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memeraryfiction 's review for:
Eclipse
by KeiichirÅ Hirano
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is an odd little book; I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. The first half or so is an incredibly slow burn in plot terms, but when the plot picks up everything happens very fast. I enjoyed the sheer unclassifiability of it, though I think I would struggle to recommend it to others, as it is quite unusual. I think we expect translated books to deal only with the author's home country or language (and this says a lot about the politics of what gets translated), so I very much appreciated the chance to read a Japanese novel about Europe.
Brent de Chene and Charles De Wolf's translation is very readable, while also capturing the somewhat archaic nature of the text, which is meant to read (and reads quite successfully) as the personal memoirs of a late medieval monk. De Chene's introduction is helpful is understanding the book's rather unusual place within contemporary Japanese literature, as well as highlighting some references to alchemical thought that I had missed, this not being an area in which I am super knowledgeable. I would, however, encourage fellow readers to save the introduction for the end and first experience the novel's plot for themselves, without knowing what comes next, as this is, in my opinion, part of what makes the reading experience enjoyable.
Brent de Chene and Charles De Wolf's translation is very readable, while also capturing the somewhat archaic nature of the text, which is meant to read (and reads quite successfully) as the personal memoirs of a late medieval monk. De Chene's introduction is helpful is understanding the book's rather unusual place within contemporary Japanese literature, as well as highlighting some references to alchemical thought that I had missed, this not being an area in which I am super knowledgeable. I would, however, encourage fellow readers to save the introduction for the end and first experience the novel's plot for themselves, without knowing what comes next, as this is, in my opinion, part of what makes the reading experience enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Torture