What do you think?
Rate this book
The Twilight World
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.
The great filmmaker Werner Herzog, in his first novel, tells the incredible story of Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who defended a small island in the Philippines for twenty-nine years after the end of World War II
In 1997, Werner Herzog was in Tokyo to direct an opera. His hosts asked him, Whom would you like to meet? He replied instantly: Hiroo Onoda. Onoda was a former solider famous for having quixotically defended an island in the Philippines for decades after World War II, unaware the fighting was over. Herzog and Onoda developed an instant rapport and would meet many times, talking for hours and together unraveling the story of Onoda's long war.
At the end of 1944, on Lubang Island in the Philippines, with Japanese troops about to withdraw, Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda was given orders by his superior officer: Hold the island until the Imperial army's return. You are to defend its territory by guerrilla tactics, at all costs. . . . There is only one rule. You are forbidden to die by your own hand. In the event of your capture by the enemy, you are to give them all the misleading information you can. So began Onoda's long campaign, during which he became fluent in the hidden language of the jungle. Soon weeks turned into months, months into years, and years into decades--until eventually time itself seemed to melt away. All the while Onoda continued to fight his fictitious war, at once surreal and tragic, at first with other soldiers, and then, finally, alone, a character in a novel of his own making.
In The Twilight World, Herzog immortalizes and imagines Onoda's years of absurd yet epic struggle in an inimitable, hypnotic style--part documentary, part poem, and part dream--that will be instantly recognizable to fans of his films. The result is a novel completely unto itself, a sort of modern-day Robinson Crusoe tale: a glowing, dancing meditation on the purpose and meaning we give our lives.
The great filmmaker Werner Herzog, in his first novel, tells the incredible story of Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who defended a small island in the Philippines for twenty-nine years after the end of World War II
In 1997, Werner Herzog was in Tokyo to direct an opera. His hosts asked him, Whom would you like to meet? He replied instantly: Hiroo Onoda. Onoda was a former solider famous for having quixotically defended an island in the Philippines for decades after World War II, unaware the fighting was over. Herzog and Onoda developed an instant rapport and would meet many times, talking for hours and together unraveling the story of Onoda's long war.
At the end of 1944, on Lubang Island in the Philippines, with Japanese troops about to withdraw, Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda was given orders by his superior officer: Hold the island until the Imperial army's return. You are to defend its territory by guerrilla tactics, at all costs. . . . There is only one rule. You are forbidden to die by your own hand. In the event of your capture by the enemy, you are to give them all the misleading information you can. So began Onoda's long campaign, during which he became fluent in the hidden language of the jungle. Soon weeks turned into months, months into years, and years into decades--until eventually time itself seemed to melt away. All the while Onoda continued to fight his fictitious war, at once surreal and tragic, at first with other soldiers, and then, finally, alone, a character in a novel of his own making.
In The Twilight World, Herzog immortalizes and imagines Onoda's years of absurd yet epic struggle in an inimitable, hypnotic style--part documentary, part poem, and part dream--that will be instantly recognizable to fans of his films. The result is a novel completely unto itself, a sort of modern-day Robinson Crusoe tale: a glowing, dancing meditation on the purpose and meaning we give our lives.
132 pages, Hardcover
First published August 23, 2021
315 people are currently reading
10246 people want to read
About the author
Werner Herzog
59 books913 followersWerner Herzog (born Werner Stipetić) is a German film director, screenwriter, actor, and opera director.
He is often associated with the German New Wave movement (also called New German Cinema), along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Wim Wenders and others. His films often feature heroes with impossible dreams, or people with unique talents in obscure fields.
He is often associated with the German New Wave movement (also called New German Cinema), along with Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Volker Schlöndorff, Wim Wenders and others. His films often feature heroes with impossible dreams, or people with unique talents in obscure fields.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 997 reviews
July 11, 2022
Have you ever heard the name Hiroo Onoda? This is a fictionalized story based on Onoda’s 29 years of hiding in the mountainous jungle on Lubang Island in the Philippines, thinking that Japan was still fighting WW II. Onoda and five men were left behind by retreating Japanese forces in 1944.
Spoilers follow:
Of the five men under Onoda’s command some shortly fled but two remained with him. One surrendered after five years but the second was his comrade for many years until shot in an ambush by Filipino soldiers.
So this short book is really an action-adventure story of how these men, and eventually, Onoda by himself, survived in the jungle for 29 years. It's an amazing feat given that this is a small island (smaller than either Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket). Settlements surround the edge of the island and Filipino soldiers knew they were out there. Many times the Filipino soldiers dropped leaflets or flew over the jungle with loudspeakers announcing an amnesty for the Japanese men. But not only did Onoda refuse to believe that Japan had lost, he also knew that since he and his men had killed villagers over the years during their raids for food, he was skeptical about accepting these offers that ‘all was forgiven.’
Their belief that the war was still on is confirmed by flights of American airplanes for long periods of times over various years – the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
They survived on stolen food from outlying villagers. Often they would fire shots to scare everyone away, and they would go in and steal rice and other staples. They also killed farm animals and smoked the meat to preserve it, but they could only have fires during the rainy season or in dense fog because otherwise the smoke would give away their location.
The men were constantly on the move, building and abandoning crude huts. Every sign of civilization that blew in - a newspaper, a pornographic magazine, a piece of chocolate bar – was assumed to be a trap. Sometimes they were right, because the last man, his last comrade, was shot in an ambush by Filipino soldiers.
Eventually in 1974 a Japanese student camped out in woods on the island until he lured Onoda out and earned his confidence. The student returned with Onoda’s former commanding officer -now an ancient man - who ordered him to surrender.
This amnesty was granted by the Philippine dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, largely because there was good publicity in it. Many pictures were taken and the surrender of Onoda’s sword was re-enacted with Marcos for the benefit of TV cameras. Marcos said that Onoda should be judged by standards of actions during wartime, so I guess everything he and his men did was okay, even though they at times shot and killed innocent villagers.
So all was forgiven and Onoda became a Japanese celebrity, eventually marrying and moving to Brazil where his brother owned a farm. Onoda, 22 years old when he began his jungle sojourn, was 51 when he surrendered. He was 92 when he died in 2014.
As an action-adventure story I would give this book a ‘4.’ It’s a survivalist story with all the fascination of Robinson Crusoe. However the beginning and ending of the book seemed hastily thrown together and the story never really touches on Onoda's feelings about all this in any depth.
The strongest impression that comes across is the sense of a time warp – what is past, present or future in 29 years in the jungle constantly on the alert and hiding out? Just one example of how these feelings are lacking is shown in a single sentence related to the villagers that were killed. All that Herzog has to say about that is: “But the matter of those he had killed among the population never quite went away.” We learn nothing about what the real or even the fictional Onoda thinks of the matter. So, I rounded my rating down to a ‘3.’
The author of this book, Werner Herzog (b. 1942), is a German film maker. This may be his first novel. All his other books seem to be autobiographical stories related to his filmmaking. The author befriended Onoda on a trip to Japan and interviewed him about his time in the jungle, although again, he states that this book is a fictionalized story based in reality.
Top photo of Onoda from historydaily.org
Map of Lubang Island from moken.ca
Onoda in his later years from miro.medium.com
Spoilers follow:
Of the five men under Onoda’s command some shortly fled but two remained with him. One surrendered after five years but the second was his comrade for many years until shot in an ambush by Filipino soldiers.
So this short book is really an action-adventure story of how these men, and eventually, Onoda by himself, survived in the jungle for 29 years. It's an amazing feat given that this is a small island (smaller than either Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket). Settlements surround the edge of the island and Filipino soldiers knew they were out there. Many times the Filipino soldiers dropped leaflets or flew over the jungle with loudspeakers announcing an amnesty for the Japanese men. But not only did Onoda refuse to believe that Japan had lost, he also knew that since he and his men had killed villagers over the years during their raids for food, he was skeptical about accepting these offers that ‘all was forgiven.’
Their belief that the war was still on is confirmed by flights of American airplanes for long periods of times over various years – the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
They survived on stolen food from outlying villagers. Often they would fire shots to scare everyone away, and they would go in and steal rice and other staples. They also killed farm animals and smoked the meat to preserve it, but they could only have fires during the rainy season or in dense fog because otherwise the smoke would give away their location.
The men were constantly on the move, building and abandoning crude huts. Every sign of civilization that blew in - a newspaper, a pornographic magazine, a piece of chocolate bar – was assumed to be a trap. Sometimes they were right, because the last man, his last comrade, was shot in an ambush by Filipino soldiers.
Eventually in 1974 a Japanese student camped out in woods on the island until he lured Onoda out and earned his confidence. The student returned with Onoda’s former commanding officer -now an ancient man - who ordered him to surrender.
This amnesty was granted by the Philippine dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, largely because there was good publicity in it. Many pictures were taken and the surrender of Onoda’s sword was re-enacted with Marcos for the benefit of TV cameras. Marcos said that Onoda should be judged by standards of actions during wartime, so I guess everything he and his men did was okay, even though they at times shot and killed innocent villagers.
So all was forgiven and Onoda became a Japanese celebrity, eventually marrying and moving to Brazil where his brother owned a farm. Onoda, 22 years old when he began his jungle sojourn, was 51 when he surrendered. He was 92 when he died in 2014.
As an action-adventure story I would give this book a ‘4.’ It’s a survivalist story with all the fascination of Robinson Crusoe. However the beginning and ending of the book seemed hastily thrown together and the story never really touches on Onoda's feelings about all this in any depth.
The strongest impression that comes across is the sense of a time warp – what is past, present or future in 29 years in the jungle constantly on the alert and hiding out? Just one example of how these feelings are lacking is shown in a single sentence related to the villagers that were killed. All that Herzog has to say about that is: “But the matter of those he had killed among the population never quite went away.” We learn nothing about what the real or even the fictional Onoda thinks of the matter. So, I rounded my rating down to a ‘3.’
The author of this book, Werner Herzog (b. 1942), is a German film maker. This may be his first novel. All his other books seem to be autobiographical stories related to his filmmaking. The author befriended Onoda on a trip to Japan and interviewed him about his time in the jungle, although again, he states that this book is a fictionalized story based in reality.
Top photo of Onoda from historydaily.org
Map of Lubang Island from moken.ca
Onoda in his later years from miro.medium.com
July 3, 2022
Werner Herzog feels like kin to me. It feels like I have known him from childhood. I get an "i know exactly what you mean" feeling whenever I watch one of this films. This gloriously strange little book, a biography-adjacent, not-quite-true exploration of the life of Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese soldier who defended a small island in the Philippines for twenty-nine years after the end of World War II, made me feel understood. Wacky and indefensible, as feelings go, but even so.
Michael Hofmann's translation is marvelous. I love the way he consistently chooses words like "the gloaming" in his translations, instead of "dusk," or even "twilight," for that matter. His translations are precisely beautiful.
I was transported by Werner Herzog's narration of his own book in English, and recommend the audiobook.
If you love this book you are my people.
Michael Hofmann's translation is marvelous. I love the way he consistently chooses words like "the gloaming" in his translations, instead of "dusk," or even "twilight," for that matter. His translations are precisely beautiful.
I was transported by Werner Herzog's narration of his own book in English, and recommend the audiobook.
If you love this book you are my people.
September 7, 2024
There’s an independent bookshop in the town nearest to where I live. I like to support it and picked this book up on my last visit. It’s not one I would have sought out, but it turned out to be a good choice for me.
“Most details are factually correct; some are not. What was important to the author was something other than accuracy, some essence he thought he glimpsed when he encountered the protagonist of this story.”
The above quote opens the book, which is a partly fictionalized version of the almost 30 years spent in the Philippines jungle by the Japanese soldier Lt. Hiroo Onoda. When the Japanese Army evacuated the island of Lubang in December 1944, Lt. Onoda was ordered to stay behind and conduct guerrilla warfare until the Japanese returned and reoccupied the island. He obeyed his orders until March 1974, and only surrendered then because he was personally ordered to do so by his former commanding officer, Major Taniguchi, who was by then aged 88.
This is a short novel of just 132 pages, and I raced through it in just a few hours. The blurb uses descriptions like “fever dream” and “hallucinatory”, but the re-telling seemed fairly straightforward to me. Towards the end Onoda’s prolonged isolation means that (in this novel at least) reality starts to blend with his dreams.
