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Shipwrecks
Introduced by David MitchellIn a coastal village in medieval Japan, a young boy called Isaku battles to keep his family alive against the odds. With his father gone, Isaku is forced to grow up well before his time. He must learn how to catch fish, how to distil salt, and about all the mysteries of the vast churning sea, not least the legend of O-fune-sama, of ships wrecked offshore providing the village with unexpected bounty. When a ship founders on the rocks, Isaku and the villagers rejoice. Long have they prayed for the sea's gifts. But the cargo is not at all the blessing they had hoped for. At first mystifying, then terrifying, something dark is coming ashore and it's about to change their lives forever.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
About the author
Akira Yoshimura
71 books125 followersPrize winning Japanese writer. Akira Yoshimura was the president of the Japanese writers union and a PEN member. He published over 20 novels, of which in particular On Parole and Shipwrecks are internationally known and have been translated into several languages. In 1984 he received the Yomiuri Prize for his novel Hagoku (破獄,engl. prison break) based on the true story of Yoshie Shiratori.
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December 14, 2022
[Editied for typos, spoiler hidden 12/14/22]
We follow the story of a 10-year-old boy in a dirt-poor, isolated fishing village in Japan. It’s in the days of sailing ships. His father is absent because he sold himself into indentured servitude for three years. Other villagers get sold, especially young women by their parents, many never to return. Now that he is ten, with an absent father he is considered an adult and even the head of the family.
We learn in anthropological detail the lives of these hundred-or-so families. How they gather firewood, make cloth from the fibers of linden tree bark, how they prepare food. We learn of their marriage and funeral customs. We see how their lives are tied to the cyclical yield of the rough rocky sea – different techniques for catching different types of fish that vary with the seasons. They also catch octopus and gather shellfish and seaweed. They salt fish to sell for grain to the closest village, a couple of days away over a mountainous path.
They are always on the verge of starvation, which is why people sell themselves or their children into servitude. The young boy’s siblings have never tasted rice or sugar as he has – once or twice. The crippled and the elderly are only given water until they die because there is no food to spare for those who can’t work. The village chief and the elders enforce all these edicts.
Once in a great while, every several years or so, the villagers experience o-fune-sama – a shipwreck offshore. This is considered a gift from the gods. Usually the ships are carrying rice, wine, cloth and sundries that can keep the villagers well-fed for two or three years. They even dismantle the ship, using it for lumber and firewood. They hide the goods in case authorities come looking.
The villagers pray and conduct an elaborate ritual with a young pregnant woman to entice the ships to shore. More practically, all during the winter storm season they set great fires at night to boil seawater for salt. But the real purpose of the fires (like the wreckers along the English coast in days gone by) is to entice ships to come closer to shore to get wrecked on the rocks. A year before the boy’s father is to come home, they experience o-fune-sama and there is great joy. The boy sees his mother smiling for the first time in his life.
Miraculously, a second o-fune-sama occurs the next year. This ship has a mysterious cargo that brings tragedy and change and almost destroys life in the village.
A fascinating story of life in another time and place. It moved along at a good pace and the anthropological aspect was not overdone for a fictional work.
The author, Akira Yoshimura (1927–2006) wrote more than 20 novels, most notably this book and one called On Parole. Both are rated very highly (about 4.0) on GR.
Top photo of a painting of an ancient Japanese ship from nagantiques.com
Rocky coast of Japan from en.japantravel.com
Woodcut of a rocky coast by Takao Sano from fujiarts.com
The author from networthroll.com
We follow the story of a 10-year-old boy in a dirt-poor, isolated fishing village in Japan. It’s in the days of sailing ships. His father is absent because he sold himself into indentured servitude for three years. Other villagers get sold, especially young women by their parents, many never to return. Now that he is ten, with an absent father he is considered an adult and even the head of the family.
We learn in anthropological detail the lives of these hundred-or-so families. How they gather firewood, make cloth from the fibers of linden tree bark, how they prepare food. We learn of their marriage and funeral customs. We see how their lives are tied to the cyclical yield of the rough rocky sea – different techniques for catching different types of fish that vary with the seasons. They also catch octopus and gather shellfish and seaweed. They salt fish to sell for grain to the closest village, a couple of days away over a mountainous path.
They are always on the verge of starvation, which is why people sell themselves or their children into servitude. The young boy’s siblings have never tasted rice or sugar as he has – once or twice. The crippled and the elderly are only given water until they die because there is no food to spare for those who can’t work. The village chief and the elders enforce all these edicts.
Once in a great while, every several years or so, the villagers experience o-fune-sama – a shipwreck offshore. This is considered a gift from the gods. Usually the ships are carrying rice, wine, cloth and sundries that can keep the villagers well-fed for two or three years. They even dismantle the ship, using it for lumber and firewood. They hide the goods in case authorities come looking.
The villagers pray and conduct an elaborate ritual with a young pregnant woman to entice the ships to shore. More practically, all during the winter storm season they set great fires at night to boil seawater for salt. But the real purpose of the fires (like the wreckers along the English coast in days gone by) is to entice ships to come closer to shore to get wrecked on the rocks. A year before the boy’s father is to come home, they experience o-fune-sama and there is great joy. The boy sees his mother smiling for the first time in his life.
Miraculously, a second o-fune-sama occurs the next year. This ship has a mysterious cargo that brings tragedy and change and almost destroys life in the village.
A fascinating story of life in another time and place. It moved along at a good pace and the anthropological aspect was not overdone for a fictional work.
The author, Akira Yoshimura (1927–2006) wrote more than 20 novels, most notably this book and one called On Parole. Both are rated very highly (about 4.0) on GR.
Top photo of a painting of an ancient Japanese ship from nagantiques.com
Rocky coast of Japan from en.japantravel.com
Woodcut of a rocky coast by Takao Sano from fujiarts.com
The author from networthroll.com
June 7, 2024
Nine-year-old boy Isaku, struggles in the sea, reaching out for the driftwood, but the big waves constantly move over his small body , and then, pushing him out towards the deep water on the back flow, as hard rain comes down relentlessly. He can barely keep on his feet, the large piece of wood almost as big as him, is stubbornly, stuck between the rocks. The weak Isaku finally succeeds in removing it, the other villagers pick their driftwood easily and bring them back to shore. The boy gets on land with difficulty, barely reaching the beach . Set in Medieval Japan, on the west coast of one of its large islands... There is a dark secret here, how this tiny, isolated, poor fishing village survives, they can't keep their stomachs fed. Not enough fish caught, too many people... still the village must continue, their ancestors demand it. They believe that when one of them dies, after the funeral pyre fire goes out, the souls cross the big water. Returning years later, reincarnated in newborn babies, these spirits must have a place to come back to... During the bleak winter months, when storms rage in the ocean, ( of course, no fishing is possible) two huge cauldrons are placed on the beach. Always fires lit underneath them, seawater being boiled, later the remaining salt is sold to the next village, three walking days away. Yet the real reason for the night work, is to lure ships on the reef, hidden just below the water's surface, near the village's shore, steal the lifesaving cargo and kill the helpless sailors still breathing ...The seamen, amid a tempest wanted safety on the beach, instead, death arrives. "O-fune-sama" the people call it, Isaku's father had sold himself as a bondage slave recently, like many others in the community, they needed some essential money , otherwise starvation. The family consists of two girls and two boys, Isaku is the oldest, and at that young age, he has to help his hard working mother. Fishing every day whenever possible, getting wood in the forest, anything his mother asks for. Beaten when he's lazy, his family's future depends on him. After seven long years , "O-fune-sama "! A ship has been seen, the boy because of being so little, is just a lookout. The ship's bottom is ripped out , dooming the hapless sailors, and he sees how quickly, the precious cargo is removed, watching the wrecked ship being dismantled, too, nevertheless doesn't see the bloody killings. For many generations this practice goes on, the nervous villagers are always afraid that some day, they will be found out and be punished severely. Until that time they must live.... Very good story of what some people will do, no matter the cost, to others...sadly, this practice is not extinct in today's world.
December 5, 2025
This book is set in the very harsh seaside village on the coast of Japan. The villagers rely on the Ocean to stay alive - but not in the sense one would assume. True, they are fishermen and they train their entire lives to fish and live off the Ocean, but the Ocean serves another purpose for them as well. The villagers build large salt cauldrons which serve two purposes: they sell the salt to neighboring villages and the fires from the burning cauldrons lure passing ships during the O-fune-sama (winter sailing) to the shore. The men in the village, then kill the crew and take what they can from the ships to feed their families.
This story is told through the POV of nine year old Isaku who is considered the "man of the house" after his father has become an indentured servant for three years. This is common in the village. Often, to avoid starvation and to have income for their families, villages enter into/sell themselves into servitude. The reader silently watches as an innocent child ages in 3 years. Isaku is living in a brutal and harsh environment. He is surrounded by poverty, starvation, death, and brutality. He goes from being an innocent child to one that has been forced to mature and harden in order to survive.
