THE SAMURAI OF THE RED CARNATION, fascinating historical period, less successful novel

THE SAMURAI OF THE RED CARNATION
DENIS THÉRIAULT (tr. Louise Rogers Lalaurie)
Pushkin Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$13.99 ebook, available now

Rating: 3.75* of five

The Publisher Says: Matsuo is born to be a samurai, but as he is being trained in the art of war he realises he was meant for a different art altogether.

Turning his back on his future as a warrior of the sword, he decides instead to do battle with words, as a poet. Thus begins a story of romance and adventure, love and betrayal, that takes Matsuo across medieval Japan, through bloody battlefields and burning cities, culminating in his ultimate test at the uta awase—where Japan's greatest poets engage in fierce verbal combat for the honour of victory.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Warrior turns poet, author tells his story complete with the poetry he writes.

Not my thing. At. All. I was expecting more warrior...the first third was focused on that...and lots less on-the-page poetry, and I got the reverse. I'm reviewing it because it was a solid work of historical evocation that gave me a more intense experience of medieval Japan's ethos than I've had since Sanō Ichiro of the 17th century. Like Sanō, Matsuo, who lives in Heian Japan in the 12th century, has battle experiences that mark him for life. They lead Matsuo to the very Japanese world pf poetry as a high art.

It should tell you all you need to know about this book's writing that I did not abandon it forthwith after the first poem. Translator Lalaurie did as well as anyone could in presenting poems not written in English to their best advantage. Of course they were not originally written in Japanese, so there is that. I understand Japanese poetry feels different from Western stuff but I could not tell you why or how to save my life.

While Author Thériault is French, he did assume a very Japanese manner of not using dialogue to tell his story. It is almost all narration. That will not sit well with some, so be aware of it. I found myself wondering if the Japanese of the Heian were mute and communicated solely in glances, gestures, and writing. It's not my favorite way to tell a story, TBH.

In the end I wanted to bring a full review to it because it is a remarkable feat of writing to convince my poemphobic self to sit through a whole novel of poetry, thinking about poetry, valorizing poets, etc etc, without causing me to hurl either my cookies or my Kindle across the room.

Bravo to author and translator. Those enamored of poetry...hi y'all, how the heck did you find me?...should not hesitate a moment to pick this story right up and savor its pleasures.