A review by sarah_dietrich
Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids by Kenzaburō Ōe

4.0

Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids was Kenzaburo Oe's debut novel. First published when he was only 23, it draws on his experiences as a child during World War II. Some aspects of the plot - a group of boys abandoned during a war & left to look after themselves - invite comparisons to Lord of the Flies, but the similarities are merely superficial. I found Buds to be far more complex, nuanced and adult - an interesting, compelling, and sometimes difficult read. I read the English translation, which is apparently not great. I must have read a different/more modern translation than the one mentioned in many of the reviews here, because many of the problems mentioned weren't present in the translation I read. The dialog was a bit stiff at times, but did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. I'm really interested to read more of Oe's work.