One winter during O-fune-sama, another shipped in lured to shore and caught on the rocks. What cargo does it carry? Death. Death in the form of small pox is what this ship contains. Isaku watches as his already weak village succumbs to the disease. He watches as people in his village die. He is helpless as his village elder makes the decision to banish those who are sick to leave the village. Those leaving include members of his family and a girl for whom he has feelings. Left alone he has a bittersweet reunion with his father.
I read this book years ago and loved it. I like to look up book lists. "Best of" lists if you will. I can't even recall what list this book was on but I found it to be intriguing and was pleased to see that my local library had a copy. This is a book is complex. I loved that the villagers lived by a strict moral code did not have a problem with luring ships and taking what was not theirs in order to survive. This is a book about survival. What will people do in order to survive and does Karma come into play? Life in this village is harsh and people seem harsh - such as Isaku's Mother. But is she really harsh or is she just preparing her children for the harshness of life? Is she forcing them to be tough and strong, is she under too much stress herself and dong what she needs to do in order to keep herself and her children alive? Acceptance is a theme. Having to accept what you need to do in order to survive but also having to accept that life is brutal. No matter what comes their way, the villagers seem to keep going. They go on with their lives. People live, people die. Like the waves of the Ocean, the village has it's own ebb and flow: life, death, acceptance.
There is not a lot of action in this book. This is also not a BIG book, but it is a book with heart and soul. Shipwrecks is haunting and heartbreaking. It's a coming of age tale during the time of starvation. This is a quiet book that will sneak up on you. It is very thought provoking. I remember sitting and thinking about this book long after I had finished reading. The translation into English was beautifully done as well. If I did not know that this book had a translator, I would assume that it had been written in English.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
This story is told through the POV of nine year old Isaku who is considered the "man of the house" after his father has become an indentured servant for three years. This is common in the village. Often, to avoid starvation and to have income for their families, villages enter into/sell themselves into servitude. The reader silently watches as an innocent child ages in 3 years. Isaku is living in a brutal and harsh environment. He is surrounded by poverty, starvation, death, and brutality. He goes from being an innocent child to one that has been forced to mature and harden in order to survive.
One winter during O-fune-sama, another shipped in lured to shore and caught on the rocks. What cargo does it carry? Death. Death in the form of small pox is what this ship contains. Isaku watches as his already weak village succumbs to the disease. He watches as people in his village die. He is helpless as his village elder makes the decision to banish those who are sick to leave the village. Those leaving include members of his family and a girl for whom he has feelings. Left alone he has a bittersweet reunion with his father.
I read this book years ago and loved it. I like to look up book lists. "Best of" lists if you will. I can't even recall what list this book was on but I found it to be intriguing and was pleased to see that my local library had a copy. This is a book is complex. I loved that the villagers lived by a strict moral code did not have a problem with luring ships and taking what was not theirs in order to survive. This is a book about survival. What will people do in order to survive and does Karma come into play? Life in this village is harsh and people seem harsh - such as Isaku's Mother. But is she really harsh or is she just preparing her children for the harshness of life? Is she forcing them to be tough and strong, is she under too much stress herself and dong what she needs to do in order to keep herself and her children alive? Acceptance is a theme. Having to accept what you need to do in order to survive but also having to accept that life is brutal. No matter what comes their way, the villagers seem to keep going. They go on with their lives. People live, people die. Like the waves of the Ocean, the village has it's own ebb and flow: life, death, acceptance.
There is not a lot of action in this book. This is also not a BIG book, but it is a book with heart and soul. Shipwrecks is haunting and heartbreaking. It's a coming of age tale during the time of starvation. This is a quiet book that will sneak up on you. It is very thought provoking. I remember sitting and thinking about this book long after I had finished reading. The translation into English was beautifully done as well. If I did not know that this book had a translator, I would assume that it had been written in English.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
January 16, 2024
A brutal, unrelenting account of life in medieval Japan and how a nine year old struggles through his circumstances
Isaku heard the sound of crying behind him; several women standing in a huddle were sobbing, no doubt overcome by the pain and sadness in their lives, lives never free from the fear of starvation.
It’s so believable how Akira Yoshimura pulls us into the life of a young boy in an unnamed medieval village. Their community is constantly at the razors edge of starvation, despite the riches of the sea that comes along with the seasons. Even more bounty is carried by ships passing the village, occasionally stranding because they seek refuge at the salt fires of the village. This offers the villagers rare treats like rice, candles and clothing not made from bark, but also requires them to kill off any survivors to keep the O-fune-sama bounty a secret. Sanctions from the government could range from beheadings, crucifixtion to taking away scarce food condemning the village to starvation.
Isaku is the main character, we follow him during the three years his father is away, working in servitude to ensure his family will not starve. Isaku as a nine year old needs to grow up fast, learn to fish, to be on the look out for O-fune-sama, speak to girls and read his silent but sometimes violent mother. The passing of seasons and the constant jeopardy the villagers are in is palpable. In the end the tale ends very grim but utterly convincing, and you as reader can only call yourself fortunate for not being a medieval Japanese villager, even in these times of Corona.
... and all seemed to have forgotten the sorrow of losing a family member.
Finally, I found this book because the edition I read had a foreword by David Mitchell and as often he manages to say it best:
In Shipwrecks, Yoshimura doesn't tell the reader how to judge the villagers for murdering the sailors, or even whether such "trans-historical" verdict is meaningful or possible. In addition to reminding the reader that moral rectitude is easiest to exercise on a full stomach, Shipwrecks rings atavistic bells in our cultural and genealogical memories, whether we are Japanese or not. That we are here at all in the twenty-first century, reading about Isaku's life, is due to our own forefathers - and foremothers - taking whatever measures the had to take to survive. Shipwrecks is both an act of time-travel and of gone-native anthropology. It transports us back some centuries to a remote corner of a shuttered-of country where we see the world and its struggles not through Akira Yoshimura's eyes, but through Isaku's. After reading the final sentence of this haunting, beautiful amd austere novel, we get to come home. Luckily for us.
Isaku heard the sound of crying behind him; several women standing in a huddle were sobbing, no doubt overcome by the pain and sadness in their lives, lives never free from the fear of starvation.
It’s so believable how Akira Yoshimura pulls us into the life of a young boy in an unnamed medieval village. Their community is constantly at the razors edge of starvation, despite the riches of the sea that comes along with the seasons. Even more bounty is carried by ships passing the village, occasionally stranding because they seek refuge at the salt fires of the village. This offers the villagers rare treats like rice, candles and clothing not made from bark, but also requires them to kill off any survivors to keep the O-fune-sama bounty a secret. Sanctions from the government could range from beheadings, crucifixtion to taking away scarce food condemning the village to starvation.
Isaku is the main character, we follow him during the three years his father is away, working in servitude to ensure his family will not starve. Isaku as a nine year old needs to grow up fast, learn to fish, to be on the look out for O-fune-sama, speak to girls and read his silent but sometimes violent mother. The passing of seasons and the constant jeopardy the villagers are in is palpable. In the end the tale ends very grim but utterly convincing, and you as reader can only call yourself fortunate for not being a medieval Japanese villager, even in these times of Corona.
... and all seemed to have forgotten the sorrow of losing a family member.
Finally, I found this book because the edition I read had a foreword by David Mitchell and as often he manages to say it best:
In Shipwrecks, Yoshimura doesn't tell the reader how to judge the villagers for murdering the sailors, or even whether such "trans-historical" verdict is meaningful or possible. In addition to reminding the reader that moral rectitude is easiest to exercise on a full stomach, Shipwrecks rings atavistic bells in our cultural and genealogical memories, whether we are Japanese or not. That we are here at all in the twenty-first century, reading about Isaku's life, is due to our own forefathers - and foremothers - taking whatever measures the had to take to survive. Shipwrecks is both an act of time-travel and of gone-native anthropology. It transports us back some centuries to a remote corner of a shuttered-of country where we see the world and its struggles not through Akira Yoshimura's eyes, but through Isaku's. After reading the final sentence of this haunting, beautiful amd austere novel, we get to come home. Luckily for us.
February 19, 2024
Ce roman! Fascinant, crud, memorabil si cu un impact extrem asupra sentimentelor si psihicului cititorilor. Este unul dintre cele mai bune romane pe care le-am citit anul acesta si in mod cert nu-l voi uita.
Yukio Mishima spunea adesea despre Akira Yoshimura ca este "cel mai bun scriitor dintre noi toti". Mishima nu facea complimente gratuite si in mod cert a recunoscut talentul compatriotului sau care printr-o proza simpla poate sa creeze cititorului niste angoase atat de puternice. Si Mishima la randul sau are un roman asemanator, "Tumultul valurilor", prin care aduce mai multe omagii marii, zeului ei, valurilor, pescarilor cu traiul lor simplu dar greu si in general sarguintei poporului japonez.
