Collections of quotes from Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori - Part 1

Right now, I'm going through and reading all the books from Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori series.  So far, I've read Across the Nightengale Floor, the first book of the series and the prequel, Heaven's Net is Wide  Both books are excellent examples of how to write in a Japanese cultural setting using the English language, which is exactly why I'm working my way through the whole series.

I don't think you can expect to write in a foreign culture without having read examples of how to do so beforehand.  Well, I suppose you could, but your editors and/or readers might have a field day with you and I'm pretty sure I don't want that.  Hence, why research is so important and why I've started to take notes on how Hearn describes various situations.  For example, in Heaven's Net is Wide there are at least three exquisite passages when she illustrates Otori, Shigeru (pronouced Oh-tow-ree, She-geh-roo) crying.  Note, the Japanese put the surname first followed by the given name.  Therefore, Hearn does the same when the character is first introduced or in using formal language.

p.275:  "The smoke stung his eyes and he let them water, the moisture running unchecked down his cheeks . .  ."  Here Shigeru has just been humiliated at the hands of Iida, Sadamu in the fierce Battle of Yaegahara.  Shigeru's supposed allies the Noguchi have betrayed him and he clan, the Otori, have now lost most of their land to the Iida.  What I like most about this passage is how Hearn shows that men, especially of the samarai class, don't "cry" perse.  They let their eyes water. 

In another paassage, twenty pages later, Hearn again shows the differences between how men and women "cry"

p.295:  "he crashed his fist down down on it as though he could split the stone, and tears spurted from his eyes like fountains."  Again, the language Hearn uses implies that Shigeru's only crying because he lost control.  He didn't will the tears to come, they just came.  This quote also shows how physical activity usually accompanies grief with men.

I'm sure there were more examples such as these and will be more to come in the other books, but I will leave it at that for now.  There is however, one last quote from Heaven's Net is Wide, I would like to share with you.  It's a description of a memorial service for one of the dead from Yaegahara.  I figured since, I will have a memorial service (funeral/wake) for one of my own characters in The Hogoshiro Chronicles, I might as well make note of it for future reference.

P. 400-401: "The service was held in the small shrine in the garden and tables with the names of the dead man and his sons were placed before the altar . . . smoke from incense rose straight upward in the still air, mingling with the sharp scents of autumn."

Sayonara

Learning Japanese

Learning Japanese is not easy and I'm learning it doesn't help to when you don't have your own computer.  Why am I learning Japanese?  For several reasons, but the main one right now is beause I wish to better understand the culture I am trying to place my first novel The Hogoshiro Chornicles in.  You guessed it!  Japan.

A writer friend of mind suggested I read Lian Hearn's Across the Nightingale Floor because my story reminded her of the book.  I recently finished the book and I have to agree.  The time period is incorrect (I wish to set THC in modern Japan, while AtNF is set an alternate feudal Japan, but Hearn's book shares many things with the ideas I have for THC.

Anyways, back on topic.  I was looking through Hearn's website lianhearn.com, and read her post on writing in different cultures.  She strongly suggested you learn the language of the culture you are trying to write in.  In both our cases:  Japanese.  If you learn and understand the language, you can than read works from said culture in its own native language.  Nothing can get "lost in translation" if you will.  Since, reading is such an important part of becoming a good writer, I figured it would be important to take the time to learn Japanese.

I've tried looking for continuing education classes at all the local colleges here in Madison, but can't find any that are in my price range. MATC has one for $72.76, but I wouldn't be able to get aid for it.  Besides, there are other free resources out there such as tofugu.com and textfugu.com.  Okay, so textfugu is only partly free (the first 6 lessons of "season 1"), but I'm finding them to be pretty damn good lessons.  Textfugu also has a list of other resources for studying Japanese, most of them with at least some free parts.

Being interested in modern (and ancient) Japanese culture helps as well.  Watching anime with English subtitles is another way to supplement your studies.  It's not a great way to learn by itself, but it can help.  If you're actively paying attention, meaning you stop the video and repeat things or read phrases of Hiragana or Katakana, instead of just passively listening.

I've wondered which writing system is best to learn first, Hiragana or Katakana?  Kanji, the system of characters the Japanese "borrowed" from the Chinese, is the most difficult to learn, so I'm not even bothering with those- yet at least.  Several people say that Hiragana is the one you should study first.  Not only because this is the writing system the Japanese first learn themselves, but it will save you time in the long run.  That, and learning Romanji is a waste of time since you already know it.

Sayonara.