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Η υπηρεσία κήπων και λιμνών
Σ’ ένα μικρό χωριό της Ιαπωνίας, τον δωδέκατο αιώνα, ζει ο Κατσούρο, ένας διάσημος αλιέας, προμηθευτής των ιερών λιμνών της αυτοκρατορικής πόλης με κυπρίνους, τα υπέροχα ψάρια με την «ασύγκριτη μακροζωία» που το δέρμα τους «αντανακλά τον ήλιο, σαν στιλβωμένος ορείχαλκος». Ο αναπάντεχος πνιγμός του αναγκάζει την χήρα του, τη νεαρή και όμορφη Μιγιούκι να αναλάβει η ίδια την παράδοση των κυπρίνων στο παλάτι. Κι εκείνη ξεκινάει το μακρύ και επίπονο ταξίδι της, ανάμεσα σε κάθε λογής κινδύνους και παγίδες, με τους ώμους να λυγίζουν από το βάρος του ζυγού όπου κρέμονται τα καλάθια με τα ψάρια της και την ανάμνηση του έρωτά της για τον Κατσούρο να την στηρίζει σε κάθε δοκιμασία. Ο συγγραφέας συλλαμβάνει την ατμόσφαιρα της αιώνιας Ιαπωνίας, τον βαθύ αισθησιασμό της, αλλά και την περίπλοκη δομή της κοινωνίας του ιαπωνικού μεσαίωνα, σε ένα παραμυθένιο μυθιστόρημα που σφύζει από ερωτισμό και παγιδεύει στη σαγήνη του.
376 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
54 people are currently reading
1203 people want to read
About the author
Didier Decoin
91 books23 followersDidier Decoin is a French screenwriter and author. He began his career as a newspaper journalist at France Soir, Le Figaro and VOD, and radio Europe 1. At the same time he started writing.
While continuing his writing, he became writer in film and television (and adapted scripts for television as the major TV films Les Misérables, The Count of Monte Cristo, Balzac and Napoleon).
In 1995 he became the Secretary of the Académie Goncourt.
Bibliography
While continuing his writing, he became writer in film and television (and adapted scripts for television as the major TV films Les Misérables, The Count of Monte Cristo, Balzac and Napoleon).
In 1995 he became the Secretary of the Académie Goncourt.
Bibliography
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
November 11, 2022
Book: is about Japan from 1000 years ago
Also book: describes Japan from 500-200 years ago, or something like that
Critics: aMaZinG rEsEarCH
Please, don’t get me wrong. This book is bad on all levels. The story makes no sense. A peasant woman is carrying live fish over mountains and rivers and whatnot, all the way up to the capital, all alone? Huh? Where’s her whole village, why aren’t they helping her? Perhaps they are not peasants, since they all have last names, and Japanese peasants didn’t have last names well into the 19th century? After all, the main character Miyuki (what a name, right for a Heian-period peasant woman, mhm, okay) is allowed into the Imperial Palace and even into the presence of the Emperor… and she is wearing geta clogs, which are very noisy, and hasn’t taken a bath after half a year on the road, because the intensely fetishizing plot requires that she doesn’t.
Honestly, I didn’t know what was going on. The author claims to have spent 14 years researching and writing this, but – I simply don’t understand how it was even possible to do that and get everything so wrong. Where is that research? What did it go into, pray tell?
Japan is a country with a long history. It means that a lot of things changed, got forgotten, got lost forever, but above all, CHANGED. Heian Japan was an alien, alien world. It didn’t resemble the Japan we know, or the Japan of the later periods. Europeans who came to Japan in the Sengoku period and later, still could understand quite well what was going on. Yes, they got a lot of things wrong, but they could make comparisons, draw conclusions. Lots of things were, or would have been, familiar to them. But Heian – hell no. They wouldn’t have been able to wrap their heads around it. This book seems to be trying to sell the mixture of Kamakura/Sengoku/Edo period Japan as Heian Japan, and that’s probably because Heian would be too incomprehensible, too unbelievable.
Case in point: in the book there’s quite a bit of talk about death penalty, executions, and in one of the footnotes it is even said that “anyone of a lower rank caught composing a tanka [a poetry form] was subject to the death penalty.” I have never heard anything about this kind of thing, it would have felt ridiculous for any period, but the thing is – there was no death penalty in Heian Japan. For 300 years.
This main character, who is a peasant woman, talking to aristocrats as if they were her equals, entering the Imperial Palace unwashed, walking in the presence of her betters in shoes? The Emperor was the Son of Heaven and had divine powers. Aristocrats had magic powers. That’s what people believed. When they stopped to believe in that, the world changed and warriors (known as samurai in the West) became new masters, and then it became literally deadly to not be respectful enough. But be it the fear of a bad eye, or the fear of a sword, it was extremely important not to offend anyone of high rank. How can you write about pre-modern Japan and ignore that? What for? What was to be gained? This is what I don’t understand. Danger, social restrictions, superstitions, classism make stories so much more interesting, dynamic, exciting.
And the characters are lifeless and inconsistently presented, there’s a lot of fetishization and stuff that transcends fetishization (the main character engages in casual – uh – allowing herself to be sold as a sex slave? how does it sound?), sex scenes are laughable. The book is a morass of anachronisms, Orientalism and bad storytelling. I did not like it, except of one description of a morning in the garden or something.
Review over because of low energy level *beep beep beep*
TL;DR: It is a very, very special book. I liked the fish on the cover.
Also book: describes Japan from 500-200 years ago, or something like that
Critics: aMaZinG rEsEarCH
Please, don’t get me wrong. This book is bad on all levels. The story makes no sense. A peasant woman is carrying live fish over mountains and rivers and whatnot, all the way up to the capital, all alone? Huh? Where’s her whole village, why aren’t they helping her? Perhaps they are not peasants, since they all have last names, and Japanese peasants didn’t have last names well into the 19th century? After all, the main character Miyuki (what a name, right for a Heian-period peasant woman, mhm, okay) is allowed into the Imperial Palace and even into the presence of the Emperor… and she is wearing geta clogs, which are very noisy, and hasn’t taken a bath after half a year on the road, because the intensely fetishizing plot requires that she doesn’t.
Honestly, I didn’t know what was going on. The author claims to have spent 14 years researching and writing this, but – I simply don’t understand how it was even possible to do that and get everything so wrong. Where is that research? What did it go into, pray tell?
