House of Kanze

by Nobuko Albery

Focuses on the Kanze, a family of renowned actors in fourteenth-century Japan, on the Ashikaga shoguns, and on the relationship between the boy player Zeami and the young shogun Yoshimitsu

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Japan, Historical, Japanese Literature

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The House of Kanze" recounts the early development of the art of Noh plays, seen through a particularly gifted father-and-son pair of actors, writers and troupe managers. Albery's treatment of the material is not always as skillful as it could be. Especially in the early going, there is a reliance on cliches, always an unattractive trait in a writer and especially so in work that seeks to recreate a very different time and place. Nor can it be said that the allure of Noh is consistently conveyed--there are some hints of great moments, but the powerful spell that this troupe apparently cast over the Japanese nobility of the era remains mostly on the page. Then there is the unpleasant habit of the shoguns picking beautiful, talented of boys out of the cast for what is called, no doubt in accordance with the usage of the era, "night service." This is not the only era in which powerful men lusted after actor boys, but we see things more clearly now. There are hints of how the protagonists must have felt about this, perhaps without even being very conscious of it, but Albery's goal here is his feel for Japanese taste, not exploration of nuanced feeling. Most of the characters; they have a kind of nineteenth century novel's consistency--they are faithful or talented or impulsive or not--and in general they react unpredictable ways instead of feeling and growing. All of these issues fade as the novel gathers strength along the way and the final impact is quite moving. The novel itself seems like a reflection of that conundrum of Japanese culture--the pursuit of great discipline and even repression in public life juxtaposed with a passion for extremely expressive art forms like the Noh.

[Leszek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting historical novel, though the interesting part is mostly due to original and somewhat obscure topic - depicting a birth and rise of Noh Theater, the oldest (14th century) form of Japanese theater that is still being performed. The story is being told through life of its two creators, Kanami and his oldest son Zeami, and their troupe, House of Kanze. It shows harsh and ungrateful life of wandering actors in medieval Japan (who were considered to be at the bottom of society, equal to beggars and prostitutes), the power dynamics at the Japanese feudal ladder (The benefits and costs of being favoured by person in power like temple abbot or the Shogun. Without disclosing too many details, let's just say that being pretty and talented boy entailed some.. duties and seems it was perfectly normal at that time) and the struggle of main characters to fully dedicate their lives to creation of art and beauty.

Do not expect here any huge historic battles or breathtaking plots, though there are plenty of either sad, happy or funny momments, that characters are going through. The author mostly based this book on the historical facts, that she meticulously researched, slightly altering some for easier read and filling gaps with what made most sense. It's a pleasant read, that can provide you with the insight into life of both lowborn and aristocracy in medieval Japan, its customs and etiquette, and what role art played in their lives back then. All this in the form of digestible novel, so if that's something you could be into, you can give it a shot.

Also, one of my most memorable/funny moments from this book is when abbot offered his young lover to give him anything he wants and the boy, after short thinking, shouted "tea from China!" before abruptly pausing, realizing to his horror, what kind of lavish and expensive gift he just requested (back then Japan was looking up to China and everything from there was considered to be best of the best). I mean, I can't blame him, I would do a lot of erm, things, for a good Chinese tea too!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely unique tale of a noh theatre troupe devoted to its art at the turn of the 15th century. Weirder still, it’s based on fact. Apparently Fujiwaka/Zeami was the Shakespeare of Japan.
The insights into the dedication to greatness were the most interesting to me. Perhaps these were taken directly from writings left by the main characters, once held in deep secrecy but now accessible.
Here’s the virtuoso: “You have for too long and too far mortified your vulnerability; now you don’t know how to sing and reach out with it. For an artist to have his well of vulnerability dry up is a loss far more tragic than losing his father.” They talk about this creative drive possessing them above all else. About reaching the masses while also being ‘above the clouds.’
I cannot imagine how audiences got/get so much from dances performed by heavily clothed and MASKED performers. They are described as training intensely for endless hours, striving for the tiniest expressive muscle flex.
The deep dive into a far distant time-and-place adds interest. You visit the foreboding armed monks and the horny shoguns, the womenfolk and a few strange little kids. You go on the dusty roads and you rise to greatness only to fall back into poverty.
The writing is pretty good. Occasionally you get stuff like: “Eyes blown large with tear bubbles…” Is that bad writing or is that fun to read? I leave the judgment to you.

[Aidan Aliu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (I have written a full review of it on my website, if you are interested). The House of Kanze is the story of this 14th century noh theatre company (although the tradition still continues to this day) and particularly of is selfless second master, Zeami. It gives us an interesting account of life in medieval Japan as we follow the theatre company's precarious rise to national success.

[Silvia c: · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is a deep dive into 14th century Japan and it's rich colture. It's a familial saga that follows three generations of Kanze noh actors recounting their lives and their love for their art. I was a bit intimidated by this book, since I knew nothing of Japanese noh theater and was worried that I would find it boring, but it's far from boring. I was transported to a world so beautifully described that I immediately fell in love with the narration and the characters. 

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was more taken with this book than I expected, possibly because it's about Japanese culture, which I already have an interest in.

I am not familiar with the history of Noh, but a general familiarity with japanese history, clothing, and culture helped enhance the reading experience. I feel the author caught the essence of Japanese culture as it relates to family and traditional arts and conveyed it very well, educating the reader about how traditional arts are structured and what an artist feels and how one is committed to the 'Way' of their art above all else. Parallels were drawn with Buddhism regarding this aspect.

It's not an action story at all, so perhaps one has to be in a certain frame of mind to read it. It has decent pace and the strife between family members, classes, and the political climate keeps the story going. The reader is given a fairly captivating story to explore the history of one of the famous Noh families in a tumultuous time, as well as a keen sense of what it might have been like for the stage actor and the audience.

Definitely staying on my shelf, and good for those with an interest in historical fiction and/or Japanese dance.