Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 176 pages
- Published by: Everyman's Library October 18, 1994
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0679433163
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0679433163
-
Book Dimensions:
8.4 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
- Weighs: 9.8 ounces
From AudioFile
Carole Boyd and John Rowe alternate reading chapters of this Taoist classic. Boyd's voice is gently seductive, clearly female, meticulously precise, yet subtly attentive to the nuances of this fourth-century BC poetry. Rowe's voice, by contrast, is clearly male in its directness, yet soothing, gentle, and thoughtful. These two become the perfect vehicle to convey the balanced wisdom of the sage and the modest guidance given to those who direct the affairs of men. But readers unfamiliar with the complexity and simplicity of this little book beware: Lau's translation is poetic--spare and unadorned, yet replete with the clarifying notes that this audiobook cannot include. The only guidance given here is Lao Tzu's. P.E.F. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Review
“The power of the Lao-tzu’s imagery and, ultimately, the simplicity of its message seem to be able to overcome the problems of language and of distance in time and place, so that at the end of the twentieth century, this has become one of the most influential of texts, cherished by people in all walks of life throughout the world.” –from the Introduction by Sarah Allan
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Tao Te Ching (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
Although D. C. Lau's edition of the Tao Te Ching has been sitting on my shelves for years, I've never felt particularly drawn to it. In contrast to my well-thumbed copies of Lin Yutang, J. J. L. Duyvendak, Ellen M. Chen, Zen adept Stephen Mitchell, and others, the Lau is still in a relatively pristine condition. I don't think this is because of the quality of the translation, a translation which, though occasionally a bit wordy, reads well enough in other places. I think it's more because Lau strikes me as a hard-boiled Confucian with a thesis. Today we are all more than used to theses. The air is thick with them. Given a bit of time, any clever woman or man can easily construct one. But we should never forget what Lu Chi (+ 754-805) reminds us of in his brilliant 'Essay on Literature,' the 'Wen fu,' when he tells us that: 'Theses are convincing - but deceptive...' Chapter 18 of the Tao Te Ching offers what seems to me to be a perfecton thesis books: "When the body's intelligence declines, / cleverness and knowledge step forth" (tr. Stephen Mitchell). In Ellen M. Chen the same passage reads: "When intelligence (hui) and knowledge (chih) appear, / There is great artificiality (wei)" (page 99). And in Lau: "When cleverness emerges / There is great hypocrisy" (page 74). Many readers will probably find that Lau's edition suits them well enough for their purposes, but those who might prefer an edition which is not merely scholarly but also sympathetic might take a look at Professor Ellen M. Chen's 'The Tao Te Ching - A New Translation with Commentary' (New York: Paragon House, 1989 ISBN 1-55778-238-5). I think that for your money you'll be getting a little more than "cleverness."
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