjadi tidak detail, kadang terlalu cepat selesai. Tidak ada klimaks, tidak ada antiklimaks, semuanya aliran deskriptif yang dituturkan lewat tokoh2nya.
  
  ***
  Heike Kiyomori yang meniti karirnya sebagai samurai, dan berani menantang kaum agama (yang digambarkan sebagai pendeta Budha dari gunung Hiei), hingga berhasil memasuki istana, menjadi orang kepercayaan, bahkan menjadi klan yang sangat kuat setelah menggulingkan lawannya dari klan Genji.
  
  Bisa kita lihat bahwa di belahan dunia mana pun kekuasaan mempunyai efek yang sama. Kekuasaan membuat kita ingin memperluas kekuasaan, menancapkan pengaruh di sudut-sudut negeri. Kekuasaan membuat kehilangan welas asih, tega menyakiti orang terdekat yang tidak sependapat. Kekuasaan memberikan kesempatan untuk menumpuk kekayaan, membangun kemewahan, membentengi diri, dan tidak peka pada sekeliling. Kekuasaan membuat ketakutan akan dihantui oleh lawan-lawan politiknya, sehingga hal yang dipikirkan adalah menyingkirkannya, tidak mendengar pendapat yang berseberangan, tidak menjadikan sekutu. Kekuasaan menjadikan sombong, dan gegabah dalam pengambilan keputusan.
  
  Di negeri Jepang jaman dulu, di Eropa, di Amerika, dan di tanah air kita, selalu ada orang-orang yang merasa berkuasa, menimbun kekayaan, menebar pengaruh dan ketakutan, menggunakan sebesar-besarnya untuk kepentingannya sendiri, tuli terhadap rakyat.
  
  ***
  review ditulis dengan suasana hati yang kesal terhadap ketua DPR yang sombong atas pernyataannya terhadap Mentawai, dan ngotot atas pembangunan gedung baru MPR DPR, anggota DPR yang nggak 'mampu' membantu rakyatnya di Dubai, menteri2 yang sok suci, anggota DPR yang hobi 'studi banding', partai-partai yang membantu bencana hanya untuk cari nama, kasus korupsi yang merajalela di antara pejabat, presiden yang kehabisan masa jabatannya sehingga malas berbuat apa-apa.
  Miskin hati, dan miskin jiwa..
  
  Mungkin tidak nyambung, tapi lihatlah, bahwa segala bidang ilmu, baik hukum, psikologi, sastra, ekonomi, teknik, sains, kesehatan, bisa runtuh tak berguna karena politik.
  
  Tokoh yang saya ingat hanyalah Kiyomori sang samurai yang menjadi pemimpin militer, Mongaku sang biksu yang selalu mengingatkan namun dianggap gila, Asatori si peniup seruling dan tabib yang ingin selalu membantu orang tak peduli siapa penguasanya, dan Bamboku si penjilat tapi dipercaya Kiyomori.
  
  Gambaran pada kisah Heike, masih jadi gambaran kekuasaan sekarang ini.
• 
  Yanti

  Tidak sia-sia juga perjuangan saya yang hampir tiap hari (selama beberapa bulan) membawa buku setebal bantal ini sambil berhimpit-himpitan dengan penumpang lain di busway, hehehe.....it was worth it!
  
  Melalui buku ini saya pun jadi bisa ikut merasakan semangat tanpa kenal kata menyerah dari para Samurai. Pertarungan tanpa kenal kata usai antar keluarga Samurai, intrik politik menjadi tema novel yang menceritakan klan Heike ini.
  
  Bermula dari keluarga biasa hingga mampu membangun sebuah kota pelabuhan, Kiyomori menjadi tokoh sentral dalam novel ini. Berlanjut dengan kedekatannya pada Kaisar menyebabkan semakin banyak yang iri pada Kiyomori. Perang antar keluarga dan pendukungnya terjadi silih berganti.
  
  Jika saya bertanya pada Anda, apa yang akan Anda lakukan jika Anda menjadi seorang pemenang dalam suatu peperangan antar Samurai dalam menghadapi keluarga dari pihak yang kalah? Membunuh semua anggota keluarga (extended family) termasuk istri dan anak-anaknya yang masih kecil untuk menghindari kemungkinan balas dendam di masa depan atau membiarkan istri dan anak-anak dari pihak yang kalah atas dasar belas kasihan sebagai seorang manusia? Satu keputusan yang diambil Kiyomori pada masalah di atas berakibat harga yang harus dibayar di masa depan.
  
  Sayangnya, The Heike Story tidak tuntas karena menurut penerjemah novel ini Eiji Yoshikawa-san keburu meninggal.
  Karena novel ini saya jadi tertarik untuk membaca novel Samurai lainnya, baik tulisan Eiji Yoshikawa atau yang lain. Ada yang mau merekomendasikan novel Samurai menarik lainnya?
  
