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Lou-Lan and Other Stories (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works. Japanese Series)
Six stories in quest of the hidden treasures of Asia's past from Japanese historical fiction writer, Yasushi Inoue.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 29, 1968
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About the author
Yasushi Inoue
270 books223 followersYasushi Inoue (井上靖) was a Japanese writer whose range of genres included poetry, essays, short fiction, and novels.
Inoue is famous for his serious historical fiction of ancient Japan and the Asian continent, including Wind and Waves, Tun-huang, and Confucius, but his work also included semi-autobiographical novels and short fiction of great humor, pathos, and wisdom like Shirobamba and Asunaro Monogatari, which depicted the setting of the author's own life — Japan of the early to mid twentieth century — in revealing perspective.
1936 Chiba Kameo Prize --- Ruten,流転
1950 Akutagawa Prize --- Tōgyu,闘牛
1957 Ministry of Education Prize for Literature --- The Roof Tile of Tempyo,天平の甍
1959 Mainichi Press Prize --- Tun-huang,敦煌
1963 Yomiuri Prize --- Fūtō,風濤
(from Wikipedia)
Inoue is famous for his serious historical fiction of ancient Japan and the Asian continent, including Wind and Waves, Tun-huang, and Confucius, but his work also included semi-autobiographical novels and short fiction of great humor, pathos, and wisdom like Shirobamba and Asunaro Monogatari, which depicted the setting of the author's own life — Japan of the early to mid twentieth century — in revealing perspective.
1936 Chiba Kameo Prize --- Ruten,流転
1950 Akutagawa Prize --- Tōgyu,闘牛
1957 Ministry of Education Prize for Literature --- The Roof Tile of Tempyo,天平の甍
1959 Mainichi Press Prize --- Tun-huang,敦煌
1963 Yomiuri Prize --- Fūtō,風濤
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 20, 2025
Besieged.
October 24, 2013
This book is a little disappointing.
First, the language is not very Japanese, at least, as short stories, it doesn't have the feeling of Japanese prose. Second, the story about Lou-Lan and other places are of historical descriptions but no literary traces, and if one needs to choose to read a historical text, this is obviously not the right one. Last but not least, the translation is so so.
First, the language is not very Japanese, at least, as short stories, it doesn't have the feeling of Japanese prose. Second, the story about Lou-Lan and other places are of historical descriptions but no literary traces, and if one needs to choose to read a historical text, this is obviously not the right one. Last but not least, the translation is so so.
February 27, 2013
Historische Kurzgeschichten vom japanischen Meister
"Lou-lan"
Wie schon in seinem Roman "Confucius" schafft Inoue es auch in dieser Kurzgeschichte, die einen Überblick über die Geschichte der Siedlung Lou-lan bietet, die Unsicherheit der Bevölkerung des Orts plastisch zu machen, die zwischen den Mahlsteinen des kaiserlichen Chinas im Osten und den aufstrebenden Xiongnu im Norden und Westen zermahlen wird. Inoues distanzierter, kühler Stil demonstriert die Vergänglichkeit aller Hoffnungen der Bewohner Lou-lans in einem besonderen Maße, und lässt den Leser nachdenklich und melancholisch zurück.
"The Sage"
Eine lokale Sage, die das Entstehen eines Sees beschreibt, bildet die Grundlage für diese Erzählung, die Gier, Modernisierungswahn und das gedankenlose Abtun alter Traditionen anprangert.
"Princess Yung-t'ai's Necklace"
Grabräuber waren nach der Tang-Dynastie nie arbeitslos: Viele Adelige ließen sich in üppig mit Schätzen gefüllten unterirdischen Grabanlagen bestatten. Aber vielleicht übernimmt sich der diesbezüglich sehr erfahrene und erfolgreiche Chen doch etwas mit dem Grab einer Tang-Prinzessin?
"The Opaline Cup"
Zwei archäologischer Funde überraschen den Erzähler dieser Geschichte - obwohl er an Archäologie nur wenig interessiert ist, fasziniert ihn die Geschichte dieser zwei Kunstwerke, die nach vielen Jahrhunderten Trennung wieder zusammengeführt werden.
"The Rhododendrons"
Früher veröffentlicht als "The Azaleas of Hira", fällt diese Geschichte etwas aus dem Rahmen - sie ist nur begrenzt als historisch zu bezeichnen, denn in ihr geht es um einen bornierten alten Mann, dem seine wissenschaftliche Veröffentlichung, an der er seit Jahrzehnten recht erfolglos arbeitet, wichtiger ist als seine Familie.
