Japanese short stories

Press, 7 March 1987, Page 23

Japanese short stories

(Reviewed by Diane Prout) An eminent literary figure in Japan, Shusake Endo has established a reputation in the West over the last 10 years as a diverse and talented writer of novels, short stories, one play, and a biography of Jesus. A reluctant Roman Catholic (one of Japan’s very few) many of his stories deal with the subject of conversion and apostasy and are strongly autobiographical. Endo uses his experience of major lung surgery in several of the ii stories reprinted under this title which is a composite of two earlier anthologies, "Elegies.” (1865) and "Eleven Stained-Glass Segments" (1979), In "A Forty Year Old Man." one of Japan’s most admired and frequently anthologised short stories, the novelist waiting for yet another serious operation in his three-year stay in hospital has his wife buy him a mynah bird, feasibly to while away the boredom and gloom of hospital routine by teaching the bird to talk. The bird assumes a priestly role by hearing Seguro's confession of adultery several years before and relieves him of some of the guilt which his church was unable to do, The story ends on a muted note of modified optimism and sets the tone for many of the others which deal

with moral cowardice in the face of physical suffering, Endo uses his experience of wartime Tokyo to describe the fears of university students being drafted Inta battle. The 1945 air raids on the city are vlvdly evoked providing an unusual viewpoint on the horrors of war from enemy eyes in "The War Generation." v By clinging to his faith throughout the war years and prolonged periods of Intense paid caused by his illness, Endo is able to regard humanity with wisdom and compassion. His stories contain portraits of well-known priests who were able to overcome their, weaknesses and embrace persecution and torture at the hands of Japanese and German alike for the sake of o there. ’' l The importance of friendship and the need to grasp chances when they ; present themselves is fundamental to Endo’s philosophy, Not all the stories are sombre however, "Incredible Voyage" is a numerous pastiche of the 1966 American film "Fantastic" Voyage.” The description of a sci-fi operation on a beautiful young glrr suffering from cancer is told with zest and inventiveness, while the final story "Old Friends" reaffirms the" belief in the power of the spirit to* overcome sadness and suffering. Shusaku Endo is a profound and thought-provoking writer, a gifted:' observer of his fellow-man with the; committed Christian's love for hit essential frailty.