The Narrow Road to the Deep North wins the Booker Prize

[Wage Slave]

And features the Burma railway and Imperial Japanese Army. It's set in Australia, Thailand and Japan.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is the sixth novel from Richard Flanagan, who is considered by many to be one of Australia’s finest novelists. It centres upon the experiences of surgeon Dorrigo Evans in a Japanese POW camp on the now infamous Thailand-Burma railway. The Financial Times calls it ‘elegantly wrought, measured and without an ounce of melodrama… nothing short of a masterpiece.’

Named after a famous Japanese book by the haiku poet Basho, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is described by the 2014 judges as ‘a harrowing account of the cost of war to all who are caught up in it’. Questioning the meaning of heroism, the book explores what motivates acts of extreme cruelty and shows that perpetrators may be as much victims as those they abuse. Flanagan’s father, who died the day he finished The Narrow Road to the Deep North, was a survivor of the Burma Death Railway.

- See more at: http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/w ... dE7Nd.dpuf

I'm about three quarters through it. The beginning isn't all that interesting but it soon blossoms. He has clearly spoken in depth to a lot of the people involved - Japanese, Australian and Korean. And people don't mind talking now - they want things off their chest at this stage and there is no longer any fear of consequences, legal or otherwise.

It's intense. He's gathered up the most graphic stories and concentrated them into one tale. It does avoid melodrama but it is certainly relentlessly dramatic. He has done more research in Japan and managed to elicit more material than any other writer tackling the subject that I am aware of.

I'll have to wait to get to the end before saying it's a great book but it is going in the right direction.

[Mike Oxlong]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[Wage Slave]

You are very welcome. I'd be fascinated to hear your, and others', responses if you decide read it. It's available via Kindle ......

[Takechanpoo]

stupid aussies even dont know who declared a war is themselves not japan, regardless of the fact that Japan side told several times there was no intention to invade aussie land. and those south uncivilized fellows captured innocent japanese australian citizens and sent them to concentration camps. and of course they havnt yet apologized for it.
damn aussie dudes pretend to be innocent and demand apologize toward japan while they never apologize for their own nauseating acts toward J-aussie citizens and exterminating tasmanian abos.
fuck you

[dimwit]

Way to troll Take. Sigh. Where does one start?

Yes, Japan did not plan to invade Austrailia before Pearl Harbor, but this was not out of any love for peace, it was a simple recognition that they lacked the manpower for the endeavor with millions of troups being tied up in China, guarding the Russia border and attacking American territory. So it was more a matter of it not being feasible at that time. Had they won the war in China they would have gone after Austrailia in a second. So the question is do you sit back and wait to be slaughtered or do you actively do something about it. Austrailia rightly choose the later option. Secondly, army and naval officers in Japan were notoriously insubordinate as witnessed by the attempted invasions of Russia in 1938 and 1939, the Panay incident, not to mention Mancharia, so often it doesn't really matter what their HQ wanted to do -if some commander wanted to attack he might have.

Getting back to the point of the book. From your argument if someone declares war on you, you therefore have a right to treat them criminal inhumanity.

[Wage Slave]

I wondered if this would tempt Takenpoo out from under whatever rock he calls home at present - and sure enough here he is, with some more wildly inaccurate and irrelevant banality. He doesn't have a clue and distraction only works on the feeble minded.

Anyway I repeat:

"And people don't mind talking now - they want things off their chest at this stage and there is no longer any fear of consequences, legal or otherwise."

You should take more notice of what they say and not the sort of death glorifying. denialist, revisionist claptrap you lap up. However, should you feel a need to top yourself for king and country there is absolutely no problem with that. It only became and becomes an issue when it is believed that other people are no more than things and tools of the cause.

You should read this book, Defeat into Victory by Gen Slim and a few others. You could yet redeem your stained and crippled soul.

[dimwit]

"And people don't mind talking now - they want things off their chest at this stage and there is no longer any fear of consequences, legal or otherwise."