Onoda tends to fascinate people, myself included, and the novel portrays him sympathetically. Herzog somewhat glosses over the issue of the Filipino civilians killed by Onoda and the soldiers who fought with him. There were 3 of these.
A good introduction to this near-incredible story.
“Most details are factually correct; some are not. What was important to the author was something other than accuracy, some essence he thought he glimpsed when he encountered the protagonist of this story.”
The above quote opens the book, which is a partly fictionalized version of the almost 30 years spent in the Philippines jungle by the Japanese soldier Lt. Hiroo Onoda. When the Japanese Army evacuated the island of Lubang in December 1944, Lt. Onoda was ordered to stay behind and conduct guerrilla warfare until the Japanese returned and reoccupied the island. He obeyed his orders until March 1974, and only surrendered then because he was personally ordered to do so by his former commanding officer, Major Taniguchi, who was by then aged 88.
This is a short novel of just 132 pages, and I raced through it in just a few hours. The blurb uses descriptions like “fever dream” and “hallucinatory”, but the re-telling seemed fairly straightforward to me. Towards the end Onoda’s prolonged isolation means that (in this novel at least) reality starts to blend with his dreams.
Onoda tends to fascinate people, myself included, and the novel portrays him sympathetically. Herzog somewhat glosses over the issue of the Filipino civilians killed by Onoda and the soldiers who fought with him. There were 3 of these.
A good introduction to this near-incredible story.
June 21, 2022
Herzog writing about a mostly solitary obsessive in the jungle . . . Not first person, like Of Walking in Ice or Conquest of the Useless, somewhat of a shame given the peculiarities of his consciousness/perspective. Moments of expected Herzogian "ecstatic beauty" in prose, nevertheless, mostly to start or end sections, often about insects. Worth it for completists. Little Dieter Needs to Fly / Rescue Dawn / fornicating/murderous jungle territory. Great translation, of course. Clear scenes. Interesting from the present perspective saturated with news, also interesting that the protagonist doesn't trust the shreds of news he accesses over 29 years fighting WWII post-1945. Loved how the movement of bombers through the skies suggests the persistence of WWII for someone ignorant of the armistice, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, like it's all one long war. Interested in searching out the original source text: No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War.
June 26, 2025
Nem tudom, Herzogot mi ragadta meg Hiroo Onoda történetében. De azt pontosan tudom, engem mi. Az, hogy az ember nemes tulajdonságai - a hűség, a kitartás, a szakértelem - milyen könnyen fordulnak visszájukra, ha a hülyeség szolgálatába állítják őket. Itt van ez a szerencsétlen japán katona, akit felettesei azzal hagynak ott Lubang szigetén, hogy rejtőzzön el, zaklassa az amerikaiakat, amíg a per pillanat rendezetten visszavonuló, de amúgy dicsőséges és győzhetetlen japán haderő vissza nem tér. Csak ugye a dicsőséges és győzhetetlen japán hadseregről kiderült, hogy a "győzhetetlen" jelző nem egészen pontosan írja körül őket, így hát Onoda ott ragad a dzsungelben röpke harminc évre.
Harminc év! Hogy nem bolondul meg az ember harminc év alatt, ez a kérdés. Jó, hát Onodának van egy-két bajtársa, még ha azok lassacskán le is morzsolódnak mellőle. Ezen felül alapos kiképzést kapott gerillahadviselésből, ami szintúgy elengedhetetlen, ha az ember esőerdei életre van kárhoztatva. De mindez aligha lenne elegendő, ha Onoda nem sajátítaná el az önbecsapás nemes művészetét. Mert a fizikai kihívásokat még csak túl lehet élni megfelelő katonai felkészítéssel - de a mentális leépülés kezelése más módszert kíván. Például azt, hogy Onoda tudatát eltöltse a sziklaszilárd hit, hogy a háború még tart, és ennek a háborúnak ő egy fontos csavarja - a csavar pedig ne gondolkodjon, hanem teljesítse be a neki rendelt szerepet. Ne ember legyen, hanem eszköz, mert az eszköz nem kérdőjelezi meg saját funkcióját. Ezzel a technikával Onoda távol tartja magától a kétely árnyékát is. Hiába szűrődnek be buborékjába a külvilág hírei, minden, ami ellentmond hitének, lepattan róla. De a valóság kitartó fajzat. Ott van, még akkor is, ha nem akarod észrevenni. És hiába kerülgeted éveken át, egyszer úgyis eljön a pillanat, amikor orra buksz benne.
Érzékelek egy olvasói véleményt, miszerint ez a könyv túl rövid. Szerintem nagyjából olyan hosszú, amilyen hosszúnak lennie kell. Nyilván Herzog elidőzhetett volna a katonák közti interakciók átalakulásán, vagy dolgozhatott volna többet azon, hogy ábrázolja az esőerdei élet nehézségeit, mondjuk Bear Grylls modorában. De őt alighanem nem ez érdekelte. Hanem az időből való kiszakítottság, a hazaszeretet oltárára hanyag mozdulattal odadobott három évtized. És a végső pillanat, amikor a hazugságok kipukkadnak. Amikor ott áll az ember, és hiába nem akarja, kénytelen feltenni magának a kérdést: ennek meg mi a toszom értelme volt?
Remélem, nem minden hazugság húzza ilyen sokáig.
(Ui.: Van egy olyan halvány benyomásom, hogy Herzog számára az egész tragikus és értelmetlen gesztus puszta léptéke igazolja önmagát. Mintha a hülyeség grandiózus volta feledtetné, hogy végső soron azért csak hülyeség.)
July 20, 2024
10 березня 1974 р. на острові Луанґ (Філіпіни) капітулював лейтенант японської імператорської армії Хіро Онода. В грудні 1944 року він отримав наказ від свого командира вести диверсійну боротьбу проти американців, які мали от-от захопити острів Луанґ. Вести диверсійну боротьбу - і чекати на повернення японської армії, яка мала невдовзі відбити острів в американців.
