Stone Field, True Arrow

by Kyoko Mori

Book Overview

In her debut novel for adults, Kyoko Mori has drawn on ancient myths, reworked with her hallmark lyrical prose, to probe the eternal question: Given the fragility of life, is love too great a risk?... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805040803
• ISBN13: 9780805040807
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 279 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Quietly Compelling

It is fitting that the protagonist, Maya, is a weaver, for this book felt deftly "woven" to me, and I would dare to call Kyoko Mori the master weaver behind the scenes. The narrative moves seamlessly between present and past, signficant scenes in Maya's life and her interior moments, thus deepening our understanding of Maya and what accounts for her apparent coldness and detachment. The flaw I perceived had to do with the male characters, particularly her husband Jeff, who seemed a bit one-dimensional and stereotypical. A few other peripheral characters were a bit unsatisfying and "sketchy" as well. But perhaps even good weavings have a slipped stitch or a flaw somewhere; the other aspects of the book were so good that I could overlook this, and Jeff did become somewhat more complex for me near the end. The novel also beautiful portrays the friendship between Maya and her longtime friend Yuko, an emotional core to the novel that seems even more significant than the loss of Maya's father; the storyline about this female friendship was affecting, and their relationship had many unique qualities that I have not seen in other works of fiction. The end felt a little abstract to me, but there was much to think about, and a sense of hope. Overall, I found this an utterly engrossing novel; I read it in three sittings.

GREAT BOOK!

I love this book. Ever since i picked it up (as soon as it came out) I've been in love with it, and think it would make a great plot for a movie, just as long as nothing is changed (or too considerably!) ! The writing is simple and emotional. I love the way Mori describes everything, even though sometimes, there are some metaphors I don't understand or seem weird or out of place, but I like that for some reason. A great book, espeically for any Kyoko Mori fan. I've been one since I picked up "One Bird" (a YA novel of hers). I love the way the dialogue flows and I love her thoughts [in the novel].However maybe, the beauty of this book might be ruined by Hollywood.Well, whether or not, it became a movie - it should be enjoyed from whichever perspective you choose. I certainly can't wait for her next book to come out, provided she writes one !

dazzling! a "must-have!"

The protagonist, Maya, finds herself most comfortable in a world of solitude. Her simple artisan's life in Milwaukee is satisfying: a husband who gives her peace and quiet, her best friend, a job working for one of her few true friends, and distance from her antagonizing mother. When news arrives from Japan of her estranged father's death, Maya's world gets whirled around. Throughout the following months, she begins to question her life: her need for solitude, the artistic and professional choices she has made, whether her relationship with her husband is the way a marriage should be. Eric, an artist who has made the choices Maya did not make, arrives to town and the two strike up a friendship which becomes amorous as Maya realizes that her life must change. This book is dazzling and carries with it a poetic language that is not found often enough in contemporary literature. Kyoko Mori's books have always been a pleasure, each one outdoing its predecessor.

simple and powerful, but...

@If you haven't read Kyoko Mori's books, it might be better for you to read her previous and excellent novels, 'Sizuko's Daughter' and 'One Bird.' These novels are for young adult readers, but could move even adult readers deeply. Their protagonists are motherless girls (bereavement or divorce), but they get over their grief. The teenagers' struggle is written crisply and beautifully. @'stone field, true arrow' deals with adults. The protagonist 'Maya' is a weaving artist. She studied painting but gave it up. She's always fear of exposing her feelings, because she can't get over her solitude that started when, as a little girl, she left her beloved father, a poor painter in Osaka, Japan, and went to her cold and selfish mother, a professor in a university in the U.S. Divorce, divorce, divorce... Her mother divorced twice, and her friend, Yuko, divorced. And Maya's husband, Jeff, become reconciled with his ex-wife and Maya gets out of their home. Jeff loves Maya but her solitary inclination makes them apart. @At last, Maya goes to Eric, who is a poor painter like her late father. But it seems to me a sudden change of story. From Jeff to Eric, is it a real answer? Or an expression of the writer's feelings? @The details are written simply and powerfully, about weaving, painting, landscapes, birdwatching, myths, etc.@

Tender and fragile look at relationships

In this novel there are several relationships which need a little work, and lots of understanding. The two main ones are between Maya and her girlfriend, and Maya and her husband. Throught out the book you want Maya to be happy, and she wants to work at it, but her need for independence is overpowering. It is a very sensitive novel, which taugh me lots about unconditional love. I wish this novel continued a bit more but overall it was very satisfying. Thank you Kyoko.