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Liked It “This book! This book. Its unusual (from a European point of view) way of telling the tale, the almost reserved tone that dominates most of the novel is very striking, and only emphasises the moments where emotions take over and the main characters struggle to remain passive. I loved the diary...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“This book! This book. Its unusual (from a European point of view) way of telling the tale, the almost reserved tone that dominates most of the novel is very striking, and only emphasises the moments where emotions take over and the main characters struggle to remain passive. I loved the diary excerpts and the detailed descriptions; the mentions of quotidian habits and places, names, dates, etc, gave the novel a certain edge.”
Mali K wrote this review Wednesday, October 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A haunting, chilling tale of life after the bomb in Hiroshima.”
John C. Stepper wrote this review Wednesday, December 31 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book is intense and detailed. Very gruesome details, but gives a special insight into the horror that followed the bomb at Hiroshima. Short read, but worth it. Not for the weak stomach!”
Sheila W wrote this review Tuesday, November 20 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Years after the bombing of Hiroshima, Shigematsu suffers from two sicknesses. Though he can handle painful periods of radiation sickness, he cannot shake his feelings of powerlessness regarding his unmarried neice, Yasuko. Beautiful, talented and intelligent Yasuko--like so many others in Hiroshima--survived the bombing, but like very few, she felt the black atomic rain touch her skin. As potential husbands back away from Yasuko, stigmatized because she survived the bombing and might pass deadly "radiation disease" off to a healthy husband, Shigematsu begins to turn personal diaries and other accounts into an historical record, written proof that Yasuko--and so many others--were not responsible for their fates and are no different from those lucky enough to live away from the bomb site.[br/][br/]Ibuse's novel includes gruesome depictions of bomb survivors, mercilessly altered--inside and out--by a weapon that cut without knives deep into their bodies. There are wounds in Ibuse's novel that will not heal: doctors cannot successfully treat radiation burns and other effects, and Shigematsu, himself, cannot get over his decision to pull his niece into the country, saving her from harder war-effor labor but damning her to a sickness that will haunt her until the end of her days.”
ordovician wrote this review Wednesday, October 17 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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