Japan is a country with a long history. It means that a lot of things changed, got forgotten, got lost forever, but above all, CHANGED. Heian Japan was an alien, alien world. It didn’t resemble the Japan we know, or the Japan of the later periods. Europeans who came to Japan in the Sengoku period and later, still could understand quite well what was going on. Yes, they got a lot of things wrong, but they could make comparisons, draw conclusions. Lots of things were, or would have been, familiar to them. But Heian – hell no. They wouldn’t have been able to wrap their heads around it. This book seems to be trying to sell the mixture of Kamakura/Sengoku/Edo period Japan as Heian Japan, and that’s probably because Heian would be too incomprehensible, too unbelievable.
Case in point: in the book there’s quite a bit of talk about death penalty, executions, and in one of the footnotes it is even said that “anyone of a lower rank caught composing a tanka [a poetry form] was subject to the death penalty.” I have never heard anything about this kind of thing, it would have felt ridiculous for any period, but the thing is – there was no death penalty in Heian Japan. For 300 years.
This main character, who is a peasant woman, talking to aristocrats as if they were her equals, entering the Imperial Palace unwashed, walking in the presence of her betters in shoes? The Emperor was the Son of Heaven and had divine powers. Aristocrats had magic powers. That’s what people believed. When they stopped to believe in that, the world changed and warriors (known as samurai in the West) became new masters, and then it became literally deadly to not be respectful enough. But be it the fear of a bad eye, or the fear of a sword, it was extremely important not to offend anyone of high rank. How can you write about pre-modern Japan and ignore that? What for? What was to be gained? This is what I don’t understand. Danger, social restrictions, superstitions, classism make stories so much more interesting, dynamic, exciting.
And the characters are lifeless and inconsistently presented, there’s a lot of fetishization and stuff that transcends fetishization (the main character engages in casual – uh – allowing herself to be sold as a sex slave? how does it sound?), sex scenes are laughable. The book is a morass of anachronisms, Orientalism and bad storytelling. I did not like it, except of one description of a morning in the garden or something.
Review over because of low energy level *beep beep beep*
TL;DR: It is a very, very special book. I liked the fish on the cover.
June 8, 2019
Very little to carp about.
An unusual tale set in Imperial Japan over a thousand years ago. As it opens, master fisherman Katsuro has drowned catching exquisite examples of carp destined for the Emperor’s hallowed pond at the Imperial Palace. To protect payment to the desperately poor village and – equally important - to maintain the local village’s honour, Katsuro’s beautiful young widow must follow in her dead husband’s steps. Miyuki must take the perilous route on foot for many days with two heavy buckets strapped across her tiny shoulders. The precious carp must survive the hazardous journey at all cost. When she finally arrives in the capital, a different set of challenges awaits her.
Miyuki has her own distinct smell: a mixture of fish and something attractive and alluring to men. Indeed, all the senses are highly evoked in Didier Decoin’s lyrical fable. Most surprisingly – shocking even – a strong sexual element runs throughout the book, some of the threads sensual but some really quite blatant and somehow this was quite unexpected, adding a further layer to a heady tale.
Didier Decoin’s prose is eloquent as well as approachable and in this he has been very ably translated by Euan Cameron. So, a beautifully evoked story that is quite out of the ordinary. I would recommend this, and possibly more so in hard copy as the book would appear to be a beautiful edition and you don’t quite get the benefit of the intermittent illustrations on the screen. A unique read. 4.5*
My thanks to Maclehose Press/Quercus for the review copy courtesy of NetGalley.
An unusual tale set in Imperial Japan over a thousand years ago. As it opens, master fisherman Katsuro has drowned catching exquisite examples of carp destined for the Emperor’s hallowed pond at the Imperial Palace. To protect payment to the desperately poor village and – equally important - to maintain the local village’s honour, Katsuro’s beautiful young widow must follow in her dead husband’s steps. Miyuki must take the perilous route on foot for many days with two heavy buckets strapped across her tiny shoulders. The precious carp must survive the hazardous journey at all cost. When she finally arrives in the capital, a different set of challenges awaits her.
Miyuki has her own distinct smell: a mixture of fish and something attractive and alluring to men. Indeed, all the senses are highly evoked in Didier Decoin’s lyrical fable. Most surprisingly – shocking even – a strong sexual element runs throughout the book, some of the threads sensual but some really quite blatant and somehow this was quite unexpected, adding a further layer to a heady tale.
Didier Decoin’s prose is eloquent as well as approachable and in this he has been very ably translated by Euan Cameron. So, a beautifully evoked story that is quite out of the ordinary. I would recommend this, and possibly more so in hard copy as the book would appear to be a beautiful edition and you don’t quite get the benefit of the intermittent illustrations on the screen. A unique read. 4.5*
My thanks to Maclehose Press/Quercus for the review copy courtesy of NetGalley.
February 6, 2023
Με το χέρι στην καρδιά (έχει σημασία ουσιαστική η έκφραση αυτή για τούτο το βιβλίο και την ηρωίδα του) 5 αστέρια. Γιατί όπως μου είπε κι ένας φίλος τελειώνοντάς το, "έμεινα κάμποσες ώρες μετέωρος, όπως συμβαίνει με ένα δυνατό βιβλίο που μπαίνει μέσα σου"...
Ένα φτωχό κορίτσι με όλες του τις αισθήσεις σε πλήρη εγρήγορση και με την καρδιά φορτωμένη με πυρωμένα συναισθήματα για τον μοναδικό σύντροφο της ζωής του που έχει απωλέσει, κάνει ένα ανεπαίσθητο πέρασμα από την αυτοκρατορική αίθουσα τελετών, σφραγίζοντάς την όμως με τη "γήινη", ανεπιτήδευτη και, γι' αυτό ακριβώς, δυσάρεστη για την εκλεπτυσμένη αυλή μυρωδιά του. Σαν μια δεσποινίδα που εμφανίζεται άξαφνα μέσα από ένα ομιχλώδες τοπίο στην άκρη μιας τοξωτής ξύλινης γέφυρας, την περνά με μικρά γρήγορα βήματα που κάνουν το ξύλο για λίγο να ηχήσει και εξαφανίζεται πάλι στην ομίχλη....
Βιβλίο για όσους πιστεύουν πως το μυθιστόρημα ήταν ανέκαθεν και οφείλει πριν απ' όλα να είναι αφήγηση μιας ιστορίας - όσο πιο μάστορας ο αφηγητής τόσο πιο όμορφη και ενδιαφέρουσα η ιστορία, εννοείται- και πως οι ενήλικες έχουν ανάγκη κι αυτοί τα παραμύθια τους ή την παραμυθία τους (όπως θέλετε πάρτε το).
