This or That Reading Challenge discussion

This: A book with a cover that you hate.
That: A book written by an anonymous author.

This: Murder Road by Simone St. James

That: The String of Pearls by Anonymous

For this month I chose That: A book written by an anonymous author, for which I read The Tale of the Heike, a 13th century Japanese novel that is the result of a long oral tradition, therefore has no single true author. I came across one review that described it as the "Iliad of Japanese Literature". And there were definitely some parallels: the focus of the story is the struggle between the two largest clans at the time for the control of Japan, with many battles, heroes, and villains.

But while there were some very compelling stories along the way, and certainly represented an important historic epoch for the country, there are also many very dry, repetitive, sections that were almost unendurable. I'm glad I read it, and I generally liked it, but don't feel any compulsion to ever re-read. Factoring in that this is from the 1200s (and the original stories in oral form are centuries older), I'll give it 3 stars.

I read for This. I found it among a couple of books my stepmother had given me and thought "what an ugly cover". The book itself was alright, a little funny in some spots, but would I continue reading the series? Nah.