An Echo of Heaven (Paperback)

~ Kenzaburo Oe (Author) "all. And then he'd found this 'peeper's tape,' with the voices of an older woman and her young lover ("Twenty-three-that's youth for you")..." (more)
Key Phrases: cosmic will, wych elm, Little Father, Mexico City, Uncle Sam (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In An Echo of Heaven, Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburo Oe tells the riveting story of Marie Kuraki, a seductive, perverse intellectual whose two young sons, one retarded and one crippled, commit suicide. Thus begins Marie's intellectual, spiritual, and sexual journey to find meaning in this horrific tragedy. Oe, who draws a provocative but sympathetic portrait of Marie, supplements his narrative with old letters and journal entries from those whose lives she influenced.

Oe's prose (as translated by Margaret Mitsutani) is cold and precise, perhaps to maintain emotional distance since Oe himself has a mentally handicapped son. The description of Marie's quest also affords him the opportunity to engage in profound reflections on faith, sin, death, sexuality, heaven, and hell. --Madeline Crowley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

A preponderance of symbolism weighs down Oe's first novel to appear stateside since he won the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature. K., the author's double, has been asked to write the story of an acquaintance of his, Marie Kuraki, a woman of great charm and intellect whose life is torn apart after her two disabled sons throw themselves into the sea. Like many of Oe's previous protagonists, Marie goes on a quest for meaning, searching for an alternative to her grim reality. She joins a radical cult that eventually moves to California. When this group dissolves, she hesitantly takes up the offer to become a symbol of fortitude and saintliness in a small Mexican farming village. The two boys' fatal tumble into the water seems to represent the two atomic bombs that disrupted Japan from its past, sending it reeling into a postwar period of great uncertainty with misguided leaders not unlike those who rule over Maria's altogether fragile sects. Unfortunately, the prose (possibly due in part to the translation), which strives for restraint, is more stilted than subtle. The works of many great writers, from Balzac to Flannery O'Connor, are mentioned throughout, which, along with the weighty symbolism, gives the novel a somewhat didactic mood. Nevertheless, Oe's imagery, from Marie's Betty Boop appearance to the sight of the boys making their way to the edge of the cliff, is strange and engaging, the work of a writer unafraid to tackle the fundamental theme of spiritual hunger.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN) (July 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 477002505X
• ISBN-13: 978-4770025050
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #554,688 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Echo of Heaven, March 27, 2000

By	Noriko Meade (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Echo of Heaven (Hardcover)

Kenzaburo Oe is one of the best writers I have ever read. In Echo of Heaven, we see some of Oe himself in his dealings with Marie Kuraki. Marie's experiences are unimaginable, and yet she somehow continues on in life. Oe's true brilliance comes out in his most recent work. I found that the more I read about Marie and her life, the more anxious I would become and want to continue reading. I was totally mystified with Kenzaburo's words, and most importantly,in his description of his dreams of Marie. Oe humored me in the way he views Marie with her Betty Boop lips. His descriptions are unforgettable. Though Marie eventually lives out her life as a saint we feel her pain throughout her life. What is important is the impact that Oe produces when describing Marie's experience. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys modern literature.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A story about a woman's loss and how (& why) she lives on., April 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: An Echo of Heaven (Hardcover)

The author writes about a woman named Marie Kuraki. Marie suffers the worst kind of losses imaginable. Yet, she never gives up on life. She is devoted and relentless in the pursuit of her beliefs -- a modern day saint. Despite her reputation for selflessness, she refuses to succomb to her image as a saint and steadfastly presents herself as a woman -- a human being at all times. Oe presents her story in a detailed, loving, and non-glorifying manner.
It's a great read, but brace yourself, Marie's losses are devastating.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dull, dull, dull, August 18, 2006

By	Schmerguls "schmerguls" (Sioux City, Ia USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I ussually finish a book I start, and this book was no exception. I think the reason I decided to read it is because its author won the Nobel Prize in 1994, and one should read something by such winnners--tho there are many I have not, yet, read anything by. This book tells of a tragedy which Marie suffers and how she is devastated by it. It also tells of her promiscuous sex life, and of her flitting from one interest to another, but I could not care about her and while the translation is eminently readable I kept thinking "why should I care about this woman?" I never found an answer. I cannot recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting experience. So why did I write this? Since there are only two reviews I thought one should get another viewpoint on the book.