The book has been on my to read list for a few weeks and it looks like it might be a good read during the Christmas holidays when I am locked up in my security consciencious brother's house in Victoria.

[kurogane]

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is described by the 2014 judges as ‘a harrowing account of the cost of war to all who are caught up in it’. Questioning the meaning of heroism, the book explores what motivates acts of extreme cruelty and shows that perpetrators may be as much victims as those they abuse.

It sounds like a great book by all accounts, but as that highlighted bit is a pet peeve of mine, let me just point out that outside of a particularly annoying pseudosophisticates' sophomoric relativism, no they may not. I will not allow it, for when the emocentric pyshobabbling hug happy cat ladies determine the order of things collective brain death is the inevitable result. I refer you to their reviews of the novel Atonement (Ian McEwan) as a shining example of this particular variety of well intentioned cretinism. This has been a public service announcement from Citizens Tired of Self-Indulgent Stupidity.

Anyways, great book report, look forward to hearing the final verdict, and congratulations to the author on a fine piece well rewarded.

[Mike Oxlong]

The Narrow Road to the Deep North is described by the 2014 judges as ‘a harrowing account of the cost of war to all who are caught up in it’. Questioning the meaning of heroism, the book explores what motivates acts of extreme cruelty and shows that perpetrators may be as much victims as those they abuse.

It sounds like a great book by all accounts, but as that highlighted bit is a pet peeve of mine, let me just point out that outside of a particularly annoying pseudosophisticates' sophomoric relativism, no they may not. I will not allow it, for when the emocentric pyshobabbling hug happy cat ladies determine the order of things collective brain death is the inevitable result. I refer you to their reviews of the novel Atonement (Ian McEwan) as a shining example of this particular variety of well intentioned cretinism. This has been a public service announcement from Citizens Tired of Self-Indulgent Stupidity.

Anyways, great book report, look forward to hearing the final verdict, and congratulations to the author on a fine piece well rewarded.

Is the highlighted bit part of a book review? To me it read like ad copy promoting their prize.

[kurogane]

Yeah, fair point that. Sad that passes as what is thought of as attractive ad copy, but not quite same same.

[Wage Slave]

So, it is in my opinion a very very good book but not a great book, although there is a big chunk of it that is truly great. I finished it off in a couple of days and that must say something. Haven't done that for quite a while. Is it a masterpiece? Not quite for my tastes but others will surely disagree and I wouldn't take them to task too much. Fair enough.

I agree with Kuro's peeve and actually I found little in the book to support that theme. He did point out that the perpetrators suffered too but that was mainly as a result of the other side finding the power to overcome the IJA and punish them. Sucks when the people you have abused find a way to turn the tables and hit back. He also pointed out how badly ordinary (and often very young - like 16 years old) Japanese soldiers were treated by the IJA - But that's already well attested from other accounts.

There isn't much in the Thailand bit that isn't already out there - It's just he's gathered it all together and written it up so brilliantly. There are also a few great stories from Japan. Ditto Australia, but I did find the love story a bit overwrought.

Anyway. I highly recommend it - You might well decide I am wrong and it is a fully formed masterpiece and a truly great book.

[Mike Oxlong]

Yeah, I would agree that kuro's point stands, even if in this instance it was ad copy. One does see it in reviews as well, and it does little to assist a potential reader in choosing a book.

[kurogane]

I agree with Kuro's peeve and actually I found little in the book to support that theme..

So, pandering ad copy it was then. Good call Mike O. As I said, it's a pet peeve. It makes my brain hurt that Agony Auntistry is so widespread it can work as an appeal; the moment I read the original ad copy line I went fom Must Read to Yeah, Maybe I'll get around to that sometime.

Great book report, WS. I shall put it on my Christmas Book List.

PS It sounds like quite a powerful, moving read. Is it rather dark and disturbing? I only ask because I need to be In The Mood for that sort of read.