Customer Reviews

When I Whistle

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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 elegaic and concerned with serious moral issues; however, it is not overtly theological (Endo's Catholicism has led some to describe him as a Japanese Graham Greene). Plot points and themes which could be oppressively heavy in the hands of a lesser writer are here leavened by humor (notably in the character of the hapless Flatfish) and unspooled in beautifully observed scenes. The sentences may be easy to read, but it is difficult to reach the end of the novel unmoved...

Shusaku Endo draws on a well of personal experience as well as powerful, thoughtful philosophies concerning family relationships, the trauma of war, transistion to the modern age, generative versus stagnant personality types and basic human nature in order to create this vivid, yet restrained, novel. 'When I Whistle' is the story of Ozu, a man whose simpleness betrays the depth of his expreience, and his son Eichi. Their contrasting attitudes and views on morality allow Endo to masterfully weave a conflict which not only entices the reader to the plot, but forces the reader on a journey of questioning personal philosophies and beliefs. Though When I Whistle is a moving literary work and exemplarary of Japanese aesthetic principles, it is an easy read. I thoroughly reccomend it.

If you haven't read anything by Endo, this is a good place to begin. Endo moves deep into the human experience with his deceptively simple characters and stories.
When you finish this, you might venture on to "Deep River" and his most profound novel "The Samurai." The Japense names and places take a little effort, but the
translations are excellent. These are books that can profoundly change you.

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, especially because of the character Flatfish. Overall, When I Whistle is one of the best novels by Endo that I have read.

Endo does not intertwine his faith as much into this one as he does with some of his other books (Endo is an excellent writer but I don't always agree with the theology that he presents in some of his writings). What Endo seems to try to do in this story is show how Japan's values have changed over the years since the time before World War II.

The biggest take away for me was how the story paints such a clear picture of a life of selfish ambition, and also how it exposes the ugliness of moral decline in society. These things are especially evident as we see the contrast between the two different settings that Endo goes back and forth between. As I made my way into the book, I found myself enjoying the chapters centering on Ozu and Flatfish more than the one's about Eiichi. The impact is especially made towards the end when the stories come together. At the very end, Ozu's part comes to a more typical conclusive ending, while the story of Eichii shows him continuing to hatch plans to get ahead.

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.