  
  
  
• 
  Jamie Barringer (Ravenmount)

  I was a bit annoyed to read in the 'about the author' section at the end how this English version of this novel was adjusted for Western readers- most Western readers who would read a 600+pg historical novel on Japan would probably appreciate the chapters and subplots and details that were cut, and it is rather patronizing to assume otherwise. That said, the novel is well written and readable, and while there are a lot of very similar names and complicated character relationships to keep track of, and characters change names regularly, this book was no harder to follow than Tolkien's Silmarillion or Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Without knowing what was left out, I can't know for sure whether the story would be richer, but there did not seem to be gaping holes where chapters were cut, and the story was fairly seamless. It ends rather abruptly, but does convey the sense that we already know what will happen, since the names change but the wars look pretty much the same from one generation to the next. I did wish there were more maps, since so much of the story relies on geography and the layouts of towns and cities.
• 
  Speakercoret

  baca bareng yudha, iyut, aki, imam, didit, threez, madam..
  baca bareng tanpa batas waktu yg ditentukan :p
  
  ---------------------------------------------
  
  "aku iri padamu" kata Yoshimoto, karena keluargamu tidak tepecah belah dan harus saling melawan seperti keluargaku" - hal 251
  
  ketika yoshimoto harus melawan darah dagingnya sendiri..
  ketika tameyoshi harus memilih antara pengabdian dan hutang budi keluarga..
  ketika yoshitomo harus berseberangan kubu dengan tametomo, adiknya sendiri..
  
  semua atas nama perang... perebutan kekuasaan..
  
  tp buku ini tidak hanya bercerita soal perang, bahkan porsi perangnya sedikit (menurut aku)..
  buku ini lebih ke kisah perjalanan hidup kiyomori, intrik2 para bangsawan dan samurai yg mengincar kekuasaan..
  
  3,5 *
  
  @ijul, makasih yahh... sering2 aja :p
  
• 
  Cristina

  O poveste captivanta, insa, dupa 100 si ceva de pagini firul povestii a devenit tot mai greu de urmarit. Si nu-mi dau seama daca este vina autorului sau a faptului ca traducerea in romana este facuta dupa traducerea engleza a textului japonez... Cel mai probabil, a doua varianta... Sper ca va aparea o traducere adecvata (japoneza-romana) si atunci voi relua cu mare interes aceasta istorisire.
• 
  Socrate

  — Iar tu, Heita, nu mai hoinări şi nu mai pierde timpul pe Shiokoji pe drumul de întoarcere, îl auzi Heita Kiyomori pe tatăl său, Tadamori, cum striga în urma lui, în timp ce el pornea în misiune. Simţise această voce urmărindu-l pas cu pas, tot drumul.
  Îi era teamă de tatăl său; fiecare cuvânt părea să i se înfigă până în străfundurile minţii. Cu un an în urmă, în 1135, Kiyomori îl însoţise pentru prima oară pe tatăl său şi pe câţiva bărbaţi înarmaţi de la Kyoto la Shikoku, şi apoi la Kyushu, într-o expediţie împotriva piraţilor din Marea Interioară. Din luna aprilie a acelei primăveri şi până în august, îşi vânaseră prada; apoi, avându-i pe căpitanul piraţilor şi pe mai mult de treizeci dintre bandiţii lui prizonieri în lanţuri, se întorseseră triumfători în capitală, într-un marş al victoriei de care încă îşi aduceau aminte. Da, fără îndoială, tatăl lui era un erou, orice s-ar spune!
  După asta, părerea lui Kiyomori despre tatăl său se schimbase. Şi teama faţă de el crescuse. De când era mic, Kiyomori crezuse că lenea e aceea care îl face pe tatăl său să se ferească de oameni, că îi lipseşte ambiţia, că nu are atâta minte ca să-şi vadă de treabă şi insista să rămână sărac din pură încăpăţânare. Oricum, nu acesta era tata, aşa cum îl văzuse el cu propriii lui ochi în copilărie, imaginea îi fusese sădită în minte de mama lui. De când îşi amintea, casa lor din Imadegawa, unul dintre cartierele sărăcăcioase ale oraşului, fusese o dărăpănătură murdară, acoperişurile găurite nu fuseseră reparate de peste zece ani; grădinile neîngrijite fuseseră năpădite de buruieni, iar casa, din ce în ce mai dărăpănată, fusese scena nesfârşitelor certuri dintre tata şi mama. Şi, în ciuda acestor neînţelegeri, li se năştea un copil după altul – Heita Kiyomori, cel mai mare; Tsunemori, al doilea fiu; apoi urmaseră al treilea şi chiar al patrulea. Lui Tadamori, îndatoririle de funcţionar al Palatului i se păreau de neîndurat; de aceea, nu făcea nici un efort pentru a apărea la Palat sau la sediul Gărzilor Imperiale decât dacă era chemat anume. Acum, singurele lui venituri veneau din recoltele moşiei lui din Isé, şi, exceptând câte un dar generos de la Palat, nu beneficia de nici una dintre îndemnizaţiile care i s-ar fi cuvenit datorită rangului.
  
