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A Message for the Emperor
This is a unique novel of old China, the traditional landscape of mountains and rivers without end, and life in an imperial city rife with plots, intrigues, culture, sensuality and wealth. Li Wen, a landscape painter of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), is on a journey to deliver a message to the Chinese Emperor. His teacher has instructed him to paint four landscapes, one for each season, during the year it will take him to travel across China to the Emperor’s Court where he is to present the paintings to the Emperor as a long-life gift. A series of gripping adventures befall Li Wen on his journey, including burial in an ancient tomb and a snowstorm that nearly ends his quest.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 29, 2013
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, at all, going into it. I’ve never heard of Mark Frutkin. I saw A Message for the Emperor on my library’s new books shelf, and the description sounded intriguing. I wasn’t quite sure about it. The slimness of the volume seemed suspect. I was worried that I would have a hard time enjoying or following the plot, that the characters would be too stylized and not very real. I wasn’t sure how Frutkin was going to make "painter travels across ancient China to paint the four seasons and give a message to the Emperor" matter to me.
In other words, this book was just daring me to read it. So I did. I don’t regret it.
A Message for the Emperor is a romp of self-discovery for the main character, Li Wen. He has mastered painting and has nothing left to learn from his teacher, who decides to send him all the way across the country to its capital. Along the way, Wen will do one painting for each of the four seasons it will take to complete his journey. The paintings will be a long-life gift to the Emperor, and Wen will also carry a secret message from his teacher. (We even get to learn what the message says later in the book!) Wen is ambivalent about the journey at first, but he quickly warns to the idea of wandering. Through a few adventures along the way, he starts to discover capacities within himself that he didn’t previously recognize. And he re-learns important lessons that had faded and dulled through the passage of time.
Without verging too far into spoiler territory, I don’t think it’s outrageous for me to reveal that, yes, Wen makes it to the capital to see the Emperor, and that the dangers he encounters on the way there are not all that serious. There was little doubt, in my mind, that he would ever suffer permanent injury or lose his precious painter’s kit. These were experiences more than they were obstacles. This is far from realistic for any journey, but hey, that’s fiction for you. A Message for the Emperor is a little bit of a fantasy in the sense that Wen’s encounters are more symbolic and psychological than anything else. We’re supposed to sit back and enjoy the ride, and through his lyrical prose, Frutkin makes that easy to do.
The only sense of menace, then, surfaces in the capital itself, after Wen has presented his gift to the Emperor. Of course, as a simple country bumpkin, Wen stumbles into the viper’s nest of political intrigue surrounding the Son of Heaven. He makes some powerful enemies. And at this point, Wen’s fate becomes less certain. There is a flimsy frame story constructed around the main narrative, where a modern-day curator is inspecting the recently rediscovered paintings that Wen gave to the Emperor. If they were lost so quickly, what happened to the artist? Maybe Wen doesn’t make it out of the capital alive….
To get the most out of this book, though, you just have to commit to enjoy the writing. Frutkin excels at making Wen’s mastery of painting apparent. I am not very good at visualizing imagery, but even I was able to conjure up some vague ideas of the types of paintings Wen could create. Rather than take a purely clinical, technical approach, Frutkin inextricably links the act of painting with the acts of observation and reflection. Painting is poetry, as demonstrated by the verse that Wen embeds in each of his work. Painting is a reaction and a response to the nature that he says around him. All this comes alive in Frutkin’s hands, and it’s really quite fulfilling to read. The cover of this edition is very minimalist: burnished orange gradient with the title and author in a simple, unadorned font; a single, thin paintbrush that tapers to an elegant tip interjects itself, its shadow also visible. This embodies perfectly the stillness that Frutkin invokes, despite this being a novel about travelling.
I read this on a warm summer’s day, sitting outside in my favourite reading spot in front of our house. My dad sat in a lawn chair next to me, nose buried in a book of his own. Music played in the background. And this was the perfect kind of book for a day like that. As I sat there, sipping at my tea and reflecting on Wen’s latest experience, I said to myself, “This is how summer should be.” In two weeks, I’m back in England for another year of teaching. My summer has been briefer than I expected and gone by all too fast. But a good book is like a good bath: it washes away all the cares and concerns and reminds you how to be calm, how to be still, how to enjoy the perfect present.
In other words, this book was just daring me to read it. So I did. I don’t regret it.
A Message for the Emperor is a romp of self-discovery for the main character, Li Wen. He has mastered painting and has nothing left to learn from his teacher, who decides to send him all the way across the country to its capital. Along the way, Wen will do one painting for each of the four seasons it will take to complete his journey. The paintings will be a long-life gift to the Emperor, and Wen will also carry a secret message from his teacher. (We even get to learn what the message says later in the book!) Wen is ambivalent about the journey at first, but he quickly warns to the idea of wandering. Through a few adventures along the way, he starts to discover capacities within himself that he didn’t previously recognize. And he re-learns important lessons that had faded and dulled through the passage of time.