Ένα φτωχό κορίτσι με όλες του τις αισθήσεις σε πλήρη εγρήγορση και με την καρδιά φορτωμένη με πυρωμένα συναισθήματα για τον μοναδικό σύντροφο της ζωής του που έχει απωλέσει, κάνει ένα ανεπαίσθητο πέρασμα από την αυτοκρατορική αίθουσα τελετών, σφραγίζοντάς την όμως με τη "γήινη", ανεπιτήδευτη και, γι' αυτό ακριβώς, δυσάρεστη για την εκλεπτυσμένη αυλή μυρωδιά του. Σαν μια δεσποινίδα που εμφανίζεται άξαφνα μέσα από ένα ομιχλώδες τοπίο στην άκρη μιας τοξωτής ξύλινης γέφυρας, την περνά με μικρά γρήγορα βήματα που κάνουν το ξύλο για λίγο να ηχήσει και εξαφανίζεται πάλι στην ομίχλη....
Βιβλίο για όσους πιστεύουν πως το μυθιστόρημα ήταν ανέκαθεν και οφείλει πριν απ' όλα να είναι αφήγηση μιας ιστορίας - όσο πιο μάστορας ο αφηγητής τόσο πιο όμορφη και ενδιαφέρουσα η ιστορία, εννοείται- και πως οι ενήλικες έχουν ανάγκη κι αυτοί τα παραμύθια τους ή την παραμυθία τους (όπως θέλετε πάρτε το).
April 5, 2019
This book was a very odd read. The narrative felt very disjointed as if the author did a lot of research and then formed a story around it rather than the other way around. The story frequently got lost, there was no real clear thought process with it and it kept jumping here, there and everywhere. The characters weren't rounded at all, I felt no connection with any of them and I thought them to be completely forgettable. As the story progressed to the last quarter, I began to find myself getting more interested, especially with the perfume contest, however, it was short and sharp and left me completely unsatisfied as a reader. The author uses a lot of sexual references which are quite crude in places, it was too clinical and had no warmth behind it as you would expect with two people who are in love. Overall, I was quite disappointed with this book which was a shame considering how much I was looking forward to it.
May 2, 2019
Enchanting novel set in 12th Century Japan (HONSHU)
#taketheplunge
All credit to an author who can spin out an enchanting novel around the husbandry of carps, set in 12th Century Japan! This is a beautifully presented novel (the cover is exquisite) with rather wondrous content.
Amakusa Miyuki has just lost her husband Katsuro in a freak accident in the Kusugawa river, as he was catching and preparing several carp due for transportation from their home village of Shimae to Heian Kyō, the Imperial capital which we know today as Kyoto.
The rituals of tending to the dead are concerning Miyuki when the elders of her impoverished village come to her and ask her to continue the arrangement of taking the superlative carp, fished from the local river, to their final resting and swimming place in the ornamental gardens of the Imperial city. This involves a lengthy journey across a variety of terrains, on foot, with a pair of panniers strapped across her shoulders, containing the fragile carp – abrasions of their scales and ensuing damage to their integral beauty will incur rejection and the journey will have been for nothing.
The vagaries of Miyuki’s journey forms a good part of the novel and finally she arrives in Heian Kyō, her panniers a little lighter due to misadventures along the way. It is an utterly different world to the one she knows, where formality, dress codes, etiquette and precision behaviour are de rigueur. There is something about her – I shall leave this vague – that sees her drawn into a contest, devised by the Emperor Nijō Tennō that shifts the story in an unusual but nevertheless entertaining direction.
Yes, this is a story of hardship and resilience but it is also a lyrical exploration of Japan at a time when unrest and exploitation were rife. It is a beautifully penned and at times quite a sensuous novel that weaves its way across the Japanese landscape and left me feeling richer for having read it. How often can you say that? Thank you too to the translator Euan Cameron for doing a wonderful job. Highly recommended!
#taketheplunge
All credit to an author who can spin out an enchanting novel around the husbandry of carps, set in 12th Century Japan! This is a beautifully presented novel (the cover is exquisite) with rather wondrous content.
Amakusa Miyuki has just lost her husband Katsuro in a freak accident in the Kusugawa river, as he was catching and preparing several carp due for transportation from their home village of Shimae to Heian Kyō, the Imperial capital which we know today as Kyoto.
The rituals of tending to the dead are concerning Miyuki when the elders of her impoverished village come to her and ask her to continue the arrangement of taking the superlative carp, fished from the local river, to their final resting and swimming place in the ornamental gardens of the Imperial city. This involves a lengthy journey across a variety of terrains, on foot, with a pair of panniers strapped across her shoulders, containing the fragile carp – abrasions of their scales and ensuing damage to their integral beauty will incur rejection and the journey will have been for nothing.
The vagaries of Miyuki’s journey forms a good part of the novel and finally she arrives in Heian Kyō, her panniers a little lighter due to misadventures along the way. It is an utterly different world to the one she knows, where formality, dress codes, etiquette and precision behaviour are de rigueur. There is something about her – I shall leave this vague – that sees her drawn into a contest, devised by the Emperor Nijō Tennō that shifts the story in an unusual but nevertheless entertaining direction.
Yes, this is a story of hardship and resilience but it is also a lyrical exploration of Japan at a time when unrest and exploitation were rife. It is a beautifully penned and at times quite a sensuous novel that weaves its way across the Japanese landscape and left me feeling richer for having read it. How often can you say that? Thank you too to the translator Euan Cameron for doing a wonderful job. Highly recommended!
March 27, 2022
THE OFFICE OF GARDENS AND PONDS (2017) is a French novel translated by Euan Cameron. Set in Heian Japan, over 1000 years ago, it features a simple peasant woman called Miyuki, wife to master carp catcher Katsuro, who provides splendid, extraordinary carps to the Imperial Palace. One day Katsuro downs by accident and Miyuki, who is still mourning the loss of her beloved husband, is asked to take the carp to the palace because the village depends on the Imperial patronage.
So Miyuki undertakes the arduous and dangerous journey to Heian Kyō with the last 8 precious carp caught by Katsuro. Her travails include thieves, evil priests and warlords, a dead body, and a night as a courtesan. However, she sustains herself with erotic memories of Katsuro, many erotic memories, too many, in fact. When she reaches the Imperial City, she discovers that the trials of her journey are not over.
The author deftly reconstructs a vanished world with an elegant, descriptive and sensual prose. It is a quiet and absorbing novel, though I have to admit that I found Miyuki's erotic musings excessive, irksome and sometimes, ridiculous. Decoin spent 14 years researching and writing this novel and having read recently The Tale of Genji, I could really appreciate the way he recreated that lost world.
