A feast for the senses, this magical novel transports the listener to a world of samurai and geishas, ninjas, and Zen masters.
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"It is interesting how people react differently to books, just like people. When I finished "Autumn Bridge" I felt as if someone had just died. There was a moment during which I actually felt empty and wanted to grieve. I felt the same way after reading "Cloud of Sparrows", yet when I started to read this, its sequel, I remembered very little of that story... it came back to me in visions, like personal memories. There will be people who will read both books and wonder what all the fuss is about... I can't answer that, how the books affected me is a personal thing and could well be linked to the numerous facets that make up my interests and maybe in the sentimentality (I've chosen a word harsh critics might use) that runs through the stories. "Autumn Bridge" is suffused with a beautiful idea; it is about love and fate and about a period in Japan's history that was as difficult as giving birth (the quite rapid change from a static, almost mediaeval society to a modern, industrial power). When you know the outcome how do you behave? When all is frozen how can things flow?"
— Mieczyslaw (5 out of 5 stars)
" Well, duh. Now I know why I was confused. This is a sequel. Guess I should have read the first book. I really enjoyed this one, however, but was confused sometimes about what century I was in. Maybe with the background of "Cloud of Sparrows" it would have been easier to understand. I loved the characters and the story. It's so different from what I've been reading. "
— Diane, 2/7/2014" ya ampun ! ini salah satu novel horor kalo menurut saya. siapa nyana? ternyata jembatan musim gugur merupakan salah satu perkamen yang ditulis lady shizuka? si penyihir yang malah merupakan nenek moyang klan okumichi? dan sampainya emily selesai membaca perkamen itu, yeaah, tintanya menghapus dan akhirnya, menghilang secara misterius. dan ramalannya akhirnya benar, emily melahirkan anak Lord Genji ! dan yang mengejutkan, Heiko ternyata juga hamil anak Genji ! tapi baik emily dan heiko meninggal setelah melahirkan. aku gak suka ama nasib heiko, pffftt, dan pas antusias banget sama Makoto stark, si putra heiko-genji, tapi apa yang terjadi? hhh, kenapa meninggal? tokoh favorit ku akhirnya meninggal semua. apanya yang akhir indah? tapi masih pengin tau, genji gimana entar meninggalnya. di buku ini baru foreword? ampun deh, Takashi matsuoka keren sekali. #serem banget pas baca masa kecil lady shizuka ! apapun-akhirnya, saya yang penakut -antihorror, tapi akhirnya berani nyelesain baca ini novel #saya nggak ngerti dulunya kalo ceritanya rada seremm "
— Lutfi, 1/23/2014" Thought I would really enjoy this book about feudal Japan (including the opening of it up to the West)but I was wrong. Took me forever to finish. Part of the problem was the constant switch between the centuries and the characters, including one character who appears throughout (characterised as either a witch or a seer). Have not yet read this author's first novel, Cloud of Sparrows, which has gotten much better reviews. "
— Arlene, 1/4/2014" An interesting read. This book was organized in a puzzle-like format, piecing together parts of the story until the very end. However, by the conclusion, I still felt as though there were some issues or points of the story that remained either unresolved or not clearly explained. "
— Gleave_girl, 11/1/2013" Life in the Okumuchi clan in Japan, from the 1300s through the late 1800s. "
— Tara, 11/1/2013" A wonderful atmospheric story that carried me into a fascinating world. "
— Ann, 9/21/2013" Great book if you like the Shogunate era of Japan. It has a bit of everything, romance, adventure, ghosts, love, honour and betrayal. "
— Annette, 9/18/2013" This was a lovely sequel - I was impressed with it in the beginning, and impressed with it in the end as it's so... for lack of better description... Japanese. It's absolutely brilliant. I only give it 4 stars instead of 5 because... well... it's predictable a bit... but that's the nature of it. "
— Jess, 3/2/2013" I adore this one. If you liked the first one (Cloud of Sparrows), you'll love this one too. "
— LKM, 3/27/2012" Fantastic! I will happily read anything else this author decides to write till the end of my days. He's locked me in. : ) "
— Sara, 2/17/2012" i love this book,.. but why mayonaka no heiko must died huhuhuhu... "
— Rissa, 8/7/2011" A little bit confusing at times because i jumps around from the past to the present to the future a lot. However, even with the confusion, I think I may like it even better than the first one. "
— Kimberly, 6/25/2011" Although I was constantly confused at the time changes and had trouble keeping track of which people belonged where, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. "
— Diane, 5/25/2011" awesome complex story that jumps back and forth in japanese history and works like a decoder ring with the more focused story of the first book "cloud of sparrows" ... "
— Tomahawk70, 11/30/2010" The author used back-tracking stories with flash back and everything... Sequel to Samurai 1, this book tells the future Genji saw in his premonition before: the girl with blonde hair (who is she?), a young man with a face looks a lot like him (who is he?), and an unpredictable ending. "
— Sylvia, 8/6/2010" Wonderful read. The sequel to Cloud of Sparrows in which all becomes clear. It appealed to my sense of order as a librarian, so I really liked all the storylines coming together. "
— Sophiene, 4/22/2010" " Kita semua datang dari angkasa, dan aku sekarang akan kembali.. setidak nya.. " "
— Vien, 4/7/2010" An interesting read. This book was organized in a puzzle-like format, piecing together parts of the story until the very end. However, by the conclusion, I still felt as though there were some issues or points of the story that remained either unresolved or not clearly explained. "
— Gleave_girl, 3/5/2010" To Condense it in a few short lines: <br/>Autumn Bridge is definitely worth a read. It has an interesting mix of cultures, time periods, human behaviour and just a little dash of the mystical. A little bit of something for almost everyone and a good book for anyone. "
— Amy, 2/27/2010" Life in the Okumuchi clan in Japan, from the 1300s through the late 1800s. <br/> "
— Tara, 1/21/2010" Salut dengan para leluhur Samurai jepang pada masanya (jaman Endo)<br/>pengabdian, kesetiaan, penghianatan dan cinta di tuangkan semua dalam novel ini... "
— Fajar, 11/23/2009" it's amazing, how takashi matsuoka weave hundred piece of stories to form a beautiful tale... "
— Livia, 3/8/2009" Great book if you like the Shogunate era of Japan. It has a bit of everything, romance, adventure, ghosts, love, honour and betrayal. "
— Annette, 2/26/2009" great book comes from a great writer "
— Ita, 1/18/2009" Okay, so I half expected this to suck royally, but it ended up taking serious time away from my other books. I loved the non-linear timeline Matsuoka uses to give you a true sense of the way these characters transcend time, often experiencing the future as history and so on. <br/> <br/> "
— Clint, 12/5/2008Takashi Matsuoka was born in Japan and raised in the United States. He lives in Honolulu, where he was employed at a Zen Buddhist temple before becoming a full-time writer.
Jennifer Van Dyck has appeared on Broadway in Hedda Gabler, Dancing at Lughnasa, Two Shakespearean Actors, and The Secret Rapture. She has been in new plays by Keith Bunin, Ellen McLaughlin, Catherine Filloux, Douglas Post, A. R. Gurney, and Albert Innaurato. Her film and television credits include Series 7, States of Control, Bullets over Broadway, numerous Law & Order episodes, Ed, Spin City, and The Education of Max Bickford. Her audiobook narrations have won her three AudioFile Earphones Awards.