Edited by one of Japan’s leading and internationally acclaimed writers, this collection of short stories was compiled to mark the fortieth anniversary of the August 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Here some of Japan’s best and most representative writers chronicle and re-create the impact of this tragedy on the daily lives of peasants, city professionals, artists, children, and families. From the “crazy” iris that grows out of season to the artist who no longer paints in color, the simple details described in these superbly crafted stories testify to the enormity of change in Japanese life, as well as in the future of our civilization. Included are “The Crazy Iris” by Masuji Ibuse, “Summer Flower” by Tamiki Hara, “The Land of Heart’s Desire” by Tamiki Hara, “Human Ashes” by Katsuzo Oda, “Fireflies” by Yoka Ota, “The Colorless Paintings” by Ineko Sata, “The Empty Can” by Kyoko Hayashi, “The House of Hands” by Mitsuharu Inoue, and “The Rite” by Hiroko Takenishi.
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Text: English, Japanese (translation)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Listen to A.B.C.D. Reader!,
By
This review is from: The Crazy Iris: And Other Stories of the Atomic Aftermath (Paperback)
I'm writing this just to offer the opinion that A.B.C.D.'s review is biased (at best) and ultra-nationalist and revisionist (at worst).
Read this book and judge it for yourself. The various stories recount life in militarist Japan, horrifying scenes of atomic aftermath, and the desperate psychological and spiritual struggle to cope with the trauma of survival. This collection is a moving testament to its authors' experiences, but to say that it explicitly is anti-war or blames anyone for the atomic blast would not reflect the entirety of the book. The viewpoints and opinions of the authors are as varied as those of the Japanese themselves.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A moving collection depicting the effects of the atomic bomb,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Crazy Iris: And Other Stories of the Atomic Aftermath (Paperback)
Compiled by Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburo Oe, this is a collection of stories depicting the effects on various people of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The emotional, physical, and social scars are delicately and movingly presented. Some readers might find a bit too much sentimentality for their taste, but most of the stories are very strong--especially the title story, by Masuji Ibuse, who also wrote the massive novelization of the bombing of Hiroshima, "Black Rain." Since it consists of short stories and is somewhat less harrowing than "Black Rain," it serves as a good alternative.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A personal touch to war,
By P Tagashira (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Crazy Iris: And Other Stories of the Atomic Aftermath (Paperback)
"The Crazy Iris" edited by Kenzaburo Oe is a collection of stories about the dropping the atomic bombs. These stories are not from a historical context or from a military standpoint, but of normal, relatable people. The stories cover the carnage seen through the eyes of a twelve year old to the memories of women going back thirty years to the high school they once attended. It also covers how the outlying villages were indirectly affected by the bombing through word of mouth and deaths of friends and families.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
SHORTLY after Hiroshima was bombed, I was at a friend's house in the outskirts of Fukuyama looking at an iris which had flowered out of season. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
House of Hands, Tamiki Hara, Father Taira, Nagasaki Prefecture, Second Middle, Jiai Hospital, Nigitsu Park New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
SHORTLY after Hiroshima was bombed, I was at a friend's house in the outskirts of Fukuyama looking at an iris which had flowered out of season. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
House of Hands, Tamiki Hara, Father Taira, Nagasaki Prefecture, Second Middle, Jiai Hospital, Nigitsu Park New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 1
book:
4
books
cite this book:
- Black Rain: A Novel (Japans Modern Writers) by Masuji Ibuse in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Other Voices, Other Vistas: Short Stories from Africa, China, India, Japan, and Latin America by Barbara H. Solomon on page 425
- Writing Ground Zero: Japanese Literature and the Atomic Bomb by John Whittier Treat in Back Matter
- Waves: Two Short Novels (Japan's Modern Writers) by Masuji Ibuse on page 169
- Legacies and Ambiguities: Postwar Fiction and Culture in West Germany and Japan by Ernestine Schlant in Back Matter
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