So Miyuki undertakes the arduous and dangerous journey to Heian Kyō with the last 8 precious carp caught by Katsuro. Her travails include thieves, evil priests and warlords, a dead body, and a night as a courtesan. However, she sustains herself with erotic memories of Katsuro, many erotic memories, too many, in fact. When she reaches the Imperial City, she discovers that the trials of her journey are not over.
The author deftly reconstructs a vanished world with an elegant, descriptive and sensual prose. It is a quiet and absorbing novel, though I have to admit that I found Miyuki's erotic musings excessive, irksome and sometimes, ridiculous. Decoin spent 14 years researching and writing this novel and having read recently The Tale of Genji, I could really appreciate the way he recreated that lost world.
January 27, 2018
Precioso
Una maravilla
http://entremontonesdelibros.blogspot...
Una maravilla
http://entremontonesdelibros.blogspot...
August 9, 2024
Pirmas sakinys: Amakusa Mijukė gyveno užsidariusi tarp keturių sienų, griežtai laikydamasi apribojimų, privalomų gedulo metu.
Skirtingai nuo "Anglės su dviračiu", skaitymo malonumas buvo daug mažesnis. Nors istorija pasakojama taip pat puikiai, tačiau Japonijos kultūrinę aplinką žinau daug prasčiau nei Vakarų civilizacijos, todėl negalėjau mėgautis detalėmis ir subtilybėmis. Aišku, jeigu jų ten buvo.
Skirtingai nuo "Anglės su dviračiu", skaitymo malonumas buvo daug mažesnis. Nors istorija pasakojama taip pat puikiai, tačiau Japonijos kultūrinę aplinką žinau daug prasčiau nei Vakarų civilizacijos, todėl negalėjau mėgautis detalėmis ir subtilybėmis. Aišku, jeigu jų ten buvo.
May 27, 2019
I was so excited when I found this book - not only is the cover incredibly beautiful but the story was set in Heian Japan, one of my favourite periods to read about.
It didn’t take me many pages, however, to become a bit irritated with the story.
Firstly, there seems to be an excessive amount of footnotes for a fictional story. I feel like, if I’m about to read a story about a carp fisherman in Heian Japan, I’m probably either going to know what the references are or be willing to Google them myself. It felt a bit patronising and also made the story a bit disjointed.
The second thing was that the story didn’t seem to flow very well. It may have been because it was translated and the poetry of the words didn’t come through. There certainly were parts of the story that were beautifully written but not all of it.
The last thing was the sex. It just wasn’t nice and didn’t add to the story. He managed to do that annoying thing that male authors do when their main character is female. He just assumed she was obsessed with sex. I may be wrong, he certainly spent 14 years more than me doing research, but I’m skeptical that a grieving fisherman’s wife from a small village in 11th century Japan would be so obsessed with masturbation and the memory of her husband’s penis. Indeed, the word “penis” was mentioned far more times than it needed to be and I ended up acknowledging the word each time with a tut and an eye roll. I’ve got nothing against sex, it’s certainly got its place, I just don’t feel it was in this story.
So, in the end, I gave it three stars. There really were some beautifully written passages and I enjoyed the final third and also the ending. It’s just the other stuff that ruined it for me.
It didn’t take me many pages, however, to become a bit irritated with the story.
Firstly, there seems to be an excessive amount of footnotes for a fictional story. I feel like, if I’m about to read a story about a carp fisherman in Heian Japan, I’m probably either going to know what the references are or be willing to Google them myself. It felt a bit patronising and also made the story a bit disjointed.
The second thing was that the story didn’t seem to flow very well. It may have been because it was translated and the poetry of the words didn’t come through. There certainly were parts of the story that were beautifully written but not all of it.
The last thing was the sex. It just wasn’t nice and didn’t add to the story. He managed to do that annoying thing that male authors do when their main character is female. He just assumed she was obsessed with sex. I may be wrong, he certainly spent 14 years more than me doing research, but I’m skeptical that a grieving fisherman’s wife from a small village in 11th century Japan would be so obsessed with masturbation and the memory of her husband’s penis. Indeed, the word “penis” was mentioned far more times than it needed to be and I ended up acknowledging the word each time with a tut and an eye roll. I’ve got nothing against sex, it’s certainly got its place, I just don’t feel it was in this story.
So, in the end, I gave it three stars. There really were some beautifully written passages and I enjoyed the final third and also the ending. It’s just the other stuff that ruined it for me.
October 25, 2021
Edit 25/10/21 : je n'ai aucun souvenir de ce livre.
J'ai un mélange d'émotions après la lecture de ce roman. Je pense que c'est un ouvrage qui restera en mémoire après lecture. D'un côté, l'écriture est très belle, Decoin manie la langue avec beaucoup de poésie et de finesse. Mais d'un autre côté, le sujet de l'histoire me procure un certain dégout, avec ses références fréquentes au sexe, aux anus, blessures et à la mort. Je ne m'y connais pas énormément en littérature japonaise, mais en me basant sur mes connaissances limitées, ce roman fait très japonais. Le côté historique était vraiment intéressant.
Merci à NetGalley pour la copie gratuite de l'ouvrage en échange d'une critique sincère.
J'ai un mélange d'émotions après la lecture de ce roman. Je pense que c'est un ouvrage qui restera en mémoire après lecture. D'un côté, l'écriture est très belle, Decoin manie la langue avec beaucoup de poésie et de finesse. Mais d'un autre côté, le sujet de l'histoire me procure un certain dégout, avec ses références fréquentes au sexe, aux anus, blessures et à la mort. Je ne m'y connais pas énormément en littérature japonaise, mais en me basant sur mes connaissances limitées, ce roman fait très japonais. Le côté historique était vraiment intéressant.
Merci à NetGalley pour la copie gratuite de l'ouvrage en échange d'une critique sincère.
February 16, 2025
Příběh se odehrává ve starověkém japonském císařství, kniha je protkána mnoha popisy - ať už jde o přírodu, pocity či staré rituály. Všechno to tak poeticky plyne, přitom je zachována dějová linka - mladá rybářova vdova se po smrti svého chotě vydává na strastiplnou cestu, jejímž cílem je donesení okrasných kaprů do císařského rybníka. Krásní kapři jsou tím posledním, co jí po jejím Kacúrovi zbylo - tím spíš je konečné rozloučení s nimi natolik těžké. Během své cesty potkává spoustu lidí, vše ale vede jen k tomu, aby se dostala k císařskému paláci a svoje poselství splnila.
(Malou zajímavostí je, že knihu napsal francouzský autor)
(Malou zajímavostí je, že knihu napsal francouzský autor)
December 9, 2019
Ugh, what a disappointment.