"Hasen" a aparut in 1982 si prezinta soarta unui mic sat pescaresc aflat la marginea marii care isi duce veacul la limita de jos a saraciei si foametei. Il avem in prim plan pe Isaku, un copil de 9 ani ce traieste in acest sat ocupandu-se cu pescuitul si adunatul de lemne din mare in timp ce tatal sau este nevoit sa se vanda in robie. Isaku se afla in totalitate la cheremul marii si darurilor ei.
Satenii au gasit insa un mijloc de a se descurca si pe timpul iernii fac sare in cazane imense, situate pe plaja. Ambarcatiunile surprinse de furtuni vad focul de pe plaja si incercand sa caute un refugiu se indreapta spre aceasta izbindu-se de stancile de la mal. Satenii se reped atunci, dar nu sa ajute ci sa le jefuiasca ucigand supravietuitorii. Aceasta este considerata o binecuvantare a marii ce poarta numele de "O-Fune-Sama" si necesita un ritual din partea lor care se face la inceput de toamna. Iata cum nenorocirea cuiva reprezinta supravietuirea si bucuria altcuiva. Binecuvantarea poate deveni insa si cel mai mare blestem, asa cum ne arata deznodamantul cartii, pentru ca, moralist, Yoshimura isi pedepseste personajele si avem parte de unul dintre cele mai dureroase si impresionante finaluri pe care le-am citit intr-o carte.
Romanul mi-a adus aminte de "Hanul Jamaica" al scriitoarei Daphne du Maurier, avand aceeasi atmosfera sumbra si de rau augur. Am retinut aici si felul in care este privit conceptul de moarte: "In sat exista credinta ca spiritele mortilor aveau sa se intoarca. [...] Dupa ce mureau spiritele se duceau dincolo de mare, dar dupa o vreme se intorceau in sat, salasluiau in pantecele femeilor si renasteau ca prunci. Moartea era o perioada de odihna profunda..."
Este demn de tinut minte felul in care saracia este prezentata, deloc romantat, foarte cruda dar acceptatata de sateni cu demnitate. Acestia se lupta cu ea muncind din greu, adesea mult peste puterile lor.
Copilaria lui Isaku este inexistenta, el este matur la 9 ani, are grija de mama si fratii sai, munceste cot la cot cu adultii si primeste batai groaznice de la mama sa. Trebuie sa ne gandim ca asemenea copii exista pe lume atunci cand ne plangem ca am avut o copilarie grea pentru ca nu ni s-au cumparat Playstation sau Barbie.
Foarte interesant, satenii masurau timpul dand nume proprii orelor din zi in felul urmator: "ora calului" era intre 11 AM si 1 PM. "Ora boului" este aprox. 2 AM. "Ora tigrului" este la aprox. 4 AM, iar "ora berbecului" este la aprox. 2 PM.
In incheiere va recomand romanul pentru atmosfera apasatoare si autentica, traditional japoneza, pentru descrierile marii si ale vietii pescarilor dar mai ales pentru caracterul puternic al personajelor, pentru fatalismul si demnitatea lor in fata loviturilor sortii si pentru finalul care este agonizant de dureros pentru cititor. Si odata ce termini cartea nu-ti vine decat sa te intrebi: de ce, de ce, de ce?...
Yukio Mishima spunea adesea despre Akira Yoshimura ca este "cel mai bun scriitor dintre noi toti". Mishima nu facea complimente gratuite si in mod cert a recunoscut talentul compatriotului sau care printr-o proza simpla poate sa creeze cititorului niste angoase atat de puternice. Si Mishima la randul sau are un roman asemanator, "Tumultul valurilor", prin care aduce mai multe omagii marii, zeului ei, valurilor, pescarilor cu traiul lor simplu dar greu si in general sarguintei poporului japonez.
"Hasen" a aparut in 1982 si prezinta soarta unui mic sat pescaresc aflat la marginea marii care isi duce veacul la limita de jos a saraciei si foametei. Il avem in prim plan pe Isaku, un copil de 9 ani ce traieste in acest sat ocupandu-se cu pescuitul si adunatul de lemne din mare in timp ce tatal sau este nevoit sa se vanda in robie. Isaku se afla in totalitate la cheremul marii si darurilor ei.
Satenii au gasit insa un mijloc de a se descurca si pe timpul iernii fac sare in cazane imense, situate pe plaja. Ambarcatiunile surprinse de furtuni vad focul de pe plaja si incercand sa caute un refugiu se indreapta spre aceasta izbindu-se de stancile de la mal. Satenii se reped atunci, dar nu sa ajute ci sa le jefuiasca ucigand supravietuitorii. Aceasta este considerata o binecuvantare a marii ce poarta numele de "O-Fune-Sama" si necesita un ritual din partea lor care se face la inceput de toamna. Iata cum nenorocirea cuiva reprezinta supravietuirea si bucuria altcuiva. Binecuvantarea poate deveni insa si cel mai mare blestem, asa cum ne arata deznodamantul cartii, pentru ca, moralist, Yoshimura isi pedepseste personajele si avem parte de unul dintre cele mai dureroase si impresionante finaluri pe care le-am citit intr-o carte.
Romanul mi-a adus aminte de "Hanul Jamaica" al scriitoarei Daphne du Maurier, avand aceeasi atmosfera sumbra si de rau augur. Am retinut aici si felul in care este privit conceptul de moarte: "In sat exista credinta ca spiritele mortilor aveau sa se intoarca. [...] Dupa ce mureau spiritele se duceau dincolo de mare, dar dupa o vreme se intorceau in sat, salasluiau in pantecele femeilor si renasteau ca prunci. Moartea era o perioada de odihna profunda..."
Este demn de tinut minte felul in care saracia este prezentata, deloc romantat, foarte cruda dar acceptatata de sateni cu demnitate. Acestia se lupta cu ea muncind din greu, adesea mult peste puterile lor.
Copilaria lui Isaku este inexistenta, el este matur la 9 ani, are grija de mama si fratii sai, munceste cot la cot cu adultii si primeste batai groaznice de la mama sa. Trebuie sa ne gandim ca asemenea copii exista pe lume atunci cand ne plangem ca am avut o copilarie grea pentru ca nu ni s-au cumparat Playstation sau Barbie.
Foarte interesant, satenii masurau timpul dand nume proprii orelor din zi in felul urmator: "ora calului" era intre 11 AM si 1 PM. "Ora boului" este aprox. 2 AM. "Ora tigrului" este la aprox. 4 AM, iar "ora berbecului" este la aprox. 2 PM.
In incheiere va recomand romanul pentru atmosfera apasatoare si autentica, traditional japoneza, pentru descrierile marii si ale vietii pescarilor dar mai ales pentru caracterul puternic al personajelor, pentru fatalismul si demnitatea lor in fata loviturilor sortii si pentru finalul care este agonizant de dureros pentru cititor. Si odata ce termini cartea nu-ti vine decat sa te intrebi: de ce, de ce, de ce?...
January 19, 2015
Kinzo had been laid up at home since summer. One day he had lost his footing and slammed his back against a rock while out spearing octopus on the reef. Unable to work, he became a burden on his family. In a village flirting with starvation, an invalid would be written off as dead.
Shipwrecks is not a story for the faint of heart. It is a tale of strife and pain, of lives spent in backbreaking work for little to no return, of pragmatic decisions that to an outsider may look like crimes against humanity. Survival trumps ethics and easy morals, and to illustrate this Yoshimura chooses as his narator a nine years old boy named Isaku. In his medieval village hidden between a forbidding mountain and a murderous coast filled with hidden rocks, Isaku is already considered a man and is required to provide for his family, mother and three siblings, after his father is forced to sell himself as a bound servant on the mainland in exchange for a little money to get the family over winter's lean months.
The mountain's rugged face, flecked with bare rocks, loomed behind the village. The seventeen little houses seemed to be clinging to the narrow coastline so as to not be pushed down into the sea.
The sea is the main source of sustenance for the villagers, but she is stingy with her gifts, making laziness the greatest sin in the tight little community. The prayers of the villagers are usually directed at the sea, in ancient fertility rituals involving pregnant women and offerings of food. A more specific prayer is making an appeal for the coming of 'O-fune-sama' which can be translated probably as 'divine gift'. An European would translate this a piracy, as it refers to the villagers ritual of lighting fires under big cauldrons for the making of salt, but these fires are only tended on stormy nights and are used to lure passing ships onto rocks, where they get stranded and swiftly looted of all their valuables. This bounty is unreliable and sometimes years pass without a visit from 'o-fune-sama'. It is also punished by death by the landlords (daymio) if they ever hear about it. But to the always hungry and cold villagers, it is indeed like mana from heaven.