Протягом 28 років, 6 місяців та 8 днів після капітуляції Японії Онода вів свою особисту війну - в джунглях, без нормального житла (Онода т�� товариші мали постійно переміщуватися, боячись облав американських військ), без нормального одягу та їжі. Заклики капітулювати, новини з Японії та листи від рідних Онода вважав спецопераціями американців, які мали підірвати бойовий дух його загону. До речі, з трьох підлеглих лише один дезертирував, а двоє інших боролися до смерті: один загинув 1954 року, інший - 1972. Після того Онода воював майже 2 роки сам-один. На момент початку "його" війни Онода мав 22 роки. Після того він 29 років провів в джунглях виконуючи наказ. На момент капітуляції Онода мав 51 рік.
Для українців ця історія може звучати макабрично. Онода, японець, який тероризує філіпінців на їхньому острові? Паралелі, якщо й проводити, то лише з російськими окупантами. Адже японські війська не дивом опинилися на Філіпінах: вони вели загарбницьку війну. Філіпіни мали стати частиною Японської імперії. Чи хотіли б ми прочитати таку ж історія про якогось Івана Смірнова, який 30 років тероризує населення Чернігівщини? Чи можна в цій історії шукати якийсь інший смисл окрім: Імперіалізм - потворний, навіть якщо в його ім’я здійснюються героїчні вчинки.
Від будь-якого іншого історія Оноди звучала б фальшиво. Але її розповідає Вернер Герцог - німець, народжений 1942 року - в Мюнхені. Його країна винна в злочинах нацизму. Його країна винна в смертях десятків мільйонів цивільних і мільйонів військових. І Герцог згадує про це в Сутінках світу. Він свідомий своєї позиції. І тим не менше, він розповідає історію Оноди. І я впевнений, що при цьому він в голові мав образ есесівця Ганса, який в Піренеях тридцять років веде боротьбу проти французів, очікуючи, що ось-ось Роммель перегрупує сили і виб’є війська Союзників з Західної Європи...
Чому ж Герцог розповідає історію Оноди?
Тому що це діалог з Платоном та Ніцше - за мовчазної присутності Камю.
1. Герцог завершує свій твір образом сну. Мовляв, чи Онода знав, що його війна ведеться в реальності, чи він провалився в свого роду марення. І навіть гірше: чи Онода вийшов з цього марення після 10 березня 1974 р.? В книзі є епізод, який показує: Онода усвідомив дійсність своєї війни лише 1997 року...
І це діалог з Платоном та його образом печери: ми прикуті до стін печери і лише можемо бачити тіні на стіні - тіні реальності. Платон мріяв, що ми можемо вирватися з цієї пастки - і пізнати дійсність такою, як вона є.
Але Герцог запитує: що є сон? що є дійсність? Де між ними межа? Де ця межа проходила для Оноди? Де вона проходить для нас? Чи можемо ми відрізнити одне від іншого? Чи можемо ми вирватися зі сну - і прокинутися в реальність? Чи можемо ми усвідомити, що ми вирвалися зі сну? Питання множаться, вони давлять на нас - як джунглі, в яких провів три десятиліття Онода.
І Герцог відмітає їх: а чи є сенс розбиратися з цими питаннями? Можливо, краще жити?
В цій відповіді криється щастя Оноди, яке так нагадує щастя Сізіфа в Камю. Чи має значення, чи ми в сні, чи в дійсності? Може, наш сон - це дійсність когось іншого? Може, наша дійсність - це сон для світу? Чи це має значення? Треба жити, а не шукати відповіді на абстрактні питання.
2. І після простого вступу Герцог пропонує нам образ війни, який він запозичує в Ніцше. Війни, де ворог неважливий, адже вся увага - на самого солдата. (Так, Ніцше в одному зі своїх творів так і сказав: "Ми - солдати пізнання!") А тому війна - це перш за все про силу духу, про організованість, про стійкість, про стоїцизм... Онода - це Сізіф Камю. Тільки він не котить камінь, а переховується в джунглях від ворогів, яких так ніколи і не побачить.
(І ця ідея пояснює, чому Герцог байдужий до питання: чи був Онода воєнним злочинцем? Адже за час своєї герильї він вбив близько 30 мирних філіпінців. Так само як Герцог оминає питання: а як це японські військові опинилися у Філіпінах. Це важливі питання - для нас в 2024 році. Та навіть для Герцога в 1974 році, коли він влився в дискусію про відповідальність німців за нацистське минуле. Але в 2022 році Герцог думає про інше. І я думаю, що ми можемо спробувати послухати його відповідь)
3. Звідки ми беремо сили? Герцог непомітно підводить до питання: а в чому секрет стійкості? І тут він полемізує з Камю. Сізіф завжди самотній. Але Онода здався після 2 років самотності. Чи протримався б він всі 28 років, 6 місяців та 8 днів, якби поруч не було Шімади та Кодзуке?
Онода не був тупим солдафоном. Він мав гострий розум. Він зміг пояснити своїм солдатам принцип реактивного двигуна, коли побачив реактивні літаки ВПС США (які летіли бомбардувати В’єтнам). Він зрозумів принципи фоторозвідки з допомогою космічних супутників. Він придумав, як захистити зброю від іржі. Він зберіг запас набоїв.
Чи це не було джерелом його стійкості?
4. Але як тоді відрізнити добро від зла? Стійкість героя від впертості лиходія? Ось цього питання Герцог не задає. Він залишає його нам. Його цікавить інше: щоб ми знову пригадали Платона, Ніцше та Камю. Щоб ми знову пригадали великі питання, які хвилювали людство століттями, але які зараз поховав консьюмеризм.
Але саме ці питання роблять нас людьми. І задавати їх, шукати відповідь на них - навіть намарно! - це відвертати сутінки світу...
Протягом 28 років, 6 місяців та 8 днів після капітуляції Японії Онода вів свою особисту війну - в джунглях, без нормального житла (Онода т�� товариші мали постійно переміщуватися, боячись облав американських військ), без нормального одягу та їжі. Заклики капітулювати, новини з Японії та листи від рідних Онода вважав спецопераціями американців, які мали підірвати бойовий дух його загону. До речі, з трьох підлеглих лише один дезертирував, а двоє інших боролися до смерті: один загинув 1954 року, інший - 1972. Після того Онода воював майже 2 роки сам-один. На момент початку "його" війни Онода мав 22 роки. Після того він 29 років провів в джунглях виконуючи наказ. На момент капітуляції Онода мав 51 рік.
