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A review by teriboop
Hiroshima Notes by Kenzaburō Ōe
5.0
Kenzaburō Ōe delivers a very thought-provoking book in Hiroshima Notes. Seven individual "notes"/chapters are compiled to offer the reader a look at life in the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing that brought an end to World War II. Ōe wrote these notes after many visits to Hiroshima in the 60s. He details the rebuilding that was still continuing, the suffering and conditions of victims of the bombings, the men and women who treated and supported the survivors, and the ongoing work to ensure that nuclear weapons will never again bring such an atrocity to the world.
Ōe offers a perspective that I had never really considered. You don't hear much about the a-bomb/h-bomb survivors. Many suffer in silence. Many blame their own country for putting them in a situation where such an outcome was even considered. A few considered that suicide was the better alternative to suffering through their pain. Even today, the effects are seen in later generations that are born with diseases/conditions that are a direct result of what their parents suffered.
I think this should be required reading for high school and college students studying World War II.
Ōe offers a perspective that I had never really considered. You don't hear much about the a-bomb/h-bomb survivors. Many suffer in silence. Many blame their own country for putting them in a situation where such an outcome was even considered. A few considered that suicide was the better alternative to suffering through their pain. Even today, the effects are seen in later generations that are born with diseases/conditions that are a direct result of what their parents suffered.
I think this should be required reading for high school and college students studying World War II.