This is the third Japanese novel dealing with the sea that I have read recently, and I find it hard to pick a favorite, as each of them uses a different approach. The Sailor Who Fell Out of Love With The Sea is a psychological study of an adolescent boy who both needs and rejects a father figure. The Sound of the Waves is an elegy to a simple life and to traditional values, a romantic tale of young love and of hope for a new future. Shipwrecks is a brutal and austere narration of survival in a harsh climate. The prose is cut down to the minimum bare essentials, with little time for contemplation of scenery or for introspection. The simple enumeration of facts is more than enough to convey the merciless nature of the struggle for survival. A second lecture, or a reader more familiarized with the Japanese use of symbols, will probably reveal the skill and the beauty that is also part of everyday life in the village. There is definitely a rhythm, a music that can be heard in the breath of the tides, in the coming and going of the seasons, in the ancient rituals for funerals, births and marriages. Common to all three novels there is also the importance given to honor, to duty, to respect for the ancestors and for their traditions, for hard work and for the principles of rebirth/reincarnation/ continuity.
Without spoiling the ending, I would mention that karma is a b---ch, and as the villagers are repaid in kind for their acts of piracy. I just wish that innocent lives are not the ones that have to pay the price for the sins of the fathers. In terms of emotional impact, I believe the closest I could come is the Doomsday Book by Connie Willis,
The last image, like the refrain in the song of seasons I mentioned, or like the brush strokes in one of the old Oriental stamps, is not so different from the sound of the waves that is a constant companion in Mishima:
Above the point crows circled in the sky. Little black dots.
More than the cold beauty of the prose, I believe I will remember this story for the young age of the protagonist, painfully aware that even in the third millenium there are too many poverty stricken places in the world where children are growing up much too quickly and are forced to take on the responsibilities of adults. People can be shipwrecked too, on desolate shores beset by draught or hurricanes, abandoned to hunger and to backbreaking work from dawn till dusk.
April 9, 2011
I have not reviewed Akira Yoshimura's Shipwrecks. It felt like I had. Nope, the goodreads page is insisting that I have not. It's blank. What would I have said? (This isn't feelings mabelline. I'm born with the word stutterings. Swear it.) I have conversations in my head. Well, I used to all of the time. I've grown more inward inward and less imagined hopeful outward so the mental conversations aren't me making up whole dialogues of what I wished would be said as much as me talking to me. (If other people do that?) The conversations are going mind wheels turning all through the town. "Come up with something inspiring! Hopeful, maybe." But the ending was hard.
Did anyone else feel pangs of not envy but something else, like not matching up, when Buddy and Seymour's (of Salinger's body) beloved haiku authors didn't need italics? ("Shit, I'd never be able to do that," I said.) I really don't know that much about haiku (what's not to know? It all flowed out of my brain. What can I say? It all flowed out of my brain). I know it is supposed to look easy like anyone who is good at something hard, be it figure skaters or, um, haiku writers. I swear this isn't another I-wish-I-knew-Japanese-translated-talk-review! Real book talk is needed first. I could fill a sea of all my thoughts (that I didn't say, according to goodreads). Crash! (Don't mind the sounds. That's only my relating to ships wrecking.)
Shipwrecks is the medievil Japanese village past brinks of starvation. The better days are still hand to mouth. There are too many mouths. Families that have abled bodies sell them into periods of indentured servitude (women go for longer and fetch considerably less). Young Isaku (he's nine at the start) is defaulted (heavily faulted by mama) head of the family when his father goes away. Mama is a stone cold bitch where her eldest son is concerned (hence the faulting). It sucks to be Isaku. SUCKS. Anyway, the impending slavery and starvation aren't the whole of it. Isaku's job is to keep the fires lit under the salt basins, meaning nights of no sleep. Instead of sirens the ships lured into the treacherous rocks find murder. It's a nasty life. The best they could ever hope for comes with a price tag of murder (and retribution if the sails have the wrong kind of markings). I loved that their crimes were decided for them by ancestors and not locked in on any further impunctions or code. Starvation is starvation and the time to feel guilty is drowned out by the loud rumbles in the tummy. The gods must've wanted them to benefit from O-fune-sama. It really sucked to be Isaku. That being said, the awesomeness about Shipwrecks is the underlying do what has gotta be done first. I loved the suckiness of being Isaku. (Not for nothing did my twin tell me she liked The Hunger Games because it had a similar quality of Shipwrecks.) He had to take care of his family while his father was away. Sadly, no amount of ripping out the brain noodles or intestine noodles was gonna keep that family afloat (yes! shipping puns! I am so awesome). Holy hell. Yoshimura is sneaky. It could have read like retribution for their crimes. Because he's sneaky and kinda awesome, the smallpox that arrives on the next O-fune-sama carries smallpox without message! price tag attached for the reader. It's not different from a small catch during sardine season kinda bad luck. Shit happens, as my mama always said. The conversations in my head start over (and end in circles) that ending of Isaku's dad coming back and the kid is scared into total giving up rather than face him because his whole family is gone. The kid that I lived with like I was listening to him breath, day in and out routines of unceasing work, for that family. Awww. That was awful. I loved it. I loved not having to think about me in the here and now. I was with Isaku back in medievil Japan. Translated into English or no, Yoshimura didn't need any fancy footwork to walk the steps of that life. I admire that sooooo much. It was all so huge to the little boy. You don't need to fake it when everything is that life or death important (coughs I know it's fiction!).
What in the name of all the sirens and horny toads happened in the end? Did Isaku kill himself rather than go to his father without their family? Did he have smallpox too? I'm a little wrecked that all his mental conversations to keep himself going died a violent death on the remains of his family. What am I supposed to do about you now, Isaku?
P.s. The mentions of millet was confusing for me. The treats that my birds are fond of eating?
Did anyone else feel pangs of not envy but something else, like not matching up, when Buddy and Seymour's (of Salinger's body) beloved haiku authors didn't need italics? ("Shit, I'd never be able to do that," I said.) I really don't know that much about haiku (what's not to know? It all flowed out of my brain. What can I say? It all flowed out of my brain). I know it is supposed to look easy like anyone who is good at something hard, be it figure skaters or, um, haiku writers. I swear this isn't another I-wish-I-knew-Japanese-translated-talk-review! Real book talk is needed first. I could fill a sea of all my thoughts (that I didn't say, according to goodreads). Crash! (Don't mind the sounds. That's only my relating to ships wrecking.)
Shipwrecks is the medievil Japanese village past brinks of starvation. The better days are still hand to mouth. There are too many mouths. Families that have abled bodies sell them into periods of indentured servitude (women go for longer and fetch considerably less). Young Isaku (he's nine at the start) is defaulted (heavily faulted by mama) head of the family when his father goes away. Mama is a stone cold bitch where her eldest son is concerned (hence the faulting). It sucks to be Isaku. SUCKS. Anyway, the impending slavery and starvation aren't the whole of it. Isaku's job is to keep the fires lit under the salt basins, meaning nights of no sleep. Instead of sirens the ships lured into the treacherous rocks find murder. It's a nasty life. The best they could ever hope for comes with a price tag of murder (and retribution if the sails have the wrong kind of markings). I loved that their crimes were decided for them by ancestors and not locked in on any further impunctions or code. Starvation is starvation and the time to feel guilty is drowned out by the loud rumbles in the tummy. The gods must've wanted them to benefit from O-fune-sama. It really sucked to be Isaku. That being said, the awesomeness about Shipwrecks is the underlying do what has gotta be done first. I loved the suckiness of being Isaku. (Not for nothing did my twin tell me she liked The Hunger Games because it had a similar quality of Shipwrecks.) He had to take care of his family while his father was away. Sadly, no amount of ripping out the brain noodles or intestine noodles was gonna keep that family afloat (yes! shipping puns! I am so awesome). Holy hell. Yoshimura is sneaky. It could have read like retribution for their crimes. Because he's sneaky and kinda awesome, the smallpox that arrives on the next O-fune-sama carries smallpox without message! price tag attached for the reader. It's not different from a small catch during sardine season kinda bad luck. Shit happens, as my mama always said. The conversations in my head start over (and end in circles) that ending of Isaku's dad coming back and the kid is scared into total giving up rather than face him because his whole family is gone. The kid that I lived with like I was listening to him breath, day in and out routines of unceasing work, for that family. Awww. That was awful. I loved it. I loved not having to think about me in the here and now. I was with Isaku back in medievil Japan. Translated into English or no, Yoshimura didn't need any fancy footwork to walk the steps of that life. I admire that sooooo much. It was all so huge to the little boy. You don't need to fake it when everything is that life or death important (coughs I know it's fiction!).
What in the name of all the sirens and horny toads happened in the end? Did Isaku kill himself rather than go to his father without their family? Did he have smallpox too? I'm a little wrecked that all his mental conversations to keep himself going died a violent death on the remains of his family. What am I supposed to do about you now, Isaku?
P.s. The mentions of millet was confusing for me. The treats that my birds are fond of eating?