I had high hopes for the this book - it ticked off so many of my interests:
- Japanese history
- Japanese history that included village life not just aristocracy/'Tale of Genji' world
- Discussion of things like nature, fragrance and colour
- Heian fashion
But it was...not good. For various reasons. Main ones are:
The author is reported to have researched 14 years to write this book. And it shows. There is so much superfluous material in this book that add nothing to the story but the writer could just not let go (and an editor didn't have the guts to cut). Add to that the ostentatious use of Japanese terms that are footnoted. Due to a mix of study and experience I actually knew what a lot of them meant but didn't find the use of them added to the story (and found it weird that he chose to include some terms in the original Japanese and yet translate others). It just looked like another example of 'look at me, I studied this strange and exotic culture, let me show you' rather than 'I decided to leave these in the original language to add verisimilitude to the story'. Frankly I would have found footnotes about the plants a lot more useful (thank-you built in Kindle dictionaries).
- The sex scenes. As many other reviewers point out, they are cringeworthy. I am not a prude - my list of favourite literature includes books like 'Story of O' so I don't mind a sex scene if it is well written and has a place in the story. The sex scenes in this book are neither well written, or in most places add to the story. They are so bad I really can't even think that it is a problem with the translation in to English.
There are some interesting parts to this story - I particularly liked how Decoin attempted to explore the headspace of someone coming from an isolated village and how their view of the world would be shaped by that, to the point of not having words for many of the new things she experienced. But that is not enough to save this book. It is, in short, not very good. Which is a shame as there was a lot of potential behind it.
I had high hopes for the this book - it ticked off so many of my interests:
- Japanese history
- Japanese history that included village life not just aristocracy/'Tale of Genji' world
- Discussion of things like nature, fragrance and colour
- Heian fashion
But it was...not good. For various reasons. Main ones are:
The author is reported to have researched 14 years to write this book. And it shows. There is so much superfluous material in this book that add nothing to the story but the writer could just not let go (and an editor didn't have the guts to cut). Add to that the ostentatious use of Japanese terms that are footnoted. Due to a mix of study and experience I actually knew what a lot of them meant but didn't find the use of them added to the story (and found it weird that he chose to include some terms in the original Japanese and yet translate others). It just looked like another example of 'look at me, I studied this strange and exotic culture, let me show you' rather than 'I decided to leave these in the original language to add verisimilitude to the story'. Frankly I would have found footnotes about the plants a lot more useful (thank-you built in Kindle dictionaries).
- The sex scenes. As many other reviewers point out, they are cringeworthy. I am not a prude - my list of favourite literature includes books like 'Story of O' so I don't mind a sex scene if it is well written and has a place in the story. The sex scenes in this book are neither well written, or in most places add to the story. They are so bad I really can't even think that it is a problem with the translation in to English.
There are some interesting parts to this story - I particularly liked how Decoin attempted to explore the headspace of someone coming from an isolated village and how their view of the world would be shaped by that, to the point of not having words for many of the new things she experienced. But that is not enough to save this book. It is, in short, not very good. Which is a shame as there was a lot of potential behind it.
February 20, 2018
Bellísima historia que ocurre en el Japón antiguo.
A través del viaje de Miyuki hacia la ciudad imperial, he podido transportarme con gran facilidad al lejano oriente.
El lenguaje evocador y poético confiere al texto un estilo personal y sugestivo.
Esta novela supone una inmersión emocional y sensorial tan potente que me agota los sentidos de manera positiva, aunque al mismo tiempo, consigue que no quiera salir, y que me mezcle con los lugares descritos y los sentimientos tan complejos y delicados de los personajes.
A través del viaje de Miyuki hacia la ciudad imperial, he podido transportarme con gran facilidad al lejano oriente.
El lenguaje evocador y poético confiere al texto un estilo personal y sugestivo.
Esta novela supone una inmersión emocional y sensorial tan potente que me agota los sentidos de manera positiva, aunque al mismo tiempo, consigue que no quiera salir, y que me mezcle con los lugares descritos y los sentimientos tan complejos y delicados de los personajes.
December 17, 2018
Tuto knížku jsem si v knihovně půjčila jen na základě poutavého titulu a zasazení příběhu do starého Japonska. A nezklamala jsem se v ní, dostala jsem to, co jsem čekala. Líbila se mi. V ději je znatelný předěl, jako by to byly dva samostatné příběhy, spojené jen hlavní postavou. Ale vlastně mi to nijak zvlášť nevadilo. Plusové body za konec, který nabízí dvojí chápání. A taky za to jak věrohodně se francouzskému autorovi podařilo vylíčit Japonsko 12. století.
November 13, 2018
Το διάβασα το καλοκαίρι και δεν μου φεύγει απ' το μυαλό. Σκέφτηκα πως μοιάζει με σούσι: είναι φίνο και μαζί ωμό. Γεμάτο γεύσεις, μυρωδιές, αισθησιασμό, σκληρότητα, πρωτόγονα ένστικτα, εκλεπτυσμένα γούστα - οι ανθρώπινες αντιφάσεις αλλά και δυνατότητες σ' ένα βιβλίο που μιλάει για τη μεσαιωνική Ιαπωνία σαν ο συγγραφέας να την έζησε πραγματικά! Chapeau!
March 25, 2020
I'm 50 pages in and I can't finish this - the narrative is lost by a clearly sex crazed author who cannot describe a scene without some link to naked flesh!
September 1, 2019
Thank you to Quercus and RiverRun Books for gifting me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book read much like an allegory of sensations, juxtaposing between the in-depth research on Japanese history and the quirkiness of the plotline.
The story follows Miyuki, a fisherman’s widow, about 1000 years ago in a small village in Japan. Miyuki takes on the grievous task of transporting carp to the Imperial City, for the royal ponds. Her journey to The Office of Gardens and Ponds, is an eventful one, to say the least, meeting along the way an array of colourful characters. Her trials and tribulations however are far from over even after she reaches the Imperial City, and Miyuki must learn how to survive if she is to ever return to her village.
This was a most intriguing and at the same time oddly bizarre read, to say the least. The descriptive narrative had the fierceness to make you want to get lost in the Japanese history, but at the same time it felt it lacked the appropriate emotion needed to make the reader relate or event faintly care much about any of the characters, especially Miyuki.
Oftentimes it felt I was teleported into a theatrical piece intercepted with Japanese culture and French cinema from the 1970s, also alluring me to bring to mind In The Realm of The Senses, a French-Japanese film in the mid ‘70s, which blended the erotic with the eerie. This is how this book felt. A blend of all the senses; from the taste to sounds, to touch and feeling.
