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A review by worldlibraries
Harp of Burma by Michio Takeyama
4.0
The first half of this book was so good the words sang off the pages! The second half wasn't as joyful to read, but the mystery of where the missing soldier was was beautifully described. As a reader, I didn't believe he was dead as I trusted his captain's judgement. The captain would not have sent him on a mission that would cause him to die. The author made us feel the angst of the Japanese company wondering what happened to him. It was unexplained though how the Captain came to peace on the matter before the letter even arrived.
I'm glad I read this book. I found the author's characterizations of Burmese culture to be spot on, which is rather extraordinary given that this is 66 years later (for the English translation, at least). I too wonder like the author does through his character Mizushima, isn't there a happy medium between Buddhist inner peace and industriousness? It would be lovely if the Japanese and us in the States could discover it!
I'm glad I read this book. I found the author's characterizations of Burmese culture to be spot on, which is rather extraordinary given that this is 66 years later (for the English translation, at least). I too wonder like the author does through his character Mizushima, isn't there a happy medium between Buddhist inner peace and industriousness? It would be lovely if the Japanese and us in the States could discover it!