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Heaven: October Book Group - Whte man/Yellow Man by Shusaku Endo
I'm starting the October Book Group discussion off a little early as I'm away next week.
October's choice is White Man /Yellow Man by Shusaku Endo.
The discussion is being led by me, but Endo was suggested as an author for the book group by the late Leo. I've never read any of Endo's works, and having read the blurb for this am slightly trepidacious about whether I'm going to enjoy this or not. I chose it as it is one of the few of Endo's works that is available on Kindle, and being two novellas shouldn't be too long a read.
As per usual, I'll post some questions around about the 20th.
October's choice is White Man /Yellow Man by Shusaku Endo.
The discussion is being led by me, but Endo was suggested as an author for the book group by the late Leo. I've never read any of Endo's works, and having read the blurb for this am slightly trepidacious about whether I'm going to enjoy this or not. I chose it as it is one of the few of Endo's works that is available on Kindle, and being two novellas shouldn't be too long a read.
As per usual, I'll post some questions around about the 20th.
Comments
In some ways, it reminded me of East of Eden, with the theme of a character acknowledging the harmful desires inside him - though while East of Eden characters saw themselves as having a choice, this character seems more fatalistic about it, and kind of amoral - he just accepts this is who he is and goes with it.
The end seems to be a challenging of his cynicism though - he sees the priest as being ego driven, wanting to be a martyr, but the priest and nun both act with a self-giving for the sake of each other, suggesting that human nature can’t be reduced to the nihilistic view the narrator holds.
That was my interpretation. I imagine the second novella will shed more light on the first one.