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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really good, very sad. An interesting examination of WWII Japanese society. This is a fictionalised account based on some real diaries from Hiroshima survivors, I would love to know which parts are fact/how much creative license was taken.
Informative book. Dragged in some areas but the structure and narrative were very well done. The levels of description were exceptional and the characters themselves were different but well made. Solid novel
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If anyone wants to know more about the history of Hiroshima and what the people went through, then I highly recommend this book. Reading the foreword by translator John Bester is also recommended; through his introduction I learnt that the basic material is taken from actual records, saying it could be considered a documentary novel. The images presented in the novel are harrowing and absolutely heartbreaking. There were even a few times I forgot I was reading about real events and thought it was a horror novel. I gave the book 4/5 stars, simply because I found the last 100 pages difficult to read. The story became a bit more meandering, and while it was still interesting it didn't have that same draw for me. There's a few narratives in this book, each one of them intriguing.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Although the writer of this book wasn't present at the time of the bombing, he could still produce such a brilliant piece of work by fully utilising the diaries of survivors. It was an encapturing read. Occasionally, the writer included some sense of humour to ease the gloomy period. For example, Shigematsu and his friend were fishing at the lake and had an argument with a widow. They only can perform delicate tasks due to radiation sickness. A widow passed by the lake and teased them for having such a comfortable life, whereas others were working on the farms. The taunting leads to an animated and humourous argument among them.
The story of Yasuko's family is interwoven with the diaries written by her and her uncle. It was vividly documented, including their experience of looking for refuge after the bombing. They had to go through the heat and walk on the streets exposed to asphalt and scattered corpses in different shapes and sizes everywhere. Her aunt Shigeko took part in jotting down the details of the food shortage and diet during the Hiroshima wartime. Throughout the story, the narration only focuses on the struggle and effort of staying alive during wartime. There wasn't much about avenging and blaming the enemies. Most people were trying to make sense of what had happened, why they ended up in such a condition, looking for their missing family members and friends, and how they would move on from then onwards.
Book Review: Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse, John Bester (Translator).
The story of Yasuko's family is interwoven with the diaries written by her and her uncle. It was vividly documented, including their experience of looking for refuge after the bombing. They had to go through the heat and walk on the streets exposed to asphalt and scattered corpses in different shapes and sizes everywhere. Her aunt Shigeko took part in jotting down the details of the food shortage and diet during the Hiroshima wartime. Throughout the story, the narration only focuses on the struggle and effort of staying alive during wartime. There wasn't much about avenging and blaming the enemies. Most people were trying to make sense of what had happened, why they ended up in such a condition, looking for their missing family members and friends, and how they would move on from then onwards.
Book Review: Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse, John Bester (Translator).
dark
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail