A translation that maintains the heart and soul of the Master

books:


	• Lao Tzu : Tao Te Ching : A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way Ursula K. Le Guin, Lao Tzu Shambhala, 1998 - 125 pages average customer review:based on 27 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

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.

Also, since she is more of a poet than an academic, her translation is a joy to read, while still being insightfully elucidated by her comments. I'd still recommend reading other versions, but if you're only going to get one, make it this one.

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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 Chinese to maintain an artificial poetic meter or lose both poetry and meter with a literal translation. Le Guin's version maintains both intact with sublime success. I recommend it highly. Tao Te Ching aficionados, students of Chinese philosophy, poetry lovers, and curious readers will all take pleasure in this skilled translation.

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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.

Great translation

Ms. LeGuin clearly understands the sujecy at hand. If you like Lao Tzu then you should own this translation.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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.

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