• 
  Books on Asia

  The opening words to the Tales of the Heike are known to every Japanese person:
  
  "The temple bell echoes the impermanence of all things. The colors of the flowers testify to the truth that those who flourish must decay. Pride lasts but a little while, like a dream on a spring night. Before long the mighty are cast down and they are as dust before the wind."
  
  The Heike Story is about the impermanence of things: love, power and life. This story, though written in the early 195o's, is an abridged version, or interpretation, of the much longer ancient tale. It's better to think of this book as a series of short stories that are all connected. With the frequent story breaks, plot and setting changes and revolving characters, it seems to hold together better as separate parts of a whole than trying to thread one long epic tale and attempt to hold readers' interest. I also enjoyed the focus on one hero, Kiyomori of the Heike, rather than a more encompassing story that would have involved multiple POV's and quickly become more confusing with so many rivals to be dealt with. By focusing on the rise and fall of Kiyomori of the Heike, we, almost by default, understand the Genji/Minamoto side.
  
  The writing/translation is beautiful and each chapter (or story) begins and ends with poetic, seasonal references such as:
  
  

  "The moon was rising over the Eastern Hills, and the waters of the Kamo River took on the sheen of pearls."

  
  
  or
  
  

  "The winter sea darkened slowly, taking on the indigo iridescence of fish scales as the sun dropped toward the horizon."

  
  
  Anyone who loves Kyoto will appreciate this book for all its references: the Fifth Avenue Bridge, Shirakawa, Kiyomizu Temple, Ninnaji Temple, Rokuhara, Fushimi Shrine, Mt. Hiei, Rashomon Gate and many other locations will have much more meaning after reading this story. Anyone in Western Japan should also be interested in the stories that surround those parts, including the Seto Inland Sea.
  
  I thought the translation was lovely, although I do wonder what "dancing girls" and "soccer" would have been in Japanese.
• 
  Felipe Alfaro

  I’ve always been interested in the origins of Japan’s samurai culture. This epic story takes place in the latter half of the Heian Period and builds up to the Gempei War which resulted in the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate (幕府=bakufu).
  
  The tale follows Taira no Kiyomori of the Heike Clan.
  Although the original story in Japanese does not seem to have him as its main character, this abridged version mostly revolves around him as the central character.
  
  Readers will enjoy the vivid and exciting accounts of the Hogen and Heiji Wars (1156 and 1160).
  
  Other historical characters include Yoshitomo, Yoritomo and Yoshitsune (AKA Ushikawa) of the rival Minamoto clan.
  
  Besides the burgeoning warrior class, I was pleased that this book covered the lifestyles and experiences of rival emperors and courtly nobles, dancing-girls (芸者=geisha), warrior monks (僧兵=souhei), musicians. Chinese visitors, women of all classes, and the common people (merchants/traders).
  
  I was particularly interested in the insights gained from the stories about religion and women. Even peaceful religions such as Buddhism formed violent and corrupt sects, and women suffered greatly from male dominance and being forced into sex/entertainment work, even being kidnapped in childhood and held hostage in womanhood.
  
  The conversations had by the many classes of people in ancient Japanese society reveal a lot about Japan’s past and present.
  
  This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand Japanese history.
  
  I only refrained from giving it four stars because it had many typos in it and was not the full story. I wish that the story would go on to tell about the Gempei War, rather than end just before it.
  
  
• 
  John Collings

  This story was a great representation of what it was like being a samuri solider during the 12th century in Japan as two warring clan, the Genji and Heike battled for rule over the country. It mainly followed the story of Kiyomori as he rose from barely making ends meet while living with his father and his brothers to him becoming one of the most influential soldier in Japan. The story had great characters, and the twists that the plot took were fun. The problem I had with the story were similar one that I have with literature written from this part of the world at this time. First, it is sometimes hard to follow the story because there are a lot of characters with similar names, making it hard to keep track of who is who. Sometime Eiji Yoshikawa changes who is the main character, making you wonder if the person you had been following was really what the story was about. And it does not have a satisfying ending, but it did a much better job than The Tale of Genji at bringing about a sense of closure. Despite these flaws that are probably more cultural than actual story problems, it was still a great story to read that really highlighted life during this period of Japan's history.
• 
  Sean

  An English translation of a modern rewrite of a Japanese classic. Feudal Japan in all its glorious intrigue and court machinations. An insight into how people lived and their culture. The book races along in an expository style - do not look for modern characterizations - until the last 100 pages. A few editing/ continuity errors occur before the book ends abruptly.
• 
  Lantip Wicaksana

  Quite frankly, I enjoyed reading this book as I'm a historical book lover. It's astonishing how the author narrates the story, describes the settings and the detail, explain the emotional feelings of the characters and the situation happening.
  
  Every chapter is narrated detailedly without making the reader feel bored.
• 
  Leslie

  An excellent re-telling of the classic "Heike no Monogatari." If you enjoy Japanese history and taiga dramas, you will have a great time reading this!