At the end of the day I am not entirely convinced that the author knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish with this novel, as parts of the story seemed so disjointed, that it was almost impossible to attach to anything in it; whether this being the actual plot or the characters’ journey.
Trigger warnings for sexual content are to be specified as well, as it might turn off some readers (not me personally), but with all things, nudity and sexual references (even in books) need to have a reason to be there, something which I am not entirely sure there was much reason in certain sexual scenes that were included in this book.
In conclusion, if you are a fan of Japanese history, if you’re a fan of French-Japanese cinema art cinema from the 1970s, then this is a gem to look out for. Consider this as European art house and delve into it with an open mind.
This book read much like an allegory of sensations, juxtaposing between the in-depth research on Japanese history and the quirkiness of the plotline.
The story follows Miyuki, a fisherman’s widow, about 1000 years ago in a small village in Japan. Miyuki takes on the grievous task of transporting carp to the Imperial City, for the royal ponds. Her journey to The Office of Gardens and Ponds, is an eventful one, to say the least, meeting along the way an array of colourful characters. Her trials and tribulations however are far from over even after she reaches the Imperial City, and Miyuki must learn how to survive if she is to ever return to her village.
This was a most intriguing and at the same time oddly bizarre read, to say the least. The descriptive narrative had the fierceness to make you want to get lost in the Japanese history, but at the same time it felt it lacked the appropriate emotion needed to make the reader relate or event faintly care much about any of the characters, especially Miyuki.
Oftentimes it felt I was teleported into a theatrical piece intercepted with Japanese culture and French cinema from the 1970s, also alluring me to bring to mind In The Realm of The Senses, a French-Japanese film in the mid ‘70s, which blended the erotic with the eerie. This is how this book felt. A blend of all the senses; from the taste to sounds, to touch and feeling.
At the end of the day I am not entirely convinced that the author knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish with this novel, as parts of the story seemed so disjointed, that it was almost impossible to attach to anything in it; whether this being the actual plot or the characters’ journey.
Trigger warnings for sexual content are to be specified as well, as it might turn off some readers (not me personally), but with all things, nudity and sexual references (even in books) need to have a reason to be there, something which I am not entirely sure there was much reason in certain sexual scenes that were included in this book.
In conclusion, if you are a fan of Japanese history, if you’re a fan of French-Japanese cinema art cinema from the 1970s, then this is a gem to look out for. Consider this as European art house and delve into it with an open mind.
September 20, 2020
I loved the poetic writing of this book, the references to Japanese culture and myths, the travels of Miyuki and the description of life in the Imperial City. However, the frequent references to sex and the awkward sex scenes made me enjoy the book a lot less. Without those, it would have certainly gotten 4 stars for me.
October 11, 2019
Όλο το βιβλίο είναι σα να βρίσκεσαι ανάμεσα σε ανθισμένες κερασιές, μυρωδιές της γης και και μενεξεδιά χρώματα ένα χειμωνιάτικο σούρουπο... Αλλά το τέλος, τι;
December 14, 2024
3.5
Alice Rohrwacher, Alessandro Baricco y Japón
Alice Rohrwacher, Alessandro Baricco y Japón
April 27, 2019
Reading this book was a strange experience, and I'm not entirely sure that I can accurately explain why and have anyone believe me. Let's leave it at the fact that I am concerned about the author's sexual fetishes and understanding of the female experience of sex and it would appear that the editors were too nervous to raise these issues. And some pretty odd scenes therefore went to print.
Like, I'm talking REALLY, REALLY STRANGE.
The rest of the book I did largely enjoy. It is clear that a lot of research has gone into this book and though I do feel that an awful lot of that research really didn't need to make it into the final version, the rumination of grief is very interesting as is the historical Japanese setting. There was, however, that bit too much factual information thown at the reader - I think this was an attempt at setting the scene but, for me, I found that it overpowered the plot lines and the interactions between the characters, making several moments that should have been emotionally powerful kind of moot.
Plus, just when the plot/character interactions where getting really good, there seemed to always be one of the REALLY ODD sex scenes in lieu of ay genuine intimacy or character development.
That said, this is not a period of history that I think gets written about particularly often. It was interesting to me to consider this time period of the Japanese Empire and I think the dichotomy between the Imperial City and live in the small villages in the provines was well depicted.
Also, massive appreciation for the translation here - this reads beautifully.
Like, I'm talking REALLY, REALLY STRANGE.
The rest of the book I did largely enjoy. It is clear that a lot of research has gone into this book and though I do feel that an awful lot of that research really didn't need to make it into the final version, the rumination of grief is very interesting as is the historical Japanese setting. There was, however, that bit too much factual information thown at the reader - I think this was an attempt at setting the scene but, for me, I found that it overpowered the plot lines and the interactions between the characters, making several moments that should have been emotionally powerful kind of moot.
Plus, just when the plot/character interactions where getting really good, there seemed to always be one of the REALLY ODD sex scenes in lieu of ay genuine intimacy or character development.
That said, this is not a period of history that I think gets written about particularly often. It was interesting to me to consider this time period of the Japanese Empire and I think the dichotomy between the Imperial City and live in the small villages in the provines was well depicted.
Also, massive appreciation for the translation here - this reads beautifully.
March 6, 2021
Nežinau, kas man su šita knyga negerai, nes pergalvodama atskiras jos dalis jaučiu, kad viskas gerai ir kad geros tos dalys, tačiau kai bandau sujungti jas į visą kūrinį, kaip knygoje, tada visgi kažkas nebe taip ir nebepatinka. Nesuprantu, kam prireikė į viską įpinti moters kvapą ir kodėl negalėjo viskas taip ir likti apie žvejo žmoną ir tuos karpius? Arba ar nebuvo kito būdo, be karpių, žvejo žmonai į rūmus atvest? Žodžiu, knygos vidury priskirčiau istorijoms " o tu žiūrėk, kaip gyvenime dar atsitinka" ir būtų gerai, kad kas geriau supratęs paaiškintų, kam tokio vidurio reikėjo.
October 5, 2018
Een prachtig boek! #aanrader
April 20, 2021
Japon, 12e siècle. Miyuki est la femme de Katsuro, pêcheur et pourvoyeur de carpes pour les étangs impériaux. Après la noyade de ce dernier, sa veuve entame un voyage périlleux pour mener à bien la livraison de l’ultime récolte de son défunt mari.
Voyage initiatique, épopée sensorielle, on traverse les forêts comme autant de rêves. C’est un récit plein de sensualité et d’érotisme, onirique et étouffant. L’écriture est exquise et érudite.