"The Passage to Fudaraku"
Im Japan des 17.Jh. versucht ein Mönch, seinen Vorbildern zu folgen und auch die Reise nach Fudaraku, einer paradiesischen Insel, anzutreten. Das für Japan so immens wichtige Pflichtgefühl wird in dieser Geschichte beeindruckend hinterfragt - blindes Verfolgen eines fragwürdigen Ziels, nur weil es so erwartet wird von einem, oder soll man mit Traditionen brechen? Ein netter Gegenklang gegen die Geschichte "The Sage", der zeigt, dass nicht alles so einfach ist, wie man es im ersten Impuls sieht.
Zum Material: Ein typisches, unauffälliges Taschenbuch ohne Vor- oder Nachwort. Materialqualität ist zufriedenstellend, wenn auch etwas eng an die Bindung gedruckt, so dass man das Buch weit aufbiegen muss, um es bequem zu lesen. Die Übersetzungen sind, obwohl von verschiedenen Übersetzern (Seidensticker und Araki), durchgängig und sehr lesbar.
"Lou-lan"
Wie schon in seinem Roman "Confucius" schafft Inoue es auch in dieser Kurzgeschichte, die einen Überblick über die Geschichte der Siedlung Lou-lan bietet, die Unsicherheit der Bevölkerung des Orts plastisch zu machen, die zwischen den Mahlsteinen des kaiserlichen Chinas im Osten und den aufstrebenden Xiongnu im Norden und Westen zermahlen wird. Inoues distanzierter, kühler Stil demonstriert die Vergänglichkeit aller Hoffnungen der Bewohner Lou-lans in einem besonderen Maße, und lässt den Leser nachdenklich und melancholisch zurück.
"The Sage"
Eine lokale Sage, die das Entstehen eines Sees beschreibt, bildet die Grundlage für diese Erzählung, die Gier, Modernisierungswahn und das gedankenlose Abtun alter Traditionen anprangert.
"Princess Yung-t'ai's Necklace"
Grabräuber waren nach der Tang-Dynastie nie arbeitslos: Viele Adelige ließen sich in üppig mit Schätzen gefüllten unterirdischen Grabanlagen bestatten. Aber vielleicht übernimmt sich der diesbezüglich sehr erfahrene und erfolgreiche Chen doch etwas mit dem Grab einer Tang-Prinzessin?
"The Opaline Cup"
Zwei archäologischer Funde überraschen den Erzähler dieser Geschichte - obwohl er an Archäologie nur wenig interessiert ist, fasziniert ihn die Geschichte dieser zwei Kunstwerke, die nach vielen Jahrhunderten Trennung wieder zusammengeführt werden.
"The Rhododendrons"
Früher veröffentlicht als "The Azaleas of Hira", fällt diese Geschichte etwas aus dem Rahmen - sie ist nur begrenzt als historisch zu bezeichnen, denn in ihr geht es um einen bornierten alten Mann, dem seine wissenschaftliche Veröffentlichung, an der er seit Jahrzehnten recht erfolglos arbeitet, wichtiger ist als seine Familie.
"The Passage to Fudaraku"
Im Japan des 17.Jh. versucht ein Mönch, seinen Vorbildern zu folgen und auch die Reise nach Fudaraku, einer paradiesischen Insel, anzutreten. Das für Japan so immens wichtige Pflichtgefühl wird in dieser Geschichte beeindruckend hinterfragt - blindes Verfolgen eines fragwürdigen Ziels, nur weil es so erwartet wird von einem, oder soll man mit Traditionen brechen? Ein netter Gegenklang gegen die Geschichte "The Sage", der zeigt, dass nicht alles so einfach ist, wie man es im ersten Impuls sieht.
Zum Material: Ein typisches, unauffälliges Taschenbuch ohne Vor- oder Nachwort. Materialqualität ist zufriedenstellend, wenn auch etwas eng an die Bindung gedruckt, so dass man das Buch weit aufbiegen muss, um es bequem zu lesen. Die Übersetzungen sind, obwohl von verschiedenen Übersetzern (Seidensticker und Araki), durchgängig und sehr lesbar.
