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A review by koreilly
Fires on the Plain by Shohei Ooka
4.0
An virulently upsetting anti-war novel that is committed to showing the horrors of national conflict unflinchingly. Throwing you into the life of a sickly member of the routed Japanese forces in the Philippines, Fires on the Plain flits between rugged descriptions of the harsh conditions they faced and dreamlike reveries as the main character flirts with descending into madness.
I will caution you though: Do not read the Epilogue. It disrupts thee flow, over explains much and overall drags thee novel down. Skip it and you will find this instead to be a thoughtful meditation on how war debases all those who participate in it.
I will caution you though: Do not read the Epilogue. It disrupts thee flow, over explains much and overall drags thee novel down. Skip it and you will find this instead to be a thoughtful meditation on how war debases all those who participate in it.