Ten years after recanting their teachings and abandoning their zealous and violent congregation, two men known only as the Patron and Guide of Humankind seek to overcome a radical faction while leading peaceful followers toward a new future.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Writing a novel after having won a Nobel Prize for Literature must be even more daunting than trying to follow a brilliant, bestselling debut. In Somersault (the title refers to an abrupt, public renunciation of the past), Kenzaburo Oe has himself leapt in a new direction, rolling away from the slim, semi-autobiographical novel that garnered the 1994 Nobel Prize (A Personal Matter) and toward this lengthy, involved account of a Japanese religious movement. Although it opens with the perky and almost picaresque accidental deflowering of a young ballerina with an architectural model, Somersault is no laugh riot. Oe's slow, deliberate pace sets the tone for an unusual exploration of faith, spiritual searching, group dynamics, and exploitation. His lavish, sometimes indiscriminate use of detail can be maddening, but it also lends itself to his sobering subject matter, as well as to some of the most beautiful, realistic sex scenes a reader is likely to encounter. --Regina Marler
Kenzaburo Oe was born in 1935 in the remote mountain village of Ose on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four main islands. Oe is considered one of the most dynamic and revolutionary writers to have emerged in Japan since World War II, and is acknowledged as the first truly modern Japanese writer. Oe is known for his powerful accounts of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and his struggle to come to terms with a mentally handicapped son. His dark musings on moral failure came to symbolize an alienated generation in postwar Japan. Oe's influences and literary heroes are less Japanese than American and European, ranging from Henry Miller to Jean-Paul Sartre, from Blake to Camus. His prolific body of work has won almost every major international honor, including the 1989 Prix Europalia and the 1994 Nobel Prize for Literature. His many translated works include A Personal Matter, Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness, The Silent Cry, Hiroshima Notes, and Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 4.00
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. 1 Edition. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 3494990-75
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books: West, Reno, NV, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. 1 Edition. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 3494990-75
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 2. Seller Inventory # G0802117384I3N10
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: HPB-Movies, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_411917379
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books From California, Simi Valley, CA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Edition. First edition. Minor wear on the covers, corners, and the edges. Like shelf wear. May contain some writing and or highlighting within the pages and covers. Seller Inventory # mon0002230838
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Used - Very Good. 2003. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Seller Inventory # Z0307159
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Abacus Bookshop, Pittsford, NY, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Fine copy in fine dust jacket. 1st edition. 8vo, 570 pp., Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel. Seller Inventory # 034978
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Project HOME Books, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. markings on very top of the book. Used - Good. Seller Inventory # ID02-000046
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR013073763
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: Fair. A readable copy of the book which may include some defects such as highlighting and notes. Cover and pages may be creased and show discolouration. Seller Inventory # GOR013804259
Quantity: 1 available