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A review by sonofatreus
Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way by Ursula K. Le Guin
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Le Guin doesn’t know Chinese (and neither do I). She says as much in explaining the notes explaining her rendition (not “translation”). Instead, she relied on various translations and other related works to produce this volume. Where translators have differed, she sometimes notes as much in a footnote to provide context. She also adds fun little asides there too.
As for the Tao Te Ching, it reads like the aphoristic philosophical text that it is. Some passages were really well rendered and resonated with me, others bounces right off. Lao Tzu clearly didn’t like rich people, and had curious views on power. Some passages seemed just as applicable today as when they were first composed. The one on greed in particular, felt, sadly, ever-meaningful.
As for the Tao Te Ching, it reads like the aphoristic philosophical text that it is. Some passages were really well rendered and resonated with me, others bounces right off. Lao Tzu clearly didn’t like rich people, and had curious views on power. Some passages seemed just as applicable today as when they were first composed. The one on greed in particular, felt, sadly, ever-meaningful.