Une fable raffinée se déroulant au Japon, mais racontée par un homme blanc, occidental... érudition oui, orientalisme et exoticisation, oui, aussi, un peu.
Parcourir ce roman fut un moment agréable, mais surtout une invitation à découvrir la littérature japonaise médiévale. La bibliographie à la fin de l’ouvrage nous propose d’ailleurs quelques suggestions.
Voyage initiatique, épopée sensorielle, on traverse les forêts comme autant de rêves. C’est un récit plein de sensualité et d’érotisme, onirique et étouffant. L’écriture est exquise et érudite.
Une fable raffinée se déroulant au Japon, mais racontée par un homme blanc, occidental... érudition oui, orientalisme et exoticisation, oui, aussi, un peu.
Parcourir ce roman fut un moment agréable, mais surtout une invitation à découvrir la littérature japonaise médiévale. La bibliographie à la fin de l’ouvrage nous propose d’ailleurs quelques suggestions.
Read
November 26, 2022Dnf-ing this at 7%. C'est forcément mauvais.
Decoin fait un effort pour atteindre l'authenticité et le style d'écriture des auteurs japonais, mais il y rate affreusement. Dans les premiers chapitres du livre il parle d'une veuve endeuillée et apparemment de sa volonté de sucer la bite de son défunt mari. †
Une caractéristique typique pour les auteurs français modernes : ils abusent trop le facteur de choc.
Get over yourselves. 0/5 would not recommend.
Decoin fait un effort pour atteindre l'authenticité et le style d'écriture des auteurs japonais, mais il y rate affreusement. Dans les premiers chapitres du livre il parle d'une veuve endeuillée et apparemment de sa volonté de sucer la bite de son défunt mari. †
Une caractéristique typique pour les auteurs français modernes : ils abusent trop le facteur de choc.
Get over yourselves. 0/5 would not recommend.
March 18, 2024
Kacuro mirtis paliko mane su širdies skausmu, bet taip pat su užduotimi, kuri buvo mano paskutinė pareiga jam. Mano pačios gyvenimo kelionė, kai karpių gabenimas imperatoriui, tampa ne tik fizinis krūvis, bet ir dvasinis išbandymas, kaip mano prisiminimai – sunkūs, bet reikalingi. Gyvenimas, meilė, atmintis mano širdyje kaip tyla po mėnulio šviesa.
October 30, 2024
4.5*/5*
Da je Hari Stajls u spotu za 'Adore you' bio Japanka iz 12. veka, a da je spot, kojim slučajem, režirao Kurosava ("Rašomon"), to bi, faktički, bio siže ove predivne knjige.
Izuzetno poetično, prepuno suptilnosti, slika, mirisa, boja i duše. Pravi filigranski rad! (nije slučajno trebalo 12 godina da bude napisana)
Jedina (čisto subjektivna) zamerka ide na neizostavni deo japanske književnosti - erotske momente - koji svojom detaljnošću i čudnovatošću često proizvode "degute" efekat, ali se, svakako, sjajno uklapaju u priču i milje. Pa, ko voli - nek' izvoli u "Carstvo čula" - neće se pokajati!
Da je Hari Stajls u spotu za 'Adore you' bio Japanka iz 12. veka, a da je spot, kojim slučajem, režirao Kurosava ("Rašomon"), to bi, faktički, bio siže ove predivne knjige.
Izuzetno poetično, prepuno suptilnosti, slika, mirisa, boja i duše. Pravi filigranski rad! (nije slučajno trebalo 12 godina da bude napisana)
Jedina (čisto subjektivna) zamerka ide na neizostavni deo japanske književnosti - erotske momente - koji svojom detaljnošću i čudnovatošću često proizvode "degute" efekat, ali se, svakako, sjajno uklapaju u priču i milje. Pa, ko voli - nek' izvoli u "Carstvo čula" - neće se pokajati!
August 9, 2020
Bien disposée à l'égard de tout ce qui concerne le Japon, et voyant que ce roman était bien reçu par la critique, je l'ai offert à plusieurs personnes. L'ayant finalement lu (chez une des personnes à qui je l'avais offert), je ne suis pas certaine que c'était un choix judicieux.
C'est donc l'histoire de Miyuki, habitante d'un village rural du Japon de l'époque Heian, dont le mari était le fournisseur attitré de carpes pour les étangs du palais impérial. Celui-ci mort, Miyuki doit, pour la première fois, sortir de son village pour convoyer jusqu'au palais, et plus précisément jusqu'au puissant chef du bureau des jardins et des étangs, les dernières carpes capturées par son mari.
L'auteur n'a pas lésiné sur la documentation et il tient à ce qu'on le sache. il utilise à foison des mots japonais qu'il nous fait ensuite l'honneur de nous expliquer. Et puis la sexualité est partout : nous seulement dans l'adieu au corps de l'époux, et dans les embuches que Miyuki rencontre en chemin ; mais aussi de façon répétitive, dans l'évocation des souvenirs de sa vie avec son mari. C'est gênant à ce degré, je me méfie toujours de cette façon d'hypersexualiser les civilisations étrangères (ces étrangers ont développé une civilisation qui ne s'inspire pas de la nôtre. Mais rassurez bonnes gens, en fait ce n'est que du cul !), j'y vois une façon de les rabaisser subtilement. Entre ces deux "encombrants" (l'hyperdocumentation, l'hypersexualisation), il reste peu de choses et c'est dommage, il y avait place pour deux bonnes idées, la mort de l'époux qui est à la fois l'effondrement du monde de l'épouse et une ouverture de son univers puisqu'elle va devoir dépasser ses limites pour remplir les tâches de son époux (et s'en découvrir capable) ; la rencontre avec le chef de bureau, qui va se servir de la senteur de Miyuki pour gagner un concours de parfums, mobilise une autre idée peut-être un peu plus creusée : on a parfois besoin de l'altérité, de l'autre qu'on a commencé par mépriser. L'auteur a fait comme une erreur de script en ne poursuivant pas un détail (l'absence d'ongle arraché) que le haut fonctionnaire aurait dû remarquer. La fin, après une amorce originale, et dans laquelle l'auteur aurait pu, pour le coup, exploiter la paronymie en japonais entre les mots "tremblement de terre " et "confiance en soi" (si Miyuki ne retrouve pas son village comme il était, c'est parce que la terre a tremblé mais aussi parce qu'elle a pris confiance), tombe finalement dans la queue de poisson, un comble pour cette histoire de carpe.
