No other English translation of this greatest of the Chinese classics can match Ursula Le Guin's striking new version. Le Guin, best known for thought-provoking science fiction novels that have helped to transform the genre, has studied the Tao Te Ching for more than forty years. She has consulted the literal translations and worked with Chinese scholars to develop a version that lets the ancient text speak in a fresh way to modern people, while remaining faithful to the poetic beauty of the work. Avoiding scholarly interpretations and esoteric Taoist insights, she has revealed the Tao Te Ching 's immediate relevance and power, its depth and refreshing humor, in a way that shows better than ever before why it has been so much loved for more than 2,500 years. Included are Le Guin's own personal commentary and notes on the text. This new version is sure to be welcomed by the many readers of the Tao Te Ching as well as those coming to the text for the first time.
Like Stephen Mitchell, acclaimed author and poet Ursula K. Le Guin has attempted a nonliteral, poetic rendition of the Tao Te Ching. She brings to it a punctuated grace that can only have been hammered out during long trials of wordsmithing. The wisdom that she finds in the Tao Te Ching is primal, and her spare, undulating phrases speak volumes. By making the text her own, Le Guin avoids such questions as "Is it accurate?" By making it her own, she has made it for us--a new, uncarved block from which we are free to sculpt our own meaning.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Excellent!:
One great way for non-Chinese speakers to appreciate the nature of this book is to compare many different translations and see how different they can be. I've read any number of translations of the Dao De Jing, and this is by far my favorite. Most of them tend to be pretty academic, which certainly has it's value, but Ms. Le Guin demonstrates an genuine affection for this work that comes through on every page. She gives each verse a warm, personal feel without sacrificing any of the paradox or mysticism.more info
A translation that maintains the heart and soul of the Master:
Ursula le Guin captured the essence and poetry of the original without losing the focus and foresight of the original. Long one of my favorite fiction writers, le Guin drew on her ability to envision different worlds and exotic cultures to bring the words of an ancient Chinese philosopher into the 21st Century. Many translations of the Tao Te Ching are on the market, few worth the paper wasted printing them. I've read most of them and found them severely lacking; they either mistranslate or distort the... more info
Great translation:
Ms. LeGuin clearly understands the sujecy at hand. If you like Lao Tzu then you should own this translation.
Ursula's Tao:
Ursula K. LeGuin writes with her heart and her mind. I can not tell which is the more mystical, wonderful place as they always seem to merge in her writings. From the introduction, through her translations, to her notes, this Tao is accessible and personal. It is also mysterious and complex. It is the best addition I have made to my Tao literature.
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