Для українців ця історія може звучати макабрично. Онода, японець, який тероризує філіпінців на їхньому острові? Паралелі, якщо й проводити, то лише з російськими окупантами. Адже японські війська не дивом опинилися на Філіпінах: вони вели загарбницьку війну. Філіпіни мали стати частиною Японської імперії. Чи хотіли б ми прочитати таку ж історія про якогось Івана Смірнова, який 30 років тероризує населення Чернігівщини? Чи можна в цій історії шукати якийсь інший смисл окрім: Імперіалізм - потворний, навіть якщо в його ім’я здійснюються героїчні вчинки.
Від будь-якого іншого історія Оноди звучала б фальшиво. Але її розповідає Вернер Герцог - німець, народжений 1942 року - в Мюнхені. Його країна винна в злочинах нацизму. Його країна винна в смертях десятків мільйонів цивільних і мільйонів військових. І Герцог згадує про це в Сутінках світу. Він свідомий своєї позиції. І тим не менше, він розповідає історію Оноди. І я впевнений, що при цьому він в голові мав образ есесівця Ганса, який в Піренеях тридцять років веде боротьбу проти французів, очікуючи, що ось-ось Роммель перегрупує сили і виб’є війська Союзників з Західної Європи...
Чому ж Герцог розповідає історію Оноди?
Тому що це діалог з Платоном та Ніцше - за мовчазної присутності Камю.
1. Герцог завершує свій твір образом сну. Мовляв, чи Онода знав, що його війна ведеться в реальності, чи він провалився в свого роду марення. І навіть гірше: чи Онода вийшов з цього марення після 10 березня 1974 р.? В книзі є епізод, який показує: Онода усвідомив дійсність своєї війни лише 1997 року...
І це діалог з Платоном та його образом печери: ми прикуті до стін печери і лише можемо бачити тіні на стіні - тіні реальності. Платон мріяв, що ми можемо вирватися з цієї пастки - і пізнати дійсність такою, як вона є.
Але Герцог запитує: що є сон? що є дійсність? Де між ними межа? Де ця межа проходила для Оноди? Де вона проходить для нас? Чи можемо ми відрізнити одне від іншого? Чи можемо ми вирватися зі сну - і прокинутися в реальність? Чи можемо ми усвідомити, що ми вирвалися зі сну? Питання множаться, вони давлять на нас - як джунглі, в яких провів три десятиліття Онода.
І Герцог відмітає їх: а чи є сенс розбиратися з цими питаннями? Можливо, краще жити?
В цій відповіді криється щастя Оноди, яке так нагадує щастя Сізіфа в Камю. Чи має значення, чи ми в сні, чи в дійсності? Може, наш сон - це дійсність когось іншого? Може, наша дійсність - це сон для світу? Чи це має значення? Треба жити, а не шукати відповіді на абстрактні питання.
2. І після простого вступу Герцог пропонує нам образ війни, який він запозичує в Ніцше. Війни, де ворог неважливий, адже вся увага - на самого солдата. (Так, Ніцше в одному зі своїх творів так і сказав: "Ми - солдати пізнання!") А тому війна - це перш за все про силу духу, про організованість, про стійкість, про стоїцизм... Онода - це Сізіф Камю. Тільки він не котить камінь, а переховується в джунглях від ворогів, яких так ніколи і не побачить.
(І ця ідея пояснює, чому Герцог байдужий до питання: чи був Онода воєнним злочинцем? Адже за час своєї герильї він вбив близько 30 мирних філіпінців. Так само як Герцог оминає питання: а як це японські військові опинилися у Філіпінах. Це важливі питання - для нас в 2024 році. Та навіть для Герцога в 1974 році, коли він влився в дискусію про відповідальність німців за нацистське минуле. Але в 2022 році Герцог думає про інше. І я думаю, що ми можемо спробувати послухати його відповідь)
3. Звідки ми беремо сили? Герцог непомітно підводить до питання: а в чому секрет стійкості? І тут він полемізує з Камю. Сізіф завжди самотній. Але Онода здався після 2 років самотності. Чи протримався б він всі 28 років, 6 місяців та 8 днів, якби поруч не було Шімади та Кодзуке?
Онода не був тупим солдафоном. Він мав гострий розум. Він зміг пояснити своїм солдатам принцип реактивного двигуна, коли побачив реактивні літаки ВПС США (які летіли бомбардувати В’єтнам). Він зрозумів принципи фоторозвідки з допомогою космічних супутників. Він придумав, як захистити зброю від іржі. Він зберіг запас набоїв.
Чи це не було джерелом його стійкості?
4. Але як тоді відрізнити добро від зла? Стійкість героя від впертості лиходія? Ось цього питання Герцог не задає. Він залишає його нам. Його цікавить інше: щоб ми знову пригадали Платона, Ніцше та Камю. Щоб ми знову пригадали великі питання, які хвилювали людство століттями, але які зараз поховав консьюмеризм.
Але саме ці питання роблять нас людьми. І задавати їх, шукати відповідь на них - навіть намарно! - це відвертати сутінки світу...
October 19, 2021
Ne "Il crepuscolo del mondo", Herzog concentra l'obiettivo della sua macchina da presa narrativa sull'ufficiale giapponese Hiroo Onoda.
Una delle particolarità di Werner Herzog, che lo rendono quasi unico nel suo genere, è quello di procedere per sottrazione. Lui non scrive libri lunghi centinaia di pagine. Anzi. La sua bravura sta nel condensare in poche pagine ambientazioni, scenari, sensazioni, riuscendo a descrivere un universo mondo.
Sin dall'inizio, Herzong precisa che non tutto è basato interamente sui fatti: lui ha a cuore l'essenza della storia. Come scrivevo prima, Herzog procede per sottrazione, andando al cuore delle cose: “Ciò che stava a cuore all’autore, infatti, come dovette riconoscere durante il suo incontro con il protagonista, era altro: l’essenza della storia.”