Without verging too far into spoiler territory, I don’t think it’s outrageous for me to reveal that, yes, Wen makes it to the capital to see the Emperor, and that the dangers he encounters on the way there are not all that serious. There was little doubt, in my mind, that he would ever suffer permanent injury or lose his precious painter’s kit. These were experiences more than they were obstacles. This is far from realistic for any journey, but hey, that’s fiction for you. A Message for the Emperor is a little bit of a fantasy in the sense that Wen’s encounters are more symbolic and psychological than anything else. We’re supposed to sit back and enjoy the ride, and through his lyrical prose, Frutkin makes that easy to do.
The only sense of menace, then, surfaces in the capital itself, after Wen has presented his gift to the Emperor. Of course, as a simple country bumpkin, Wen stumbles into the viper’s nest of political intrigue surrounding the Son of Heaven. He makes some powerful enemies. And at this point, Wen’s fate becomes less certain. There is a flimsy frame story constructed around the main narrative, where a modern-day curator is inspecting the recently rediscovered paintings that Wen gave to the Emperor. If they were lost so quickly, what happened to the artist? Maybe Wen doesn’t make it out of the capital alive….
To get the most out of this book, though, you just have to commit to enjoy the writing. Frutkin excels at making Wen’s mastery of painting apparent. I am not very good at visualizing imagery, but even I was able to conjure up some vague ideas of the types of paintings Wen could create. Rather than take a purely clinical, technical approach, Frutkin inextricably links the act of painting with the acts of observation and reflection. Painting is poetry, as demonstrated by the verse that Wen embeds in each of his work. Painting is a reaction and a response to the nature that he says around him. All this comes alive in Frutkin’s hands, and it’s really quite fulfilling to read. The cover of this edition is very minimalist: burnished orange gradient with the title and author in a simple, unadorned font; a single, thin paintbrush that tapers to an elegant tip interjects itself, its shadow also visible. This embodies perfectly the stillness that Frutkin invokes, despite this being a novel about travelling.
I read this on a warm summer’s day, sitting outside in my favourite reading spot in front of our house. My dad sat in a lawn chair next to me, nose buried in a book of his own. Music played in the background. And this was the perfect kind of book for a day like that. As I sat there, sipping at my tea and reflecting on Wen’s latest experience, I said to myself, “This is how summer should be.” In two weeks, I’m back in England for another year of teaching. My summer has been briefer than I expected and gone by all too fast. But a good book is like a good bath: it washes away all the cares and concerns and reminds you how to be calm, how to be still, how to enjoy the perfect present.
April 29, 2015
This tale is about a painter in ancient Chinese times who is told by his teacher to take a year-long journey to the other side of the kingdom to deliver a message to the Emperor. On his way he is to create paintings of each of the four seasons to be given to the Emperor as long-life gifts. The journey is the thing here and Mark Frutkin creates it with delicacy, detail and delight. The rapid plot twists at the end change the tone somewhat and I wondered if they were necessary.
January 14, 2013
With “A Message for the Emperor,” his 8th novel, prize-winning author Mark Frutkin has written an exquisite book. It is a hero’s quintessential journey set in the Song Dynasty period (China, 960-1279
AD), a meditation on the beauty, power and immanence of nature, an insightful look at how artists create, an adventure story illustrating the danger and joy of being on the road, and the unknown outcome of
such a journey, and a tale of friendship and treachery. The flawless creation of another reality - that of ancient China - is just one of the book’s many delights. Another is the writing, which flows as
gracefully as a stream in the forest. There is always a hint of mystery and mischief that keeps the reader slightly on edge, wondering. And dollops of delightful wisdom.
I see myself taking up the book in times of turmoil, reentering the timeless landscapes painted by Frutkin, as well as Li Wen, the artist-protagonist of “A Message for the Emperor.” After a walk up or down a mountain path, I am sure I will resurface rejuvenated. Happy also in the knowledge that books like this are still being written – despite the message from the publishing industry to speed up and dramatize our stories to death, leaving out much of the reflection and play that is the essence of good literature.
Veena Gokhale, writer, Bombay Wali and other stories, Guernica Editions, 2013.
AD), a meditation on the beauty, power and immanence of nature, an insightful look at how artists create, an adventure story illustrating the danger and joy of being on the road, and the unknown outcome of
such a journey, and a tale of friendship and treachery. The flawless creation of another reality - that of ancient China - is just one of the book’s many delights. Another is the writing, which flows as
gracefully as a stream in the forest. There is always a hint of mystery and mischief that keeps the reader slightly on edge, wondering. And dollops of delightful wisdom.
I see myself taking up the book in times of turmoil, reentering the timeless landscapes painted by Frutkin, as well as Li Wen, the artist-protagonist of “A Message for the Emperor.” After a walk up or down a mountain path, I am sure I will resurface rejuvenated. Happy also in the knowledge that books like this are still being written – despite the message from the publishing industry to speed up and dramatize our stories to death, leaving out much of the reflection and play that is the essence of good literature.
Veena Gokhale, writer, Bombay Wali and other stories, Guernica Editions, 2013.
