Legends of the Samurai

January 1, 1996
Sato, the editor and translator of One Hundred Frogs (LJ 4/15/83), has compiled an interesting collection of stories about Japan's warrior class, the samurai. In translations that seek to capture the nuances of the original, Sato illustrates the evolving ethos of the samurai class over a period of 1000 years. In choosing a story to illuminate an incident, Sato selected the version closest in time to the event rather than a more modern retelling. This gives his collection a sense of immediacy and authenticity that is often missing in translations that attempt to recast stories for a Western audience. The value of this work lies in the way it illuminates a non-Western cultural tradition--a way of thinking and acting that may seem alien. It offers a rare look into the mindset of Japan's warrior aristocracy. Recommended for academic and public libraries with a strong reader interest in this area.--Robert James Andrews, Duluth P.L., Minn.