October 12, 2018
Although the author was Japanese, most of the stories in this collection revolve around somewhat mysterious episodes from ancient Chinese history. Inoue must have done a massive amount of research considering the scrupulous attention to detail here. The stories are very closely based on the historical evidence, but Inoue introduces his own fictional elements which fit the known facts perfectly. 'The Opaline Cup' didn't do a lot for me, but the others are easily among the best short stories I've ever read.
'Lou-lan' is about a small and short-lived country in what is now part of China, whose hapless inhabitants were caught between two warring factions. 'The Sage' tells the story of a community of members of the Saka tribe, who have a single water source watched over by the title character. This story has a truly excellent twist at the end! 'Princess Yung-t'ai's Necklace' is a story of grave-robbing and betrayal. 'The Rhododendrons' is the odd one out here, being a more contemporary tale about an ageing Japanese scholar, but it is still excellent. 'Passage to Fuduraku' is about an ancient community whose priests are expected to sail at the age of 61 to the mythical land of the title, where they will supposedly find eternal life and happiness.
This collection is perfect for anyone who enjoys a bit of history in their litereature.
'Lou-lan' is about a small and short-lived country in what is now part of China, whose hapless inhabitants were caught between two warring factions. 'The Sage' tells the story of a community of members of the Saka tribe, who have a single water source watched over by the title character. This story has a truly excellent twist at the end! 'Princess Yung-t'ai's Necklace' is a story of grave-robbing and betrayal. 'The Rhododendrons' is the odd one out here, being a more contemporary tale about an ageing Japanese scholar, but it is still excellent. 'Passage to Fuduraku' is about an ancient community whose priests are expected to sail at the age of 61 to the mythical land of the title, where they will supposedly find eternal life and happiness.
This collection is perfect for anyone who enjoys a bit of history in their litereature.
April 1, 2025
Lou Lan
Many of the short stories in this collection involve embellishment and speculation on the past of a curio, tradition, or archaeological relic. Lou-lan gives the chronicle of a city in the desert caught between the Xiongnu and Chinese and tells of the possible origin of a Tarim Basin mummy and the speculation of the fate of her people. The city of Lou-lan rests along a river by the banks of the lake Lop Nur, the populace is pushed out of the city, and their attempts to return are stymied by the two hegemons. Over the centuries, however, the winds of the Taklamakan alter the geography: the lake dries up and the city is buried in sand until it is discovered again by Swedish explorer Sven Hedin. Perhaps it is meant to be cautionary, about never leaving ones homeland lest the homeland disappear in fact. This story is what drew me to the collection, but in my opinion is the weakest of the six, and feels rather constrained by info-dumping.
The Sage
Inoue's account is a retelling of oral traditions about a tribal power struggle regarding a spring in what is now Kyrgyzstan and how it formed Issyk Kul. He published this short story in 1959. His closing remarks leave the reader to decide to believe these oral traditions or the Russian archaeologists saying the lake is almost a hundred thousand years old. This tale involves a lot of similar themes to Lou-lan, but isn't as beset by attempts to exactly match history and archaeological finds. Ironically, Russian archaeologists found evidence of civilization submerged in Issyk Kul in 2007, half a century after this story's publication.
Princess Yung'tai's necklace
A roguish tale of graverobbers in Song Dynasty China outside of Xi'an.
The Opaline Cup
A tale of soulmates and twin Persian cups that are reunited in Japan after centuries.
The Rhododendrons
An elderly narrator goes up to a mountain inn and ruminates on his children who no longer have any time for him. As his account progresses it becomes clear he's an alcoholic, absentee father whose chief aim is to gain recognition for a scholarly work that he never seems able to finish. The best story of the six.
Passage to Fudaraku
An elderly monk is about to go on a final pilgrimage across the ocean to the afterlife. It doesn't go as planned, however, and he possibly loses his enlightenment.
Many of the short stories in this collection involve embellishment and speculation on the past of a curio, tradition, or archaeological relic. Lou-lan gives the chronicle of a city in the desert caught between the Xiongnu and Chinese and tells of the possible origin of a Tarim Basin mummy and the speculation of the fate of her people. The city of Lou-lan rests along a river by the banks of the lake Lop Nur, the populace is pushed out of the city, and their attempts to return are stymied by the two hegemons. Over the centuries, however, the winds of the Taklamakan alter the geography: the lake dries up and the city is buried in sand until it is discovered again by Swedish explorer Sven Hedin. Perhaps it is meant to be cautionary, about never leaving ones homeland lest the homeland disappear in fact. This story is what drew me to the collection, but in my opinion is the weakest of the six, and feels rather constrained by info-dumping.
The Sage
Inoue's account is a retelling of oral traditions about a tribal power struggle regarding a spring in what is now Kyrgyzstan and how it formed Issyk Kul. He published this short story in 1959. His closing remarks leave the reader to decide to believe these oral traditions or the Russian archaeologists saying the lake is almost a hundred thousand years old. This tale involves a lot of similar themes to Lou-lan, but isn't as beset by attempts to exactly match history and archaeological finds. Ironically, Russian archaeologists found evidence of civilization submerged in Issyk Kul in 2007, half a century after this story's publication.
Princess Yung'tai's necklace
A roguish tale of graverobbers in Song Dynasty China outside of Xi'an.
The Opaline Cup
A tale of soulmates and twin Persian cups that are reunited in Japan after centuries.
The Rhododendrons
An elderly narrator goes up to a mountain inn and ruminates on his children who no longer have any time for him. As his account progresses it becomes clear he's an alcoholic, absentee father whose chief aim is to gain recognition for a scholarly work that he never seems able to finish. The best story of the six.
Passage to Fudaraku
An elderly monk is about to go on a final pilgrimage across the ocean to the afterlife. It doesn't go as planned, however, and he possibly loses his enlightenment.
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May 18, 2020Mijn beeld van Inoue hiervoor was voornamelijk gebaseerd op Het Jachtgeweer, wat een geweldig persoonlijke novelle is over menselijke relaties. Het is dus wat raar om van zijn hand enorm onpersoonlijke historische verhalen te lezen. Dit is niet geen kritiek overigens. De staat Lou-Lan is op zichzelf een sterk 'hoofdpersonage', dat ondanks de grote hoeveelheid feitelijke opsommingen toch organisch en levendig aanvoelt.
Wat betreft de andere verhalen waren er enkele die me niet echt bijbleven, maar twee waren prachtig. In De Wijze staat bijgelovigheid centraal, en worden er vraagtekens gezet bij de (Pyrrus)overwinning van de instrumentele rede, die leidt tot hebzucht en oneerbiedigheid. Mijn favoriet is Passage naar Fuduraku, een intiem verhaal over de menselijke zwakte van boeddhistische abten in hun rituele tocht naar een niet bestaand Puur Land, de onsterfelijkheid tegemoet.
Wat betreft de andere verhalen waren er enkele die me niet echt bijbleven, maar twee waren prachtig. In De Wijze staat bijgelovigheid centraal, en worden er vraagtekens gezet bij de (Pyrrus)overwinning van de instrumentele rede, die leidt tot hebzucht en oneerbiedigheid. Mijn favoriet is Passage naar Fuduraku, een intiem verhaal over de menselijke zwakte van boeddhistische abten in hun rituele tocht naar een niet bestaand Puur Land, de onsterfelijkheid tegemoet.
June 27, 2018
A collection of historical fiction with an archeology bend, most of which are rather dry and slow-paced. The last two in the collection, 'The Rhododendrons' and 'Passage to Fudaraku' are the best, mainly because they're character studies instead with interesting protagonists.
February 13, 2019
Lou-lan is a collection of stories by Inoue Yasushi. I realized that different editions of the book have different stories. Mine has eight. All of them are situated in ancient China. The first, the title story, Lou-lan, traces the history of a remote kingdom in Central Asia known as Lou-lan (or Kroran) in some sources, beginning around 130 years BC. The kingdom is caught between many local conflicts. The expanding Han Empire sees Lou-Ian as a possible stronghold for the western borders and tries to get influence by force and by sending various emissaries and generals to the area intending to expand the empire. At the end caught between two fires Lou-lan temporarily moved to a different location and the graduate desolation of the old city starts. Later in the centuries the city and even the lake disappear and are re-discovered only in early 20th century. Inoue Yasushi tells the story of the city, twisting it with legends and facts mentioned in ancient manuscripts.
The following 4 stories of the book reveal different tales from Han Empire history entwining Lou-Ian in them. I have discovered what a huge role superstitions, traditions and conventionalities played in regular life and the war. The scene from the second story "Deluge" is a masterpiece: the troops were attacking day and night the affluent river to pacify the demons of the water, so the leader had to scarify his woman to the river. Just brilliant!
Three more stories from the book are based on myths. Particularly, I like the one about the foundation of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). According to the legend the original population of Sri Lanka are descendants of the man who was half human and half tiger. During later centuries the image of a tiger was replaced by a lion, which became the country's emblem.
The Yasushi’s narration is really enchanting, though not easy. There are a lot of names and dates and footnotes. But I liked the way dry history comes to life with a colorful mythical touch, and random characters introductions whom we can empathize with.
The following 4 stories of the book reveal different tales from Han Empire history entwining Lou-Ian in them. I have discovered what a huge role superstitions, traditions and conventionalities played in regular life and the war. The scene from the second story "Deluge" is a masterpiece: the troops were attacking day and night the affluent river to pacify the demons of the water, so the leader had to scarify his woman to the river. Just brilliant!
Three more stories from the book are based on myths. Particularly, I like the one about the foundation of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). According to the legend the original population of Sri Lanka are descendants of the man who was half human and half tiger. During later centuries the image of a tiger was replaced by a lion, which became the country's emblem.
The Yasushi’s narration is really enchanting, though not easy. There are a lot of names and dates and footnotes. But I liked the way dry history comes to life with a colorful mythical touch, and random characters introductions whom we can empathize with.
April 17, 2022
“Lou-lan” est un livre d’Inoue Yasushi publié aux éditions “Philippe Picquier” collection “Picquier Poche”.
C’est un recueil de quatre nouvelles [Le collier de la princesse Yong-t’ai ; La coupe ; Lou-lan ; Le sage]. Je vais commencer par vous parler du troisième qui donne son nom à cet ouvrage et qui retrace l’histoire d’un ancien royaume d’Asie centrale connu sous le nom de Lou-lan et longtemps disparu et oublié. C’est aux alentours de 130 avant J.C que commence l’histoire d’un royaume, d’un peuple et d’une ville sur les rives du Lob Nor pris entre de nombreux conflits issus de la volonté de la Chine des Han de poursuivre son expansion vers l’ouest, mais également des Hsiong-nou venus, eux, de Mongolie. Inoué nous conte l’histoire tragique du peuple de Lou-Lan victimes de guerres incessantes au point d’être contraint d'abandonner leur capitale qui deviendra progressivement une ville abandonnée, en ruines et sera engloutie par le désert Taklamakan. Les ruines et le nom de Lou-Lan ne seront redécouverts qu'au début du XXème siècle.
Ce n’est pas tant pour cette nouvelle que je recommanderai ce livre mais plus pour les trois autres qui sont pour moi au-dessus, que se soit : ��Le collier de la princesse Yong-t’ai” qui nous raconte l’histoire d’un groupe de pilleurs qui découvre la tombe longtemps oubliée d’une princesse de la dynastie des Tang ; “La coupe” qui relate la découverte archéologique d’une coupe en verre taillé et de l’union avec une coupe jumelle séparée depuis plus de mille ans ; “Le sage” qui conte l’histoire d’une tribu Saka d’Asie centrale et leur vénération de l’unique source d’eau potable du village.
En bref, malgré un recueil de qualité, Inoué ne me fait pas oublier que je préfère ses romans historiques. Pour autant, je ne retrouve pas forcément les défauts habituels des nouvelles d’Inoué, nous avons ici des histoires épurées (peut-être moins le cas de Lou-lan), je pense donc que cet ouvrage est un bon début pour les lecteurs voulant découvrir les recueils d’Inoué.
C’est un recueil de quatre nouvelles [Le collier de la princesse Yong-t’ai ; La coupe ; Lou-lan ; Le sage]. Je vais commencer par vous parler du troisième qui donne son nom à cet ouvrage et qui retrace l’histoire d’un ancien royaume d’Asie centrale connu sous le nom de Lou-lan et longtemps disparu et oublié. C’est aux alentours de 130 avant J.C que commence l’histoire d’un royaume, d’un peuple et d’une ville sur les rives du Lob Nor pris entre de nombreux conflits issus de la volonté de la Chine des Han de poursuivre son expansion vers l’ouest, mais également des Hsiong-nou venus, eux, de Mongolie. Inoué nous conte l’histoire tragique du peuple de Lou-Lan victimes de guerres incessantes au point d’être contraint d'abandonner leur capitale qui deviendra progressivement une ville abandonnée, en ruines et sera engloutie par le désert Taklamakan. Les ruines et le nom de Lou-Lan ne seront redécouverts qu'au début du XXème siècle.