December 8, 2012
A great story drawing back almost 900 years but still hints with truth to our age.
From the inside cover:
As Wen reached out for the brush of silk strands, everything around him slowed further. The silences between bird cries grew vast, the breeze seemed to hold for a moment, the world spacious and still. Light and shadow spattered the trunks of the oaks and maples, drifting along the boles with each subtle murmer of breeze. A single branch of withe pine stretched horizontally over the valley far below, clusters of long green needles like open fans against the silken opalescent blue.
Picking up the brush - its wieght almost impercpitble - he raised it to the heavens, horizontal above his gaze. He then bowed to the heavens as well as the blank page as he held the brush over it. He paused, drinking in the radiance and freshness of the blank sheet. It would never be so perfect again. It saddened him that he felt this need to sully its purity.
He paused, the brush hovering over the page. He waited until the empty space within him gave birth to mountains.
From the inside cover:
As Wen reached out for the brush of silk strands, everything around him slowed further. The silences between bird cries grew vast, the breeze seemed to hold for a moment, the world spacious and still. Light and shadow spattered the trunks of the oaks and maples, drifting along the boles with each subtle murmer of breeze. A single branch of withe pine stretched horizontally over the valley far below, clusters of long green needles like open fans against the silken opalescent blue.
Picking up the brush - its wieght almost impercpitble - he raised it to the heavens, horizontal above his gaze. He then bowed to the heavens as well as the blank page as he held the brush over it. He paused, drinking in the radiance and freshness of the blank sheet. It would never be so perfect again. It saddened him that he felt this need to sully its purity.
He paused, the brush hovering over the page. He waited until the empty space within him gave birth to mountains.
December 8, 2012
A great story drawing back almost 900 years but still hints with truth to our age.
From the inside cover:
As Wen reached out for the brush of silk strands, everything around him slowed further. The silences between bird cries grew vast, the breeze seemed to hold for a moment, the world spacious and still. Light and shadow spattered the trunks of the oaks and maples, drifting along the boles with each subtle murmer of breeze. A single branch of withe pine stretched horizontally over the valley far below, clusters of long green needles like open fans against the silken opalescent blue.
Picking up the brush - its wieght almost impercpitble - he raised it to the heavens, horizontal above his gaze. He then bowed to the heavens as well as the blank page as he held the brush over it. He paused, drinking in the radiance and freshness of the blank sheet. It would never be so perfect again. It saddened him that he felt this need to sully its purity.
He paused, the brush hovering over the page. He waited until the empty space within him gave birth to mountains
December 28, 2012
This is a wonderful read. It's a deceptively simple tale that completely captures the time and place (China, Song Dynasty). The story involves a long-time apprentice artist who decides to leave his master. The master gives him a message to deliver to the Emperor with instructions that he mustn't peek. The journey takes him a year and he paints four pictures; one per season that you can see in your mind's eye courtesy of Frutkin's fine writing. Like all journey tales, there is more here than just the trip. Don't miss reading this. Mark Fruitkin writes amazing historically based fiction. Perhaps like Fabrizio's Return, this too will win a Trillium
August 27, 2013
This book is beautiful. It's all about the process and the journey, not so much about the ending. You follow a character on the adventure of a lifetime: travelling across China with a message for the Emperor, while being tasked with painting 4 landscapes (one for each season of the journey) which will be presented to the Emperor as a life-long gift. I felt like I was transported into ancient China: the beauty of the hills and valleys, the people and the villages. There was intrigue and possible defeat. This book is just an absolute gem.
May 2, 2015
A unique little book written in the style of a classic search for perfection or consciousness. Wen is a Buddhist trained painter of landscape who is sent on a long perilous journey by his teacher: the purpose of his travel is to deliver a message to the Emporer. He meets a travel companion along the way and together they face every kind of challenge, from storms to thieves and treachery. Wen manages to paint the four seasons paintings as a gift for the Emporer. Wen has clear purpose, courage and humility in his quest.
November 15, 2012
Set against the backdrop of Southern Song Dynasty China, Frutkin tells the story of Li Wen, an artist tasked to deliver a secret message to the Emperor. On his year-long journey to the capital, Li Wen must also create four landscape paintings and present to the Emperor as a long-life gift. The narrative is a wellspring of details regarding artistry and nature, and Frutkin's prose is extremely lyrical. A wonderful read.
December 19, 2014
A beautifully written book with poetic turns of phrase. The story takes place in China circa,1200 and traces the travels of an artist over a year. While on his quest, the artist must paint 4 pictures, each depicting a different season. When he arrives at the home of the emperor the artist delivers a message he has been protecting.
May 4, 2013
Loved it! Another evocative voyage from Mark Frutkin.
March 24, 2013
3.5 Good story. The journey is important, not the destination per se.
quite metaphorical/symbolic and readers don't likely catch it all. well written. simple story telling.
quite metaphorical/symbolic and readers don't likely catch it all. well written. simple story telling.
May 17, 2022
Took a long time to get going. Very detailed landscape. Actual human interaction and stories don't happen until halfway through. Then it's more interesting.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews