The Journey [Paperback]

Jiro Osaragi (Author), Ivan Morris (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2000

This touching allegorical novel about a man who is almost destroyed by his lust for money and the accumulation of wealth is a masterful depiction of the new moral reality facing post-war Japan.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese

About the Author

Jiro Osaragi (a pen name) was born in 1898 and died in 1973. He was the author of numerous bestselling novels, travel books, and plays.

Ivan Morris is a renowned writer, scholar of Japanese history and literature, and translator. His books include Nobility of Failure: Tragic Heroes in the History of Japan and translations of Yukio Mishima, Shohei Ooka, Sei Shonagon, and Lady Sarashina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804832552
• ISBN-13: 978-0804832557
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,225,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Destination Unknown, August 16, 2003

By 

George Ochs (Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey (Tuttle Classics of Japanese Literature) (Paperback)

"The Journey" is a realistic and rich novel which deals with the themes of love and greed in Japan near the end of the American Occupation. The author creates a sensitive portrait of the impact of American influence in Japan. The changing country is on a journey, but the country is not the only "character" which is on a journey. What makes the novel so interesting is that all the characters and their relationships with each other form a kind of web. They all affect each other in their actions and decisions. The main characters of the novel are affected by the changes caused by American influence on Japanese society and culture. Taeko uses the freedom in post-war Japan to get a job and to try to make something out of her life, while other characters, such as Ryosuke, use this change for purposes of greed. Okamoto is the opposite of Ryosuke. He changes his attitude on life and abandons the path of greed which he had followed all of his life. The character development is especially fascinating because the characters are changing for the better or for the worse in a country that is also changing for the better or the worse. While the era in which the novel is set in may be in the past, we can all relate to the characters in the novel because the themes and problems of their lives are timeless.