When I Whistle (Unesco Collection of Contemporary Works)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.94 (700 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0720605261 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 277 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-10-18 |
| Language | : | Japanese |
DESCRIPTION:
Language Notes Text: English, Japanese (translation)
Ozu, an unambitious businessman, has a chance encounter that awakens memories of his school-days before the war - in particular of his school-friend Flatfish and Flatfish's hopeless love for Aiko, a pupil at a nearby girls' school. The author also wrote "The Sea and Poison" and "Silence".
A Customer said Deceptively simple but packs a powerful punch. As translated by Van C. Gessel, _When I Whistle_ uses spare, simple prose in switching back and forth between the stories of Ozu, a nostalgic World War II veteran, and his son Eiichi, an ambitious doctor. As Ozu's reminiscences move closer to the present, the two narratives interlock with devastating effect. Like much of Endo's other writing, _When I Whistle_ is eleg. "Flatfish, Ozu, Aiko - great characters in a revealing story" according to mbjp. Shusaku Endo weaves together two stories and then joins them together at the end in a moving way. One story tells us of a simpler life years ago, centering on the characters Ozu and Flatfish, as well as Aiko. The other describes a selfish and ambitious life in the present, centering on Ozu's son Eiichi, a young doctor. This is also one of Endo's more humorous novels,. "I think this book is worth reading!" according to A Customer. A charming tale of pre-war Japan and modern Japan. Ozu, Flatfish and Aiko are suprisingly sympathetic, and Ozu's son is despicable but believeable. I enjoyed it very much. If you like the Japanese or their style of fiction, this is the book for you.