Questo romanzo nasce da una delle visite dell'autore in Giappone: “Nel 1997 misi in scena, a Tōkyō, Chushingura, l’opera del compositore Shigeaki Saegusa, che più volte mi aveva sollecitato a occuparmene in occasione della prima mondiale. Chushingura è la più giapponese di tutte le storie giapponesi. ”
E mentre l'imperatore giapponese fece sapere a Herzog che sarebbe stato ben lieto di incontrarlo, lui, con un ardire sorprendente, dichiarò di non voler incontrare l'imperatore. A nulla valse la stretta della moglie per tappargli la bocca. Ormai la gaffe era fatta: “Poi, da quel silenzio, si alzò una voce e chiese chi, se non l’imperatore, avrei desiderato incontrare in Giappone. Senza riflettere, risposi: Onoda.
Onoda? Onoda?
Sì, dissi, Hiroo Onoda. Una settimana dopo lo incontrai.”
In questo libro, Herzog fa una carrellata su gran parte della vita di Onoda, un uomo che per un trentennio è stato all'oscuro della fine della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, ha vissuto nella giungla, sull'isola filippina di Lubang, continuando a combattere, in difesa, per il Giappone.
“Tra le canne che ondeggiano lentamente scorge una piccola bandiera giapponese. Onoda alza con molta cautela il suo binocolo, ormai consumato dai molti anni trascorsi nella giungla. ”
Onoda è considerato uno degli ultimi soldati fantasma giapponesi della seconda guerra mondiale.
“Onoda vuole sapere cosa accadde dopo che, a quanto si dice, le bombe vennero sganciate sul Giappone. Il Giappone si arrese senza condizioni, prosegue Suzuki. Era l’agosto del 1945. L’imperatore si rivolse al popolo con un discorso alla radio, dichiarando inoltre di non essere un dio vivente. Un’affermazione di questo genere è talmente impensabile per Onoda che, proprio per questo, la considera la prova che Suzuki sia stato mandato da lui per ingannarlo. Preme nuovamente la canna del fucile tra gli occhi di Suzuki.
“La verità è che la guerra non è mai terminata. Si sono solo spostati i teatri di combattimento.”
Suzuki rimane impassibile. “In Occidente, la Germania ha perso la guerra. La resa è avvenuta addirittura mesi prima di quella del Giappone.”"
Herzog, nel ripercorrere la storia di Onoda, che ha dell'inverosimile, affronta anche il tema del disagio psichico: “Dopo che Onoda si fu arreso alle forze armate filippine, venne trasportato in elicottero a Manila. Il presidente filippino Ferdinand Marcos, che aveva iniziato da poco a governare il paese decretando lo stato d’emergenza, fece ripetere per lui la cerimonia di consegna della spada. Fu un grande spettacolo mediatico. Anche Marcos restituì immediatamente la spada a Onoda che, su richiesta, aveva indossato nuovamente la sua uniforme tutta a brandelli, anche se a Lubang gli erano stati consegnati abiti civili. ”
E alla fine non si fa altro che provare tenerezza nei confronti di questo ufficiale che per trent'anni è rimasto fedele alla sua causa. Niente poteva dimostrare che fosse sveglio o che vegliasse durante tutti quegli anni.
“Dopo la visita al santuario, ci fermammo a conversare in un parco fino a tarda notte. Era stato un sonnambulo, per tutti quegli anni, o aveva sognato, allora, l’oggi, l’adesso? Spesso, a Lubang, si era posto questa domanda. Non c’era nessuna prova che quando era sveglio fosse sveglio, e nessuna prova che quando sognava stesse sognando. Il crepuscolo del mondo. Le formiche, quando per ragioni misteriose si fermano, muovono le loro antenne. Fanno sogni profetici. Le cicale gridano all’universo. Nel terrore delle notti, un cavallo dagli occhi incandescenti fumava sigari. ”
Davvero molto bello!
Una delle particolarità di Werner Herzog, che lo rendono quasi unico nel suo genere, è quello di procedere per sottrazione. Lui non scrive libri lunghi centinaia di pagine. Anzi. La sua bravura sta nel condensare in poche pagine ambientazioni, scenari, sensazioni, riuscendo a descrivere un universo mondo.
Sin dall'inizio, Herzong precisa che non tutto è basato interamente sui fatti: lui ha a cuore l'essenza della storia. Come scrivevo prima, Herzog procede per sottrazione, andando al cuore delle cose: “Ciò che stava a cuore all’autore, infatti, come dovette riconoscere durante il suo incontro con il protagonista, era altro: l’essenza della storia.”
Questo romanzo nasce da una delle visite dell'autore in Giappone: “Nel 1997 misi in scena, a Tōkyō, Chushingura, l’opera del compositore Shigeaki Saegusa, che più volte mi aveva sollecitato a occuparmene in occasione della prima mondiale. Chushingura è la più giapponese di tutte le storie giapponesi. ”
E mentre l'imperatore giapponese fece sapere a Herzog che sarebbe stato ben lieto di incontrarlo, lui, con un ardire sorprendente, dichiarò di non voler incontrare l'imperatore. A nulla valse la stretta della moglie per tappargli la bocca. Ormai la gaffe era fatta: “Poi, da quel silenzio, si alzò una voce e chiese chi, se non l’imperatore, avrei desiderato incontrare in Giappone. Senza riflettere, risposi: Onoda.
Onoda? Onoda?
Sì, dissi, Hiroo Onoda. Una settimana dopo lo incontrai.”
In questo libro, Herzog fa una carrellata su gran parte della vita di Onoda, un uomo che per un trentennio è stato all'oscuro della fine della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, ha vissuto nella giungla, sull'isola filippina di Lubang, continuando a combattere, in difesa, per il Giappone.
“Tra le canne che ondeggiano lentamente scorge una piccola bandiera giapponese. Onoda alza con molta cautela il suo binocolo, ormai consumato dai molti anni trascorsi nella giungla. ”
Onoda è considerato uno degli ultimi soldati fantasma giapponesi della seconda guerra mondiale.
“Onoda vuole sapere cosa accadde dopo che, a quanto si dice, le bombe vennero sganciate sul Giappone. Il Giappone si arrese senza condizioni, prosegue Suzuki. Era l’agosto del 1945. L’imperatore si rivolse al popolo con un discorso alla radio, dichiarando inoltre di non essere un dio vivente. Un’affermazione di questo genere è talmente impensabile per Onoda che, proprio per questo, la considera la prova che Suzuki sia stato mandato da lui per ingannarlo. Preme nuovamente la canna del fucile tra gli occhi di Suzuki.
