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Title details for The Breaking Jewel by Makoto Oda - Available

The Breaking Jewel

A Novel

by Makoto Oda
Donald Keene
ebook
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Set on an island in the South Pacific during the final days of World War II, when the tide has turned against Japan and the war has unmistakably become one of attrition, The Breaking Jewel offers a rare depiction of the Pacific War from the Japanese side and captures the essence of Japan's doomed imperial aims. The novel opens as a small force of Japanese soldiers prepares to defend a tiny and ultimately insignificant island from a full-scale assault by American forces. Its story centers on squad leader Nakamura, who resists the Americans to the end, as he and his comrades grapple with the idea of gyokusai (translated as "the breaking jewel" or the "pulverization of the gem"), the patriotic act of mass suicide in defense of the homeland.
Well known for his antiestablishment and antiwar sentiments, Makuto Oda gradually and subtly develops a powerful critique of the war and the racialist imperial aims that proved Japan's undoing.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Weatherhead Books on Asia

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 16, 2003

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780231518871

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780231518871
      • File size: 17503 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      February 1, 2003
      This slim novel by one of Japan's anti-establishment writers depicts the horrors of war during the final days of World War II. Japan is losing its battle against the much more powerful Americans for a small South Pacific island. The soldiers want to believe in the glory of dying for the emperor but sometimes have doubts; the leaders are not always trustworthy or pure in their feelings either. In a subplot, the relationship between Japanese soldiers and soldiers of Korean origin in the Japanese army is fraught with prejudice, condescension, and suspicion. The formal style evokes an epic quality that transcends this one small battle, something that will sit well with Americans, Chinese, and other enemies of Japan in World War II. The book is superbly translated and introduced by Keene, a preeminent scholar and professor (now emeritus at Columbia) who has devoted his life to Japan and things Japanese. Recommended for libraries with good collections of Japanese literature.-Kitty Chen Dean, Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY

      Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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