First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

This fast-paced novel recounts the titanic struggle between two rival Japanese clans – the Heike and Genji – as they seek to pacify a fractured nation. Written by the great Eiji Yoshikawa, this classic work brings to life the wars, intrigues, feuds and romances surrounding the most dramatic episodes in all of Japanese history.

Yoshikawa’s tale begins in the capital of Kyoto, where crime and disorder are running rampant. In despair, the Emperor’s calls for help are answered by the leaders of the Heike and Genji families. Once order is established, however, the two clans fall out over dividing the spoils of war, which plunges the country into even greater turmoil. The end result is a great war to end all wars.

This new edition has a foreword by historian Alexander Bennett. Combining raw narrative power, pageantry and poetry, The Heike Story will enthrall readers interested in the drama and spectacle of ancient Japan.

Happy Friday everyone! Well, technically it is already Saturday, so happy weekend I guess. Nevertheless, I hope that everyone ended the workweek on a high note. Thankfully, here in the Philippines, Friday was a holiday, so that’s one more day of rest. Still, I hope everyone is diving into the weekend without much worry, or at least everyone is in a relaxed state. I hope everyone was able to accomplish everything they wanted to achieve during the week. However, if the workweek has gone otherwise, I hope that the weekend will provide everyone the time to rest and recover. I hope everyone is spending their weekends with their loved ones, running errands, or pursuing the things they are passionate about. More importantly, I hope everyone is doing well, in body, mind, and spirit.

Wow. Time is zooming past us. Time flows naturally, with no regard for anyone. We are already a week through the sixth month of the year. June brims with hope. But I still want to check how has the year been treating everyone? I hope 2025 is treating everyone gently. May it bring you favors and guide you closer to your goals. I hope the rest of the year will shower everyone with good tidings and overall positive energy. This also means that we are nearly midway through the year. And if you’re still figuring things out, take your time. If your year has been difficult, I hope you experience a reversal of fortune. May positive energy, blessings, and good news flow into your life in the months ahead. I hope you achieve your goals this year.

In terms of reading, I have several goals this year. For one, it is my goal to end the year with 100 books. I also plan to end the year with more translated works than works originally written in English. I am happy to say that I am making good progress in both. In the past five months, I have immersed myself in the works of Asian literature, starting a full quarter of purely East Asian works. I have since shifted to the rest of the continent. While I originally planned to conclude it last month, I realized that I had several works by Asian writers I needed to read. This brings me to my current read, Eiji Yoshikawa’s The Heike Story. I was not planning to read the book this month, not even this year. However, when I noted that I was about to read my 1,300th book, I reconsidered my original plan. I wanted to read Umberto Eco’s Foucault’s Pendulum but then it would break my Asian literature streak; besides, my 1,100th read was a work by a European writer.

This then brings me to The Heike Story. I have encountered the book before during my forays to the bookstore. However, my lack of knowledge about the book made me turn around. But then I conceded and acquired the book. In the introduction, it was mentioned that the book was a modern prose adaptation of a beloved Japanese epic account, 平家物語 (Heike Monogatari; trans. The Tale of the Heike). Yoshikawa transports the readers to Kyōtō, Yasunari Kawabata’s titular The Old Capital. It is the twelfth century and the imperial capital has been flourishing. However, it was slowly being undone by the feud between abdicated emperors, current emperors, and courtiers. Everyone was stealthily plotting for the seizure of power and control. The novel even underscored how there are two loci of power. One is in the Imperial Palace while the other one is concentrated on the Cloistered Palace. The latter has become the de facto source of power and authority as the former was losing its stranglehold.

But in the struggle for control and power, one group is caught in the middle: the warriors. They are the focus of the novel, in particular the titular Heike clan whose story was conveyed chiefly through Heita Kiyomori. He is the oldest son of Tadamori, an influential man who was trusted by the former emperors. He was so well-loved that former Emperor Shirakawa gifted him with his most beloved mistress, the Lady of Gion, Yasuko, and the mother of Kiyomori. When we first the novel’s hero, he was already in his early twenties. It was at this juncture that he also found himself in a quandary. Through rumor vines, he learns that Tadamori is not his real father. It was posited that his father was the abdicated emperor or a priest. Following a confrontation with his mother, Kiyomori still acknowledged Tadamori as his father while spurning his mother. I can’t help but see this as a demonstration of the patriarchy that existed during the period.

The tension between his parents has always been palpable, fueling Kiyomori’s disdain for his mother. Despite the former glory of his father, the family has fallen into bad times: “As early as he could remember, their home at Imadegawa, in the purlieus of the capital, had been a miserable ruin; the leaking roofs had not been repaired for more than ten years; the untended gardens ran wild with weeds, and the decaying house has been the scene of unending quarrels between his father and mother.” Kiyomori has since blamed his father’s indolence and lack of ambition for their destitution. Exacerbating their poverty was the deviance of their mother. But following the departure of Yasuko from the household and their impending separation, Tadamori resumes service with the Imperial Guards.

Tadamori eventually improves his status and court, paving the way for his son who also became part of the Imperial Guard. Kiyomori did not waste the opportunity and rose above the ranks by making clever choices. He was selective of who to associate with and who to support in the constant struggles for power. With his well-informed choices, Kiyomori eventually gains influence in court while accruing wealth. He managed to restore the lost glories and reputation of the Heike clan. Interestingly, his clan was in direct competition for influence with the Genji clan, yes, of the classic Tales of Genji. This adds layers to the novel. To be fair, the Introduction already noted how Yoshikawa integrated elements from the beloved Japanese classic, and other literary classics as well, so the mention of Genji comes as no surprise.

As more conflicts rise to the fore – I am at the section where the Monks of Mount Hiei have rebelled against the Imperial Court – I am looking forward to how Kiyomori deals with them. The first one hundred pages of the book are already eventful so what more can I expect in the next five hundred pages? Historical details add depths and layers to the story and are among its best aspects. There is a lot to look forward to in the story. I really can’t even properly summarize the opening sections of the book because a lot happened. Regardless, I am in for this roller coaster ride. How about you fellow reader? What book or books have you read over the weekend? I hope you get to enjoy whatever you are reading right now. Happy weekend, well happy start of the workweek!