On the mainline Sannomiya Station, bayside exit, Seita sat slumped against a column, its tiles peeling off to expose the bare concrete, with his bottom on the floor and both legs stretched out straight before him...
The Blurb
The heartbreaking Japanese classic telling the story of two orphans fighting for survival at the end of World War Two, published in English for the first time
In the dying days of the War, Seita and Setsuko must fend for themselves. Firebombs have obliterated their home in Kobe, leaving them searching for shelter and scrambling to survive in the depths of the countryside. But, as their suffering becomes a constant companion, so do the lights of the fireflies – shining from the bomber planes, and the insects glowing by the lake at night.
This unforgettable semi-autobiographical tale by Akiyuki Nosaka won him the Naoki Prize, cementing his place in the Japanese cultural canon. Published here for the first time as a standalone story, Grave of the Fireflies illuminates the untold sorrows of normal people who live in the shadow of war.
My Review
Publishing today this short but heartbreaking and raw novella is an absolute must read.
It is the story of Seita and Setsuko who have been orphaned by war. Brother and sister are aged about fourteen and four respectively. Reading of how the older sibling tries to take care of his younger sister amidst such terrible and harrowing circumstances made me feel quite emotional.
The author describes everyday life for them as society disintegrates around them as Japan faces defeat. Originally published in 1967, this book is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Our media is full of war and the suffering of innocent people and I could not help but think that nothing has been learned from the past.
At less than 80 pages I found this to be a concise telling of the harrowing hardships of war. This semi-autobiographical work which was originally a short story made for excellent reading.
Translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori she has done an excellent job of bringing this story to the attention of the wider reading community and I highly recommend it.
Book Details
ISBN: 978 0241780213
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Formats: e-book and paperback
No. of Pages: 80 (paperback)
Purchase Links
About the Author
Akiyuki Nosaka (1930-2015) was a novelist, singer, lyricist and former member of the House of Councillors in Japan. Born in Kamakura, Kanagawa, his memories of living through the Second World War – including the loss of his adoptive father in the 1945 Kobe bombings – served as the inspiration for his most famous short stories. In 1967, he won the Naoki Prize for Grave of the Fireflies and American Hijiki, both based on the Japanese experience of the War. Nosaka also wrote erotic fiction, including The Pornographers (1963), and in later life he continued his career as a newspaper and TV journalist, as well as a politician and chanson singer.
(ARC and media courtesy of the publisher)
(author photo courtesy of Wiki)
(all opinions are my own)
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