January 22, 2009
What a great book! The book itself is very small, but by the time you get to the end you realize that there was a lot to this story. For example, in what is a story set in medieval Japan, you get the following topics that are (imho) apropos in the modern world: how human beings use religion as a tool to cover up their own self interest, and how sometimes evil deeds are performed in the name of self preservation and the mob is drawn into the performance of these deeds without any thought about what they're actually doing.
a brief overview:
Isaku is a small boy living in a village on the ocean that is very poor. Because of the poor fish catch & other hazards of life, Isaku's father sells himself into indentured servitude (as do other men & women of the village) to leave behind food for his family. As he leaves, he tells Isaku to take care of the family and not to let them starve. These are words Isaku does not take lightly. Mom has three other children to take care of, and life in the village is dependent on the fish catch, the octopus catch & making salt to trade in the other villages. Yet, handed down from generations is another method of survival: at night, during the harsh winter season, the cauldrons used to make the salt sit on fires that can be seen out in the ocean; in rough weather, ships seeing the fires naturally head for them. But there is a reef hidden by the sea, and of course, it goes unseen by the ships until it is too late and the ships wreck. So, each year, a bizarre ritual is performed to make the gods happy enough to send a ship their way to be wrecked.
The first part of the story describes life in general in the village, and how even a small drop in the fish to be caught can mean impending disaster & starvation. It is here we meet all of the characters and watch how they interact as a community all with the same destiny in the village. The second part discusses the origins of O-fune-sama, the shipwreck which brings the chance for survival in the harshest of conditions. The third part I won't discuss because it is at the heart of the story.
Reading a book like this, it is inevitable that you, the reader, will begin asking yourself questions. How far would you go to ensure your family's survival? Would you let yourself be swept along in events just because the rest of the group does it, even if you know that what you're doing is wrong?
An awesome read, one that I won't soon forget.
a brief overview:
Isaku is a small boy living in a village on the ocean that is very poor. Because of the poor fish catch & other hazards of life, Isaku's father sells himself into indentured servitude (as do other men & women of the village) to leave behind food for his family. As he leaves, he tells Isaku to take care of the family and not to let them starve. These are words Isaku does not take lightly. Mom has three other children to take care of, and life in the village is dependent on the fish catch, the octopus catch & making salt to trade in the other villages. Yet, handed down from generations is another method of survival: at night, during the harsh winter season, the cauldrons used to make the salt sit on fires that can be seen out in the ocean; in rough weather, ships seeing the fires naturally head for them. But there is a reef hidden by the sea, and of course, it goes unseen by the ships until it is too late and the ships wreck. So, each year, a bizarre ritual is performed to make the gods happy enough to send a ship their way to be wrecked.
The first part of the story describes life in general in the village, and how even a small drop in the fish to be caught can mean impending disaster & starvation. It is here we meet all of the characters and watch how they interact as a community all with the same destiny in the village. The second part discusses the origins of O-fune-sama, the shipwreck which brings the chance for survival in the harshest of conditions. The third part I won't discuss because it is at the heart of the story.
Reading a book like this, it is inevitable that you, the reader, will begin asking yourself questions. How far would you go to ensure your family's survival? Would you let yourself be swept along in events just because the rest of the group does it, even if you know that what you're doing is wrong?
An awesome read, one that I won't soon forget.
November 24, 2020
This is one of the few books I have read this year and I am glad I did. The book shakes you. It takes you back to a time when people lived to the rhythm of the seasons. Poverty means waiting for the shipwreck and hoping for the cargo of a battered ship to fill your children's bellies. Poverty means children growing up all too soon. Yoshimura describes the simple lives of villagers with exactitude...he is a writer to learn from.
April 21, 2020
Un roman sumbru pentru vremuri la fel de sumbre.
December 29, 2009
Not your typical bloated historical fiction. I want to rant about how wonderful this was, and tell you in detail about all the twists, turns and revelations, but that would ruin it for you.
It's a short book. The story pivots around a small impoverished fishing village in medieval Japan, where life is ruled by nature and guided by rather dubious moral codes. Frequently on the verge of death, and isolated from the general populace, villagers cling to sea worship and their ancestors' rules of conduct. Selling family members into servitude is often a necessity, a way to keep away starvation in the years when the sea is ungiving and winters especially cruel. The title Shipwrecks, with their precious cargo, are then considered a blessing and salvaged on spot. Boys at 12 become men, at 15 they are expected to fully step in in their fathers shoes. Life is short. Love bittersweet.
Sharp and to the point, Shipwrecks is a powerful story. Sparseness and austerity of style work (in my opinion) to its advantage. It's both compelling and disturbing at once (there are moments when it gets violent and graphic). But if you're like me, a glutton for punishment, you'll find it fascinating and well worth it.
It's a short book. The story pivots around a small impoverished fishing village in medieval Japan, where life is ruled by nature and guided by rather dubious moral codes. Frequently on the verge of death, and isolated from the general populace, villagers cling to sea worship and their ancestors' rules of conduct. Selling family members into servitude is often a necessity, a way to keep away starvation in the years when the sea is ungiving and winters especially cruel. The title Shipwrecks, with their precious cargo, are then considered a blessing and salvaged on spot. Boys at 12 become men, at 15 they are expected to fully step in in their fathers shoes. Life is short. Love bittersweet.
Sharp and to the point, Shipwrecks is a powerful story. Sparseness and austerity of style work (in my opinion) to its advantage. It's both compelling and disturbing at once (there are moments when it gets violent and graphic). But if you're like me, a glutton for punishment, you'll find it fascinating and well worth it.
July 28, 2022
Dacă ar fi să compar această carte cu alte titluri, m-aș gândi prima dată la Bătrânul și marea, unde găsim același timp parcă dilatat și inițierea unui personaj în tainele pescuitului, folosit ca alegorie. În plus, știți proverbul... Dacă îi dai omului un pește, are ce mânca o dată. Dacă îl înveți să pescuiască, o să aibă ce mânca toată viața. Apoi m-aș gândi la ,,Stârpiți răul de la rădăcină, împușcați copiii", în care am găsit aceeași linie dintre ,,necesar" și ,,imoral" ștearsă de instinctul de supraviețuire și predarea rațiunii către idei primitive. Stilul lui Kenzaburõ Õe este mult mai șocant, puternic și emoționant, dar și Yoshimura a reușit să îmi atragă atenția cu finalul memorabil în care știința pedepsește credința învechită folosită ca pretext pentru egoism și lăcomie și face dreptate cu orice preț. Cred că este o poveste mult mai potrivită pentru cei care caută binele în toți, iartă ușor și se emoționează fie și când doar aud o poveste tristă despre un om pe care nici nu-l cunosc. Eu, în schimb, nu am găsit motive pentru prea multă compasiune, chiar dacă știu că ei nu au avut un punct moral de la care să își dezvolte propria etică și erau forțați de asprimea mediului să facă asta, ci am reușit să dau deoparte pierderea vieților inocente pentru a simți că s-a făcut dreptate. În fond, unde ar ajunge lumea dacă fiecare ar face ce crede că e nevoie pentru a supraviețui?!
,,Naufragii" este o poveste aparent simplă despre oameni la fel de simpli care sunt nevoiți să renunțe la umanitate pentru a supraviețui, însă, dincolo de această simplitate, veți găsi și o poveste nemiloasă despre impactul irevocabil pe care îl poate avea mediul asupra cuiva, despre cruzimea mascată de necesitate și cum nu e loc în lume de care să te poți ascunde de dor. Recenzia aici: https://bit.ly/3PCluk8.
,,Cadavrele erau lăsate în case, pentru că nu aveau timp să pregătească coșciugele. [...]
Cum erau prea puțini oameni disponibili, era imposibil să le ducă la cimitir, așa că li s-a transmis să le ardă pe plajă, iar la urmă să îngroape cenușa în cimitir.
Isaku înfășură trupul lui Kane într-o rogojină și îl scoase afară din casă. Nici mama și nici Isokichi nu erau conștienți, având temperatură mare.
Isaku făcu un rug funerar și așeză trupul lui Kane pe el. Aprinse niște vreascuri și lemnele începură să ardă. Fața lui Kane, care se zărea din rogojină, fu cuprinsă de flăcări, dar lui Isaku nu-i curse nicio lacrimă. De jur împrejur, sătenii făcuseră focuri ici și colo. Cu toții voiau să stârpească prin ardere răul ascuns în cadavre; s-ar fi zis că uitaseră să deplângă moartea celor din familie.
Printre cei morți erau mulți nou-născuți și copii, dar erau deopotrivă și bărbați și femei tinere sau în vârstă. Isaku puse lemne pe foc și cu o nuia de bambus împunse cadavrul lui Kane, ca focul să-l cuprindă mai bine.
Seara adună cele câteva oase și le puse într-o găleată de lemn.
Se întoarse acasă, puse găleata în fața tăbliei funerare a familiei și fripse niște pește.''
,,Naufragii" este o poveste aparent simplă despre oameni la fel de simpli care sunt nevoiți să renunțe la umanitate pentru a supraviețui, însă, dincolo de această simplitate, veți găsi și o poveste nemiloasă despre impactul irevocabil pe care îl poate avea mediul asupra cuiva, despre cruzimea mascată de necesitate și cum nu e loc în lume de care să te poți ascunde de dor. Recenzia aici: https://bit.ly/3PCluk8.
,,Cadavrele erau lăsate în case, pentru că nu aveau timp să pregătească coșciugele. [...]
