An eerie haunting sort of book, this might well be what it purports
to ?? the notes of a madman in a mental hospital, striving to put
down in stream of consciousness what he remembers of his
experiences in the jungles of the Philippines. Shunted back and
forth from his unit to the hospital, and rejected by both, he takes
up a strange existence, now with small groups of wanderers and
stragglers, now alone. He lives on twigs and roots and raw
potatoes; he ventures into a deserted village and investigates a
cross- a church; he hides out in the priest's house and, when
Filipinos come, seeking something, he shoots and kills the girl,
and finds what they sought-salt. This for a time is his passport to
humanity; salt is desperately needed; but his knowledge he has
killed needlessly, haunts him. Eventually again he kills a comrade
who has turned cannibal. He himself clings to his superiority- he
has killed but not eaten his prey. There are weird and horrifying
adventures. There is always the brink of danger from Filipino
guerrillas, from American occupying troops. There is an awareness
of beauty as well as horror, and an all-pervading sense of coming
almost to grips with an unseen God, another world. It is an
extraordinarily successful translation. But when one has finished
one wonders- who will want to read it? (Kirkus Reviews)
General
Imprint: |
Praeger Publishers Inc
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
November 1978 |
First published: |
November 1978 |
Authors: |
Shohei Ooka
|
Translators: |
Ivan Morris
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 25mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
256 |
Edition: |
New Ed |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-313-20567-5 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-313-20567-1 |
Barcode: |
9780313205675 |
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