Kenzaburo Oe
1958
Around 250 pages
It's been quite awhile since we've had a Japanese novel on this List, which is a shame because I'm quite a fan of Japanese culture. As a side note, I once went on a date with a guy who disdainfully declared that he was tired of women who think they are unique because they enjoy Murakami novels. So I guess there are a lot of us?
Anyway, 15 boys are sent from a reformatory to a rural village in Japan during World War II. They arrive to find dead animal carcasses and along with the villagers, realize the animals died from the plague. The villagers flee to a nearby village, abandoning the boys to their fate.
Well, this is a fairly upsetting story, although given the setting and the title, you knew it wasn't going to be a cheerful affair. It's interesting that Lord of the Flies came out only a few years earlier, which was also a dark tale about a group of boys trying to survive on their own during World War II. I wouldn't be surprised if Oe was heavily influenced by William Golding's work.
So this is a pretty short and brutal story, but none of the characters stood out to me. Once again, we had an unnamed narrator. Can we stop with that please?
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
Ōe was awarded the 1994 Nobel Prize in Literature.
He was also named to receive Japan's Order of Culture but he refused as it is bestowed upon by the Emperor, saying "I do not recognize any authority, any value, higher than democracy." Add him to the Bad Ass list.
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