Cum erau prea puțini oameni disponibili, era imposibil să le ducă la cimitir, așa că li s-a transmis să le ardă pe plajă, iar la urmă să îngroape cenușa în cimitir.
Isaku înfășură trupul lui Kane într-o rogojină și îl scoase afară din casă. Nici mama și nici Isokichi nu erau conștienți, având temperatură mare.
Isaku făcu un rug funerar și așeză trupul lui Kane pe el. Aprinse niște vreascuri și lemnele începură să ardă. Fața lui Kane, care se zărea din rogojină, fu cuprinsă de flăcări, dar lui Isaku nu-i curse nicio lacrimă. De jur împrejur, sătenii făcuseră focuri ici și colo. Cu toții voiau să stârpească prin ardere răul ascuns în cadavre; s-ar fi zis că uitaseră să deplângă moartea celor din familie.
Printre cei morți erau mulți nou-născuți și copii, dar erau deopotrivă și bărbați și femei tinere sau în vârstă. Isaku puse lemne pe foc și cu o nuia de bambus împunse cadavrul lui Kane, ca focul să-l cuprindă mai bine.
Seara adună cele câteva oase și le puse într-o găleată de lemn.
Se întoarse acasă, puse găleata în fața tăbliei funerare a familiei și fripse niște pește.''
September 4, 2016
This story is eerie and a bit like a child in a horror story: the scariest thing you can imagine. Or at least, that I can imagine. In a poor village where life isn't guaranteed, the story follows a little boy, Isaku, and his family's destiny. Survival is tough and the only happy moment is when ships smash on the rocks near their houses and they loot them of everything - including killing the sailors. It is scary and disheartening to think that your life is dependent on the killing of innocent people - but when you grow up like that, you don't question it. The ending is particularly tragic, and I found myself touched, which I rarely am nowadays. The writing is stilistically perfect and I swear the author's dialogue and main character are some of the best I've seen. Definitelly worth the read!
July 12, 2017
3.5 stars
A bit reluctant to buy it from a secondhand bookshop called Shaman next to Khaosarn Road in Bangkok, I was not sure if I could finish reading this novel by Akira Yoshimura because I’ve never read him before. However, from its fine translation by Mark Ealey, I found reading it relatively readable from its eight chapters depicting a central protagonist named Isaku and the curse-like fate that follows. This synopsis should suffice as its background:
Isaku is a nine-year-old boy living in a remote fishing village on the coast of Japan. To survive, his people distill salt to sell to neighboring villagers. But this industry serves a more sinister purpose as well: the fires of the salt caldrons lure passing ships onto rocky shoals. When a ship runs aground, the villagers slaughter the crew and loot its cargo for rice, wine, and other goods. One day a ship founders onto the rocks – but Isaku learns that its cargo is far deadlier than ever could be imagined. … (back cover)
Right from Chapter 1, the romanized Japanese word in this dialog has irritatingly puzzled me.
As was the custom, when the autumn colors arrived the whole village took part in a ceremony that mystified Isaku. He asked a boy his age named Sahei what it was about.
“You don’t know?” Sahei said, looking at him contemptuously.
Feeling ashamed, Isaku asked his mother when he got home.
“O-fune-sama,” she replied.
Isaku looked perplexed.
“Look, that bowl there, that’s from O-fune-sama,” his mother said with obvious irritation as she glanced toward the shelf. (p. 11)
However, I presume it’s a kind of spine-thrilling ceremony designed and action taken to acquire their particular purpose in which they can’t escape being doomed as sinners. How? That’s happened around the middle of the story. (to verify)
To continue …
A bit reluctant to buy it from a secondhand bookshop called Shaman next to Khaosarn Road in Bangkok, I was not sure if I could finish reading this novel by Akira Yoshimura because I’ve never read him before. However, from its fine translation by Mark Ealey, I found reading it relatively readable from its eight chapters depicting a central protagonist named Isaku and the curse-like fate that follows. This synopsis should suffice as its background:
Isaku is a nine-year-old boy living in a remote fishing village on the coast of Japan. To survive, his people distill salt to sell to neighboring villagers. But this industry serves a more sinister purpose as well: the fires of the salt caldrons lure passing ships onto rocky shoals. When a ship runs aground, the villagers slaughter the crew and loot its cargo for rice, wine, and other goods. One day a ship founders onto the rocks – but Isaku learns that its cargo is far deadlier than ever could be imagined. … (back cover)
Right from Chapter 1, the romanized Japanese word in this dialog has irritatingly puzzled me.
As was the custom, when the autumn colors arrived the whole village took part in a ceremony that mystified Isaku. He asked a boy his age named Sahei what it was about.
“You don’t know?” Sahei said, looking at him contemptuously.
Feeling ashamed, Isaku asked his mother when he got home.
“O-fune-sama,” she replied.
Isaku looked perplexed.
“Look, that bowl there, that’s from O-fune-sama,” his mother said with obvious irritation as she glanced toward the shelf. (p. 11)
However, I presume it’s a kind of spine-thrilling ceremony designed and action taken to acquire their particular purpose in which they can’t escape being doomed as sinners. How? That’s happened around the middle of the story. (to verify)
To continue …
August 9, 2019
داستانی به غایت ناتورالیستی و سیاه از ژاپن.
داستان روستایی محصور در محیطی خشن و بیرحم، که همه جوانب زندگی مردمانش تحت تأثير شرایط محیطی دشوار آن قرار دارد.
داستان درباره ی روستاییانی ست که معیشت آن ها تنها به ماهیگیری از دریای خشن و ناآرام وابسته است. از آنجا که غذا کم پیدا می شود و افراد زیادی از گرسنگی می ميرند، بسیاری از مردمان روستا مجبورند خود را به بردگی بفروشند تا با پول آن، بقیه ی افراد خانواده زنده بمانند.
در این بین تنها راه خلاصی روستا از چنگال شوم طبیعت، این است که مردم در شب های توفانی زمستان در ساحل آتش روشن کنند و کشتی های توفان زده را به ساحل کشانده و مال التجاره آن ها (که اکثرا برنج است) را به يغما ببرند؛
هدیه ای از جانب خدایان که بدست طبیعت به آن ارزانی داده می شد.
داستان بشدت بر تأثیر خرد کننده و مقاومت ناپذیر نیروهای طبیعت بر جزءجزء جنبه های زندگی مردمان تأکید کرده، و انسان را موجودی بی دفاع در برابر ناملایمتی های آن ها نشان داده است.
داستان پرداختی گیرا دارد و در جاهایی بشدت نفسگیر می شد؛ خواننده هم از ناملایمتی طبیعت به تنگ می آید و بی صبرانه به گل نشستن کشتی ای را به انتظار می نشیند، و با حرص و طمع غارت کشتي و کشتن خدمه اش را تماشا می کند.
داستان روستایی محصور در محیطی خشن و بیرحم، که همه جوانب زندگی مردمانش تحت تأثير شرایط محیطی دشوار آن قرار دارد.
داستان درباره ی روستاییانی ست که معیشت آن ها تنها به ماهیگیری از دریای خشن و ناآرام وابسته است. از آنجا که غذا کم پیدا می شود و افراد زیادی از گرسنگی می ميرند، بسیاری از مردمان روستا مجبورند خود را به بردگی بفروشند تا با پول آن، بقیه ی افراد خانواده زنده بمانند.
در این بین تنها راه خلاصی روستا از چنگال شوم طبیعت، این است که مردم در شب های توفانی زمستان در ساحل آتش روشن کنند و کشتی های توفان زده را به ساحل کشانده و مال التجاره آن ها (که اکثرا برنج است) را به يغما ببرند؛
هدیه ای از جانب خدایان که بدست طبیعت به آن ارزانی داده می شد.
داستان بشدت بر تأثیر خرد کننده و مقاومت ناپذیر نیروهای طبیعت بر جزءجزء جنبه های زندگی مردمان تأکید کرده، و انسان را موجودی بی دفاع در برابر ناملایمتی های آن ها نشان داده است.
داستان پرداختی گیرا دارد و در جاهایی بشدت نفسگیر می شد؛ خواننده هم از ناملایمتی طبیعت به تنگ می آید و بی صبرانه به گل نشستن کشتی ای را به انتظار می نشیند، و با حرص و طمع غارت کشتي و کشتن خدمه اش را تماشا می کند.
March 28, 2020
Life sucks - except for those brief moments where you get to murder ship-crews - and then you die of smallpox.
July 27, 2015
This is a strange little book about a youth - almost a man - growing up in a marginal coastal village in nowheresville Japan. The people are so poor that it is common to sell themselves as servants for a fixed period, in this way their families can avoid starvation.
The village has next to no useful crop land so everything is harvested from the forests and especially the sea. The harvest includes shipwrecks which are lured onto the rocks by the villages. A shipwreck is a rare event but when it does happen there is a great bounty to be had. Chillingly if any crew members survive the shipwreck they are dispatched by the villagers so there are no witnesses to their crime.