“La verità è che la guerra non è mai terminata. Si sono solo spostati i teatri di combattimento.”
Suzuki rimane impassibile. “In Occidente, la Germania ha perso la guerra. La resa è avvenuta addirittura mesi prima di quella del Giappone.”"
Herzog, nel ripercorrere la storia di Onoda, che ha dell'inverosimile, affronta anche il tema del disagio psichico: “Dopo che Onoda si fu arreso alle forze armate filippine, venne trasportato in elicottero a Manila. Il presidente filippino Ferdinand Marcos, che aveva iniziato da poco a governare il paese decretando lo stato d’emergenza, fece ripetere per lui la cerimonia di consegna della spada. Fu un grande spettacolo mediatico. Anche Marcos restituì immediatamente la spada a Onoda che, su richiesta, aveva indossato nuovamente la sua uniforme tutta a brandelli, anche se a Lubang gli erano stati consegnati abiti civili. ”
E alla fine non si fa altro che provare tenerezza nei confronti di questo ufficiale che per trent'anni è rimasto fedele alla sua causa. Niente poteva dimostrare che fosse sveglio o che vegliasse durante tutti quegli anni.
“Dopo la visita al santuario, ci fermammo a conversare in un parco fino a tarda notte. Era stato un sonnambulo, per tutti quegli anni, o aveva sognato, allora, l’oggi, l’adesso? Spesso, a Lubang, si era posto questa domanda. Non c’era nessuna prova che quando era sveglio fosse sveglio, e nessuna prova che quando sognava stesse sognando. Il crepuscolo del mondo. Le formiche, quando per ragioni misteriose si fermano, muovono le loro antenne. Fanno sogni profetici. Le cicale gridano all’universo. Nel terrore delle notti, un cavallo dagli occhi incandescenti fumava sigari. ”
Davvero molto bello!
January 13, 2022
“Time, time and the jungle. The jungle does not recognise time. They are like two alienated siblings who will have nothing to do with each other, who communicate, if at all, only in the form of contempt.”
It's Herzog and jungles, so you know it's going to be at the very least interesting. I had actually seen the 2021 movie on Onoda, "Onoda - 10,000 nuits dans la jungle" (unfortunately not directed by Herzog!). At three hours, it's an immersive behemoth of a film, focusing on the story of Onoda, in an almost documentarian manner.
THE TWILIGHT WORLD is the opposite of this: it's an extremely breezy read, not a word wasted, shining lights on specific aspects and knowledge Herzog has of the events. Of course, it's typical Herzog-- a person on the edge of society, an intriguing life story, and the tragedy of it all. It's not a straightforward account of what happened, like the Harari movie, instead a somewhat dreamlike account, non-fiction yet fiction, prose yet poetry.
The story of Hiroo Onoda remains absolutely fascinating. I would like to call this a somewhat nuanced take on his character, though not entirely. Both the film and this book have clearly alluded to his messed-up mental state, but I've seen very few honest discussions of his actions.
To many, the story of Onoda's persistance in his twilight world is a beautiful example of unfaltering commitment and dedication. But I don't see it that way. To me, it's a *warning* against such extreme devotion. Onoda had many, many opportunities to realize and accept the reality of the war being over. He killed many innocent civilians, terrorised countless people, and wasted over 30 years of his life... and for what?
He was ultimately regarded as a hero upon his return to Japan. Sure, he was a "bad-ass" in the way that he persisted all that time, managing to hide and survive despite the many military sweeps, police attacks and other attempts by the Japanese government to hunt him down. It's a celebration of mental illness and murder, glorification of someone who was clearly mentally unwell.
Anyway- I reecommend this novella for all fans of Herzog. 3.5, rounded up to a 4.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's Herzog and jungles, so you know it's going to be at the very least interesting. I had actually seen the 2021 movie on Onoda, "Onoda - 10,000 nuits dans la jungle" (unfortunately not directed by Herzog!). At three hours, it's an immersive behemoth of a film, focusing on the story of Onoda, in an almost documentarian manner.
THE TWILIGHT WORLD is the opposite of this: it's an extremely breezy read, not a word wasted, shining lights on specific aspects and knowledge Herzog has of the events. Of course, it's typical Herzog-- a person on the edge of society, an intriguing life story, and the tragedy of it all. It's not a straightforward account of what happened, like the Harari movie, instead a somewhat dreamlike account, non-fiction yet fiction, prose yet poetry.
The story of Hiroo Onoda remains absolutely fascinating. I would like to call this a somewhat nuanced take on his character, though not entirely. Both the film and this book have clearly alluded to his messed-up mental state, but I've seen very few honest discussions of his actions.
To many, the story of Onoda's persistance in his twilight world is a beautiful example of unfaltering commitment and dedication. But I don't see it that way. To me, it's a *warning* against such extreme devotion. Onoda had many, many opportunities to realize and accept the reality of the war being over. He killed many innocent civilians, terrorised countless people, and wasted over 30 years of his life... and for what?
He was ultimately regarded as a hero upon his return to Japan. Sure, he was a "bad-ass" in the way that he persisted all that time, managing to hide and survive despite the many military sweeps, police attacks and other attempts by the Japanese government to hunt him down. It's a celebration of mental illness and murder, glorification of someone who was clearly mentally unwell.
Anyway- I reecommend this novella for all fans of Herzog. 3.5, rounded up to a 4.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2024
Я не знаю чи варто було взагалі Вернеру Герцоґу писати роман "Сутінки світу", якщо історію життя японського військовослужбовця Хіро Оноди страшенно цікаво читати навіть просто у Вікіпедії. Але якщо вже написав, то що робить — мусимо читати...
Насправді ж — це просто офігеннна історія — і неповторний оригінал в реальності, і її чудова художня копія, створена німецьким режисером.
Коли Вернеру Герцоґу запропонували зустрітися з імператором Японії, він ніяково відмовився, а на уточнення — з ким же тоді він хотів би побачитися у цій країні — відповів, що з Хіро Онодою.
