[Of Nightingales that weep] could satisfy adolescents and adults alike with its exotic flavor and mature handling of character…. The unfamiliar pattern of events and the alien concepts of love, loyalty and ceremony which guide the characters are made clear in a story based on scholarship and on knowledge of the country whose contours and vegetation are skilfully used as background to a deliberate, convoluted narrative. (p. 3066)

Margery Fisher, in her Growing Point, March, 1977.

I must admit to a distinct reluctance to read [Of Nightingales That Weep]. The clan wars of twelfth century Japan are, to put it no more strongly, not a popular subject with English readers. The mindlessly brutal wars and the formality of court life make so sharp a contrast that it is difficult to bridge the gap between them. However, once started, Of Nightingales That Weep turns out to be a hypnotically dominating book...