Then a mysterious ship is grounded on the rocks, with the crew and passengers already dead. Ominous.
The village has next to no useful crop land so everything is harvested from the forests and especially the sea. The harvest includes shipwrecks which are lured onto the rocks by the villages. A shipwreck is a rare event but when it does happen there is a great bounty to be had. Chillingly if any crew members survive the shipwreck they are dispatched by the villagers so there are no witnesses to their crime.
Then a mysterious ship is grounded on the rocks, with the crew and passengers already dead. Ominous.
November 3, 2014
My God, this is flat. There's no subtext. What I mean to say is that in the books I like, really like, there's an overarching resonance. The writing can be sonorous with what's left unsaid. I can't find that here, which makes for a very one-dimensional story.
April 24, 2023
Shipwrecks [1982/96] – ★★★★★
Yoshimura’s observational novel is fascinating and subtly powerful, uncovering a different way of looking at life.
Shipwrecks is a short novel translated from the Japanese by Mark Ealey. It tells the story of one village in rural medieval Japan, following one boy Isaku, as his family struggles to get food essential for their survival. The village has numerous rituals, but one is particularly eerie: the village does everything it can to summon O–Fune-Sama (the Sea God) or shipwrecks to their coast. This phenomenon is often essential for the survival of the village (since ships carry the necessary food and other commodities), and Isaku and his family are always eagerly awaiting the season when O-Fune-Sama or shipwrecks occur. One day, such a ship does come to the shore where Isaku lives, but will it be a blessing or curse for the village? Those who like books with discernible plot points and fast-paced action should look elsewhere. Shipwrecks by Yoshimura is rather slow and contemplative as it follows day-to-day activities of one village that has one strange, but understandable desire.
The plot is simple, but realistic, and the main character here is the village itself and only then Isaku. Isaku is a mere boy, but he has to grow up fast and become a provider to his family because his father sold himself to indebted servitude to feed his family. The story then follows the usual activities of Isaku as he goes fishing with his younger brother, thinking about girl Tami, hoping that one day he will be able to marry her. Isaku has trouble catching the saury and hopes that his cousin will show him the ropes. This all sounds uneventful, but the story is quietly beautiful and has much meaning. The changing seasons in the village bring to mind beautiful woodblock prints of Japan’s long-forgotten era, and the descriptions of the village’s rituals both fascinate and unsettle. The village of Isaku is, indeed, steeped in superstition, and it is fascinating to get to know the psychology of its people as they try to survive in the harsh environment, including by following strange rituals. The story shows the time when villagers measured time by natural phenomena, be it the arrival of the octopus to their shores or the reddening of the leaves. They also say “Hour of the Ox” (2 a.m.) or “Hour of the Tiger” (4 a.m.) to refer to some points in time, and spent time thinking about the sea produce and the change in the nature’s clock, “after the sardines, squid began to appear” [Yoshimura/Ealey 1982/96: 37].
However, the “stillness” and “calmness” of the village’s life and the narrative itself are deceiving. The people in the village battle everyday to stay alive and the food is scarce. The people live in the environment where death from some disease, fall or starvation is just around the corner. There are camouflaged dangers in existence, and it is interesting to read what actions the villagers take to survive. One such action involves burning fires under cauldrons nears the shore to summon O–Fune-Sama or induce a shipwreck. If a ship in distress during bad weather sees some light on the shore, they may think it is houses and take its direction towards the coast only to be wrecked on the reefs. This way the villagers will have their bounty and no one will starve during years to come.
It is impossible to overemphasise the desire for O-Fune-Sama or shipwrecks by the villagers: “the lives of the villagers hinged on the coming of O-Fune-Sama” [Yoshimura/Ealey 1982/96: 23]; “If O-Fune-Sama did not grace their shores soon, there would likely be a flood of people leaving to go into bondage” [1982/96: 58]; “O-Fune-Sama was nothing less than deliverance from the fear of starvation” [1982/96: 73]. As time passes, Isaku and his family become more and more desperate for O-Fune-Sama to occur, and a powerful image emerges of a village in crisis. At this point, the author also demonstrates that morality is relative for these people. The villagers wish for the disaster befalling others in order to survive, but what other choice do they have? In that way, the novel is also thought-provoking. Near the end of the novel, the long-awaited ship does come, but is it really what everyone has been looking forward to?
🚢 Shipwrecks is one of a kind novel with its emphasis on the description over the action. It is also a novel to be savoured and not rushed. It presents realistically an interesting world of one village that is desperately wanting to survive by wishing danger befalling others. In this way, the novel uncovers interestingly the psychology of a superstitious village in distress, offering a fascinating insight.
Yoshimura’s observational novel is fascinating and subtly powerful, uncovering a different way of looking at life.
Shipwrecks is a short novel translated from the Japanese by Mark Ealey. It tells the story of one village in rural medieval Japan, following one boy Isaku, as his family struggles to get food essential for their survival. The village has numerous rituals, but one is particularly eerie: the village does everything it can to summon O–Fune-Sama (the Sea God) or shipwrecks to their coast. This phenomenon is often essential for the survival of the village (since ships carry the necessary food and other commodities), and Isaku and his family are always eagerly awaiting the season when O-Fune-Sama or shipwrecks occur. One day, such a ship does come to the shore where Isaku lives, but will it be a blessing or curse for the village? Those who like books with discernible plot points and fast-paced action should look elsewhere. Shipwrecks by Yoshimura is rather slow and contemplative as it follows day-to-day activities of one village that has one strange, but understandable desire.
The plot is simple, but realistic, and the main character here is the village itself and only then Isaku. Isaku is a mere boy, but he has to grow up fast and become a provider to his family because his father sold himself to indebted servitude to feed his family. The story then follows the usual activities of Isaku as he goes fishing with his younger brother, thinking about girl Tami, hoping that one day he will be able to marry her. Isaku has trouble catching the saury and hopes that his cousin will show him the ropes. This all sounds uneventful, but the story is quietly beautiful and has much meaning. The changing seasons in the village bring to mind beautiful woodblock prints of Japan’s long-forgotten era, and the descriptions of the village’s rituals both fascinate and unsettle. The village of Isaku is, indeed, steeped in superstition, and it is fascinating to get to know the psychology of its people as they try to survive in the harsh environment, including by following strange rituals. The story shows the time when villagers measured time by natural phenomena, be it the arrival of the octopus to their shores or the reddening of the leaves. They also say “Hour of the Ox” (2 a.m.) or “Hour of the Tiger” (4 a.m.) to refer to some points in time, and spent time thinking about the sea produce and the change in the nature’s clock, “after the sardines, squid began to appear” [Yoshimura/Ealey 1982/96: 37].
However, the “stillness” and “calmness” of the village’s life and the narrative itself are deceiving. The people in the village battle everyday to stay alive and the food is scarce. The people live in the environment where death from some disease, fall or starvation is just around the corner. There are camouflaged dangers in existence, and it is interesting to read what actions the villagers take to survive. One such action involves burning fires under cauldrons nears the shore to summon O–Fune-Sama or induce a shipwreck. If a ship in distress during bad weather sees some light on the shore, they may think it is houses and take its direction towards the coast only to be wrecked on the reefs. This way the villagers will have their bounty and no one will starve during years to come.
It is impossible to overemphasise the desire for O-Fune-Sama or shipwrecks by the villagers: “the lives of the villagers hinged on the coming of O-Fune-Sama” [Yoshimura/Ealey 1982/96: 23]; “If O-Fune-Sama did not grace their shores soon, there would likely be a flood of people leaving to go into bondage” [1982/96: 58]; “O-Fune-Sama was nothing less than deliverance from the fear of starvation” [1982/96: 73]. As time passes, Isaku and his family become more and more desperate for O-Fune-Sama to occur, and a powerful image emerges of a village in crisis. At this point, the author also demonstrates that morality is relative for these people. The villagers wish for the disaster befalling others in order to survive, but what other choice do they have? In that way, the novel is also thought-provoking. Near the end of the novel, the long-awaited ship does come, but is it really what everyone has been looking forward to?
🚢 Shipwrecks is one of a kind novel with its emphasis on the description over the action. It is also a novel to be savoured and not rushed. It presents realistically an interesting world of one village that is desperately wanting to survive by wishing danger befalling others. In this way, the novel uncovers interestingly the psychology of a superstitious village in distress, offering a fascinating insight.
May 7, 2025
This is a haunting, atmospheric exploration of survival and struggle in an isolated fishing village in historical Japan. Yoshimura's prose is stark yet evocative, capturing both the stillness and the brutality of life by the sea. I found it quietly gripping.
January 30, 2019
I admired this book more than enjoyed it. Like the slow progression of seasons, it evokes the agonizing struggle of Isaku, a nine-year-old boy in a remote fishing village, to simply survive. The book is as stark as a Japanese still life and as brutal as life in the wild.
Most of the cover copy has nothing to do with the reality of the book or story. It is not a “thrilling tale of murder and retribution.” Nor is it a “powerful Gothic tale of the mysteries and horrors of fate.” I doubt that the copywriter who wrote that ever read the book.
