Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book One)

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Lian Hearn

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Pages: 294 (Hardcover)

ISBN: 1405000325

Pub: Macmillan, London

Pub date: 2002-09-06

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 245001

Editorial Review:

Across the Nightingale Floor more than lives up to its billing as an exceptional new literary sensation, from the tragic excitement and drama of a sacked village on the opening page, to the later multi-layered court intrigues and tales of family revenge by ancient Japanese dynasties. The engaging story and appealing characters combine incredibly well to produce a highly readable book that should appeal to many different-aged readers.
Takeo is just 16 when he loses his family to the evil Lord Iida and it seems like incredible luck when he is saved from death by the noble Shigeru, rightful heir to the Clan of the Otori. As Takeo travels into new territory and towards a new, unknown life, the tribal rivalries, romances and histories at large in this new world are revealed to him. These are treacherous times. Everyone is at risk, and few can be trusted. Takeo also has a special gift--inherited skills that mark him out as different from other men. He is at once desirable and highly dangerous to those in power. His life is soon in danger.
It's a fascinating landscape and a riveting story; it's genuinely very difficult to put down once you've started it. Unusually for a children's book with so many characters, several with strange-sounding names, the story is easy to follow. The writing is exceptional, with very few words out of place. The author, a pseudonym for Australian writer Gillian Rubinstein, is generous enough to paint the characters and scenery in great detail, yet keeps the writing clipped enough for the plot to move along at a steady pace. Importantly, there are no slow bits.

The book does not flinch from adult content and is certainly a mature read. There are numerous deaths, several beheadings, torture, cruelty and even a little lovemaking. All, however, are within context and not gratuitous. (Age 12 and over.) --John McLay

Reader Reviews:

Couldn't keep my eyes off it! (0/0 people found this helpful)

Normally I can never ever find anything to read but when I picked this book up I was gripped from the start! Its so descriptive and you can pretty much picture everything! The characters are all unique and interesting and when I finished the book I was straight onto the next, I'm now on the 4th book which is amazing so this is a must! Its perfect for those who like a bit of japanese culture, fighting etc, it has everything in it! The story line is great and you can just read it over and over without being bored! Love it!

Far better than I imagined. (2/3 people found this helpful)

I read thid book because my brother kept telling me how good it was. After reading the back I didn't find it was particularly appealing, and I thought it would be just another predictable love story. But I was so pleasantly suprised! I couldn't put this book down, and then I want straight onto reading the next one. It catches you right from the beginning, and I haven't enjoyed a book quite as much as this one for ages. It's a must read!, buy it now!

Excitment of reading... (2/3 people found this helpful)

I heard this book was fanatstic and decided to read it, took a few chapters to be un-seperable to it but overall i fairly enjoyed it. Made me read the second book in the seies i'm reading now which is BETTER! so hurry up and read this book and read book 2 it's fantastic!!! Evan better than book 1. But you do have to read this book to understand what happens in book 2. So highly recomended to older teenagers, as it has violence and gore .It's brill so read it!!! It's a must read!!!

Suitably engrossing (1/4 people found this helpful)

If there's one thing Hearn has a knack for, it is description. Across The Nightgale Floor hauls us into a beautifully fabricated fictional Japanese world of The Three Countries with full force as we follow Takeo, a boy whose family and village has been destroyed by malevolent warlord Iida Sadamu. Takeo is rescued by Lord Shigeru Otori and the book follows their plight as they plan to overthrow the murdering Sadamu.

At the same time, the book nicely contrasts the struggle of Kaede Shirakawa against the men who hold her as a helpless hostage and against those who are manipulating her life.

In all honesty, this book did not have me gripped all the way through although the last few chapters more than made up for this. If like me, Japanese culture interests you, then you will enjoy reading this first installment of the Otori saga.

Surprised it ranks so highly (1/5 people found this helpful)

First of all, any comparisons with this series to His Dark Materials is a bit of an insult to Philip Pullman.

Although I found it easy to read, and got through it very quickly, it is by no means compulsive reading, or a page-turner. I'm afraid I found the characters rather stereo-typical and not yet having read the next 2 books, have a fair idea how they are going to turn out and how the story will move along.

However the evocation of Japan and its era is very well done, and there is a real feel for the setting of this story but it's let down by the characters, which are flat and don't leave you gasping for more.

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