C'est donc l'histoire de Miyuki, habitante d'un village rural du Japon de l'époque Heian, dont le mari était le fournisseur attitré de carpes pour les étangs du palais impérial. Celui-ci mort, Miyuki doit, pour la première fois, sortir de son village pour convoyer jusqu'au palais, et plus précisément jusqu'au puissant chef du bureau des jardins et des étangs, les dernières carpes capturées par son mari.
L'auteur n'a pas lésiné sur la documentation et il tient à ce qu'on le sache. il utilise à foison des mots japonais qu'il nous fait ensuite l'honneur de nous expliquer. Et puis la sexualité est partout : nous seulement dans l'adieu au corps de l'époux, et dans les embuches que Miyuki rencontre en chemin ; mais aussi de façon répétitive, dans l'évocation des souvenirs de sa vie avec son mari. C'est gênant à ce degré, je me méfie toujours de cette façon d'hypersexualiser les civilisations étrangères (ces étrangers ont développé une civilisation qui ne s'inspire pas de la nôtre. Mais rassurez bonnes gens, en fait ce n'est que du cul !), j'y vois une façon de les rabaisser subtilement. Entre ces deux "encombrants" (l'hyperdocumentation, l'hypersexualisation), il reste peu de choses et c'est dommage, il y avait place pour deux bonnes idées, la mort de l'époux qui est à la fois l'effondrement du monde de l'épouse et une ouverture de son univers puisqu'elle va devoir dépasser ses limites pour remplir les tâches de son époux (et s'en découvrir capable) ; la rencontre avec le chef de bureau, qui va se servir de la senteur de Miyuki pour gagner un concours de parfums, mobilise une autre idée peut-être un peu plus creusée : on a parfois besoin de l'altérité, de l'autre qu'on a commencé par mépriser. L'auteur a fait comme une erreur de script en ne poursuivant pas un détail (l'absence d'ongle arraché) que le haut fonctionnaire aurait dû remarquer. La fin, après une amorce originale, et dans laquelle l'auteur aurait pu, pour le coup, exploiter la paronymie en japonais entre les mots "tremblement de terre " et "confiance en soi" (si Miyuki ne retrouve pas son village comme il était, c'est parce que la terre a tremblé mais aussi parce qu'elle a pris confiance), tombe finalement dans la queue de poisson, un comble pour cette histoire de carpe.
October 19, 2017
Je ne savais pas à quoi m'attendre en commençant ce roman; d'ailleurs je n'ai même pas lu le résumé. Une de mes collègues me l'a conseillé, je ne l'aurai sans doute pas choisi de moi-même, n'ayant pas particulièrement apprécié les quelques ouvrages que j'ai lu sur cette période de l'histoire du Japon. Je n'ai pas eu un coup de coeur, mais je l'ai tout de même trouvé intéressant, voire original dans un certain degré.
La première moitié du roman, avec la veuve du pêcheur de carpes qui reprend le rôle de son défunt mari pour satisfaire les besoins de l'empereur en carpes pour ses étangs à la capitale de Heian (ancien nom de Kyôto), était assez prévisible. Les obstacles qu'elle rencontre sur la route, etc. Le point intéressant à ce stade (et aussi jusqu'à la fin), c'était le style et la grande richesse du vocabulaire. En toute honnêteté, je ne me rappelle pas avoir lu récemment un livre dont autant de mots m'étaient complètement inconnus, majoritairement des noms de plantes, insectes, animaux.
La deuxième moitié de l'histoire, à partir du moment où Miyuki arrive à la capitale, était pour moi plus intéressante, même si j'étais surprise qu'il reste encore autant de pages alors qu'elle était apparemment arrivée à la fin de sa mission. Mais la cérémonie des parfums m'a fascinée, je ne connaissais pas du tout cette pratique et j'ai trouvé ça instructif et très bien décrit. C'est un tour de force de parvenir à faire imaginer au lecture des parfums qu'il ne connaît pas !
Je l'avoue, j'ai aussi lu en cherchant les incohérences qui auraient pu se glisser dans le texte, mais l'auteur a bien documenté son ouvrage, allant des nombreux rangs de la cour de l'empereur aux usages comme le laquage des dents en noir, etc. Seule petite erreur, Fudô Myô n'est pas un bouddha, même s'il appartient bien au panthéon bouddhique.
J'ai parfois trouvé inutiles voir sordides les nombreuses références à la sexualité passée de Katsuro et Miyuki, mêlées aux images des carpes, ce n'était pas toujours très agréable à lire (j'imagine que c'était voulu, mais je ne vois pas dans quel pas, à part peut-être de retransmettre l'imagination débordante des Japonais de l'époque en terme de sexualité...)
Pour conclure, un roman qui fait voyager au coeur du Japon du XIIè siècle, avec une richesse de style et une précision dans les détails.
La première moitié du roman, avec la veuve du pêcheur de carpes qui reprend le rôle de son défunt mari pour satisfaire les besoins de l'empereur en carpes pour ses étangs à la capitale de Heian (ancien nom de Kyôto), était assez prévisible. Les obstacles qu'elle rencontre sur la route, etc. Le point intéressant à ce stade (et aussi jusqu'à la fin), c'était le style et la grande richesse du vocabulaire. En toute honnêteté, je ne me rappelle pas avoir lu récemment un livre dont autant de mots m'étaient complètement inconnus, majoritairement des noms de plantes, insectes, animaux.
La deuxième moitié de l'histoire, à partir du moment où Miyuki arrive à la capitale, était pour moi plus intéressante, même si j'étais surprise qu'il reste encore autant de pages alors qu'elle était apparemment arrivée à la fin de sa mission. Mais la cérémonie des parfums m'a fascinée, je ne connaissais pas du tout cette pratique et j'ai trouvé ça instructif et très bien décrit. C'est un tour de force de parvenir à faire imaginer au lecture des parfums qu'il ne connaît pas !
Je l'avoue, j'ai aussi lu en cherchant les incohérences qui auraient pu se glisser dans le texte, mais l'auteur a bien documenté son ouvrage, allant des nombreux rangs de la cour de l'empereur aux usages comme le laquage des dents en noir, etc. Seule petite erreur, Fudô Myô n'est pas un bouddha, même s'il appartient bien au panthéon bouddhique.
J'ai parfois trouvé inutiles voir sordides les nombreuses références à la sexualité passée de Katsuro et Miyuki, mêlées aux images des carpes, ce n'était pas toujours très agréable à lire (j'imagine que c'était voulu, mais je ne vois pas dans quel pas, à part peut-être de retransmettre l'imagination débordante des Japonais de l'époque en terme de sexualité...)
Pour conclure, un roman qui fait voyager au coeur du Japon du XIIè siècle, avec une richesse de style et une précision dans les détails.
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