Shipwrecks was my book club’s pick and probably I would not have chosen it on my own. But I’m glad to have read it.
Most of the cover copy has nothing to do with the reality of the book or story. It is not a “thrilling tale of murder and retribution.” Nor is it a “powerful Gothic tale of the mysteries and horrors of fate.” I doubt that the copywriter who wrote that ever read the book.
Shipwrecks was my book club’s pick and probably I would not have chosen it on my own. But I’m glad to have read it.
November 7, 2012
Mishima's "The Sound of Waves" and Oe's "Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids", but with a love affair that goes no further than an exchange of gifts. I loved this perhaps the most. No one would ever know how Isaku felt about Tami. And she would be the love of his life. Isn't that adorable? Why doesn't anyone do that anymore? Nowadays, he'd probaby have a #photo of his "Tami" #tattoo on @Twitter
I also loved that everyone in this book is like me; the kind of person who wakes up thinking "Yay! Friday!" and then, in the shower, "...but that means we're getting closer to Monday....FML"
I also loved that everyone in this book is like me; the kind of person who wakes up thinking "Yay! Friday!" and then, in the shower, "...but that means we're getting closer to Monday....
November 6, 2018
Having gotten used to Yoshimura's documentary style of writing from "One Man's Journey", I rather enjoyed this tale of survival and morality. Like OMJ, parts of it felt rather like non-fiction, as if watching a Discovery channel programme, except in print. Curiously, the outwardly bland prose instead of turning me off, allowed me to become slowly immersed in the trials and tribulations of this backward village in Japan way back when (many in the village hadn't even seen a real horse before), as they prayed fervently and apprehensively for the arrival (or not) of their bonanza from the gods of the sea, with its far-reaching consequences.
January 18, 2008
A wonderful read: an isolated seaside village in medieval Japan which relies on the booty from shipwrecks to sustain themselves, and so lures unsuspecting ships to their dangerous shores. Nicely written, a fascinating account of village and family life and customs. Sounds anthropological I realize, but it's a novel and a good one.
September 14, 2020
In this day of revised occluded and perverted history - this book will sure get you into the real. It's so immensely tragic that it might not be for most, IMHO. Real starvation and culture of the long history homo sapiens here. Japanese peasant island coastal tribe brand style. Seems to be in the years of the mast ships.
The writing is clear classic. Kind of reminds me of The Pearl in spots. Also The Good Earth in others. Here they are selling themselves into bondage.
Snowflakes will not get by the first 100 pages of this one.
It sure makes you think about the karma of their religious wishes. Or the reasoning to murder in their deeds.
The writing is clear classic. Kind of reminds me of The Pearl in spots. Also The Good Earth in others. Here they are selling themselves into bondage.
Snowflakes will not get by the first 100 pages of this one.
It sure makes you think about the karma of their religious wishes. Or the reasoning to murder in their deeds.
January 31, 2021
4.25|5
This book broke my fucking heart
This book broke my fucking heart
April 9, 2020
Enjoyable read, excellent visuals.
Fresh writing style by Yoshimura, doesn't compare to any of his fellow Japanese writers.
First half was a little non-personal, i figured it is the author's intention to show more of a bird's eye view of the village and its struggles for survival. The true characters were the village, the wind, the sea and the passing ships. He even described looters' boats as hordes of ants around a caterpillar.
Second half was a different treat with more events, drama and thrill.
Few spotted weaknesses: first, the community accepting "fair" proportions of food didn't seem human. i would expect the evil side of humans to turn against the fair system, more of survival of the fittest. Second, a village with a sea rich in fish, squids and octopus can't be threatened by starvation, and would have more than salt to barter with.
Fresh writing style by Yoshimura, doesn't compare to any of his fellow Japanese writers.
First half was a little non-personal, i figured it is the author's intention to show more of a bird's eye view of the village and its struggles for survival. The true characters were the village, the wind, the sea and the passing ships. He even described looters' boats as hordes of ants around a caterpillar.
Second half was a different treat with more events, drama and thrill.
Few spotted weaknesses: first, the community accepting "fair" proportions of food didn't seem human. i would expect the evil side of humans to turn against the fair system, more of survival of the fittest. Second, a village with a sea rich in fish, squids and octopus can't be threatened by starvation, and would have more than salt to barter with.
January 11, 2023
A bleak but beautiful book rooted in the seasonal changes of a medieval coastal village in Japan. Facing the whims of the sea, which could bring a plentiful catch one year and starvation the next, the villagers pray for the ultimate bounty: a shipwreck.
The book is slow paced but not without drama as it progresses through the daily tasks of the village, focusing on a youngster, Isaku, who takes on the mantle of responsibility after his father sells himself into indentured servitude for three years. It was either that, or starvation. Isaku struggles to provide for his mother and three younger siblings, hoping to have his father return home to an intact, healthy family.
Drama slowly builds throughout the tale, and it's clear that tragedy is waiting in the wings. When it strikes, the outcome is even more anguishing than I was prepared for.
As I read, I reflected on those who deplore the decadence modern life, which is certainly not without its dangers and hardships, but is indisputably less harsh for the bulk of mankind. Nothing brought that home clearer than the scene in which Isaku's siblings experience their first rapturous taste of an unknown luxury -- rice.
The book is slow paced but not without drama as it progresses through the daily tasks of the village, focusing on a youngster, Isaku, who takes on the mantle of responsibility after his father sells himself into indentured servitude for three years. It was either that, or starvation. Isaku struggles to provide for his mother and three younger siblings, hoping to have his father return home to an intact, healthy family.
Drama slowly builds throughout the tale, and it's clear that tragedy is waiting in the wings. When it strikes, the outcome is even more anguishing than I was prepared for.
As I read, I reflected on those who deplore the decadence modern life, which is certainly not without its dangers and hardships, but is indisputably less harsh for the bulk of mankind. Nothing brought that home clearer than the scene in which Isaku's siblings experience their first rapturous taste of an unknown luxury -- rice.
August 30, 2009
This is how I started a review of a Japanese film I enjoyed: Dark depressing, slight hope, darker and more depressing, hope again, cruel fate, roll credits. That's pretty standard format for Japanese film; and Japanese literature is much the same, but without the credits.
Shipwrecks is set in medieval Japan, a family in an impoverished fishing hamlet whose father had to sell himself away into a three year stint of indentured servitude for the family's survival. Upon leaving he asks his hardworking wife not to let their three children starve. The main character is eldest child Isaku who thus becomes man of the household at age nine.
Yoshimura's writing is masterful, I loved reading Isaku's poignant description of life after death. I loved the spooky way these villagers distill salt in giant cauldrons on the shore all night long, in hopes of luring passing ships to run aground so they can then help themselves to the cargo. And then when the village suffers retribution I loved the painful horror of that too.
Shipwrecks is set in medieval Japan, a family in an impoverished fishing hamlet whose father had to sell himself away into a three year stint of indentured servitude for the family's survival. Upon leaving he asks his hardworking wife not to let their three children starve. The main character is eldest child Isaku who thus becomes man of the household at age nine.
Yoshimura's writing is masterful, I loved reading Isaku's poignant description of life after death. I loved the spooky way these villagers distill salt in giant cauldrons on the shore all night long, in hopes of luring passing ships to run aground so they can then help themselves to the cargo. And then when the village suffers retribution I loved the painful horror of that too.
November 4, 2024
This is one dark, bleak book. And I read a lot of dark, bleak books.
Shipwrecks is a story about the frailty of humans when resources are scarce. Set in a coastal and isolated Japanese village, this story exposes the raw vulnerability of self-sustainded living in the pre-industrial era. The horrors of starvation and food rationing are infused into every page. Familial ties are constantly tested, as some children die while others need to work the fishing boats. Adults leave their families for years of indentured servitude, hoping that they'll return in time to save some of their kin from starvation.
This reminded me of some other harrowing books that I read this year: The Terror by Dan Simmons and The Indifferent Stars Above (the tale of the Donner party). I recommend these books if you "enjoyed" Shipwrecks.
And I recommend Shipwrecks if you enjoyed those books, or just beautiful slow burn prose about terrible topics, and harrowing horrific scenes of human misery that will remain seared into your brain. 4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
Shipwrecks is a story about the frailty of humans when resources are scarce. Set in a coastal and isolated Japanese village, this story exposes the raw vulnerability of self-sustainded living in the pre-industrial era. The horrors of starvation and food rationing are infused into every page. Familial ties are constantly tested, as some children die while others need to work the fishing boats. Adults leave their families for years of indentured servitude, hoping that they'll return in time to save some of their kin from starvation.
This reminded me of some other harrowing books that I read this year: The Terror by Dan Simmons and The Indifferent Stars Above (the tale of the Donner party). I recommend these books if you "enjoyed" Shipwrecks.
And I recommend Shipwrecks if you enjoyed those books, or just beautiful slow burn prose about terrible topics, and harrowing horrific scenes of human misery that will remain seared into your brain. 4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
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