Ce n’est pas tant pour cette nouvelle que je recommanderai ce livre mais plus pour les trois autres qui sont pour moi au-dessus, que se soit : ��Le collier de la princesse Yong-t’ai” qui nous raconte l’histoire d’un groupe de pilleurs qui découvre la tombe longtemps oubliée d’une princesse de la dynastie des Tang ; “La coupe” qui relate la découverte archéologique d’une coupe en verre taillé et de l’union avec une coupe jumelle séparée depuis plus de mille ans ; “Le sage” qui conte l’histoire d’une tribu Saka d’Asie centrale et leur vénération de l’unique source d’eau potable du village.
En bref, malgré un recueil de qualité, Inoué ne me fait pas oublier que je préfère ses romans historiques. Pour autant, je ne retrouve pas forcément les défauts habituels des nouvelles d’Inoué, nous avons ici des histoires épurées (peut-être moins le cas de Lou-lan), je pense donc que cet ouvrage est un bon début pour les lecteurs voulant découvrir les recueils d’Inoué.
March 21, 2022
Contains excellent historical stories as "Lou-lan," "Princess Yung-T'ai's Necklace," "The Opaline Cup," and Passage to Fudaraku." My favorite is however "Hira no shakunage" ("The Rhododendrons (of Mt Hira)," 1950)
Professor Miike Shuntaro, now 78, has all his life studied the circulatory system of the Japanese. As it happens, at each crisis in his life he spends time in an inn in Katada (Shiga Pref.) from where he imagines the white rhododendrons of nearby Mt Hira which he knows from a photo in a magazine. He is a typical selfish scholar with little empathy for other human beings, including his closest family and one of Inoue's typical postwar lonely human beings. The first time he visits Katada is when he is 25 and harbors thoughts of suicide – the cry of a bird on Lake Biwa, full of vitality, makes him decide to continue living. The next time he is in his early fifties. His eldest son has committed double suicide with a girl he has made pregnant by jumping into the lake, after being ostracized by his stern father. The third time is during the dark war years and the last time in the postwar years when Miike has run away from his family after a quarrel about money. The selfish musings of an old man, who has completely and habitually neglected his family for his “research,” which will never be finished or even published.
Professor Miike Shuntaro, now 78, has all his life studied the circulatory system of the Japanese. As it happens, at each crisis in his life he spends time in an inn in Katada (Shiga Pref.) from where he imagines the white rhododendrons of nearby Mt Hira which he knows from a photo in a magazine. He is a typical selfish scholar with little empathy for other human beings, including his closest family and one of Inoue's typical postwar lonely human beings. The first time he visits Katada is when he is 25 and harbors thoughts of suicide – the cry of a bird on Lake Biwa, full of vitality, makes him decide to continue living. The next time he is in his early fifties. His eldest son has committed double suicide with a girl he has made pregnant by jumping into the lake, after being ostracized by his stern father. The third time is during the dark war years and the last time in the postwar years when Miike has run away from his family after a quarrel about money. The selfish musings of an old man, who has completely and habitually neglected his family for his “research,” which will never be finished or even published.
November 7, 2016
Lou-lan is small story from Japanese writer Yasushi Inoue about ancient kingdom in Central Asia known as Loul-An (or Kroran) in some sources. I finally had oportunity to read this book in my native language (thanks to phenomenal publisher Tanesi), and i was totally blown away. I am for a long time interested in ancient Tocharians and other people who inhabited ancient Tarim Basin, but there is not much literature about them and their way of life. Lou-lan is one of the rarest piesces of literature about their way of life and their history. But in the end we don't have solution what happened to them and where have they go. Like they are blown away by large sandstorms and buried in sands of time of mystical Taklamakan desert...
March 27, 2018
I was ready, on the strengths of "Passage to Fudaraku" and "The Rhododendrons" alone, to give this a full rating. These stories plucked my heart subtly, with a sound like the lowest note of a cello. "The Opaline Cup" had an attractive, quiet depth, and "Princess Yung-t'ai's Necklace" was also good, but the two leading stories were disappointing. "Lou-lan" in particular I thought a slog. It and "The Sage" attest to Inoue's interest and curiosity for unique moments of history, and little more.
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