Цей японський військовий, молодший лейтенант розвідки Імперської армії Японії продовжував війну ще близько 30 років після того, як Японія капітулювала. В 1944 році він знаходився на філіппінському острові Лубанґ, де отримав наказ триматися, продовжувати війну і в жодному разі не вчиняти самогубство. Японська армія відступила, залишивши після себе не більше кількох десятків військових, частина з яких були поранені, інші просто відстали або загубилися, і лише Хіро Онода мав чіткі місію та наказ.
Вернер Герцоґ спробував уявити, що відчували ці японські солдати, покинуті і забуті на вкритому горами та джунглями острові, як мотивували себе для участі в безкінечній війні, як добували їжу, про що розмовляли, чим жили і надихалися. Вийшла яскрава і захоплива розповідь, оповита туманами і рясно замочена тропічним дощем.
Крихітний загін Хіро Оноди вбив десятки і поранив близько сотні цивільних і військових жителів острова. Він пережив понад сотню засідок, влаштованих філіппінськими вояками та поліцією, і не менше сотні раз нападав на американську базу, філіппінських військових та селян. Кілька раз його оголошували мертвим, неодноразово пропонували здатися, скидали листівки з літаків, залишали свіжу японську пресу. Але Хіро вважав усе це військовими хитрощами та підступами пропаганди і продовжував воювати. Зрештою він залишився один і припинив боротьбу лише тоді, коли особисто отримав прямий наказ від свого колишнього командира — відмовитися від бойових дій і здатися.
Під час 29 років персональної війни Хіро Онода навчився досконало виживати у дикій природі і маскуватися, зберіг фізичне і психічне здоров'я і дожив до 91 року.
Хтозна чи може така історія надихнути українців на вічну війну з руснею, але й вибору в нас особливо немає. Читайте, кароче, книжку — може і не надихнетеся на добровільну мобілізацію, але історією гарантовано будете вражені.
Насправді ж — це просто офігеннна історія — і неповторний оригінал в реальності, і її чудова художня копія, створена німецьким режисером.
Коли Вернеру Герцоґу запропонували зустрітися з імператором Японії, він ніяково відмовився, а на уточнення — з ким же тоді він хотів би побачитися у цій країні — відповів, що з Хіро Онодою.
Цей японський військовий, молодший лейтенант розвідки Імперської армії Японії продовжував війну ще близько 30 років після того, як Японія капітулювала. В 1944 році він знаходився на філіппінському острові Лубанґ, де отримав наказ триматися, продовжувати війну і в жодному разі не вчиняти самогубство. Японська армія відступила, залишивши після себе не більше кількох десятків військових, частина з яких були поранені, інші просто відстали або загубилися, і лише Хіро Онода мав чіткі місію та наказ.
Вернер Герцоґ спробував уявити, що відчували ці японські солдати, покинуті і забуті на вкритому горами та джунглями острові, як мотивували себе для участі в безкінечній війні, як добували їжу, про що розмовляли, чим жили і надихалися. Вийшла яскрава і захоплива розповідь, оповита туманами і рясно замочена тропічним дощем.
Крихітний загін Хіро Оноди вбив десятки і поранив близько сотні цивільних і військових жителів острова. Він пережив понад сотню засідок, влаштованих філіппінськими вояками та поліцією, і не менше сотні раз нападав на американську базу, філіппінських військових та селян. Кілька раз його оголошували мертвим, неодноразово пропонували здатися, скидали листівки з літаків, залишали свіжу японську пресу. Але Хіро вважав усе це військовими хитрощами та підступами пропаганди і продовжував воювати. Зрештою він залишився один і припинив боротьбу лише тоді, коли особисто отримав прямий наказ від свого колишнього командира — відмовитися від бойових дій і здатися.
Під час 29 років персональної війни Хіро Онода навчився досконало виживати у дикій природі і маскуватися, зберіг фізичне і психічне здоров'я і дожив до 91 року.
Хтозна чи може така історія надихнути українців на вічну війну з руснею, але й вибору в нас особливо немає. Читайте, кароче, книжку — може і не надихнетеся на добровільну мобілізацію, але історією гарантовано будете вражені.
May 19, 2023
لنز دوربین روایی هرتزوگ روی افسر ژاپنی، هیرو اونودا متمرکز شده. هرتزوگ برای دیدار با اونودای افسانهای، به دعوت ملاقات با پادشاه ژاپن جواب رد میده. هیرو اونودا ایستاده بیرون از زمان، مشغول به بیستونه سال جنگ واهی. برای بسیاری داستان تداوم نبرد این افسر در دنیای گرگومیش ممکنه نمونهای زیبا از تعهد و فداکاری بیدریغ باشه. اما من فکر میکنم مرز باریکی بین تعهد و حماقت وجود داره و این یک هشدار علیه این نوع تعهد است. اونودا فرصتهای زیادی برای درک و پذیرش واقعیت پایان جنگ داشت. او بسیاری از غیرنظامیان بیگناه رو کشت؛ مردم بیشماری رو به وحشت انداخت و عمر خودش رو تلف کرد. و برای چه؟ بعد از بازگشت به ژاپن، از اونودا مثل یک قهرمان تجلیل میشه. از روی سرگذشتش فیلمی به نام اونودا: ۱۰۰۰۰ شب در جنگل ساخته شده که البته هرتزوگ دخالتی توی ساخت این فیلم نداشته
February 2, 2024
Very concise and powerful short novel about Hiroo Onada the famed Japanese soldier who kept on fighting in the islands of the Philippines, decades after the end of the Pacific War, by the acclaimed Werner Herzog. A unique perspective on the hardships of life by one familiar with the abject awfulness of the jungle. Told in straightforward fashion, without over analyzing. Certainly an interesting way to learn about this bizarre and rather tragic story, and for you to make conclusions about this yourself.
February 16, 2023
Atmosphärisch, eindrücklich, Gänsehaut!
Teilweise recht ulkige Szenen, wie die mit dem Kaugummi.
Teilweise recht ulkige Szenen, wie die mit dem Kaugummi.
November 15, 2022
Fascinating book about the real-life Niro Onoda, the last Japanese soldier to surrender in the Philippines a full 29 years after the end of World War II ended.*
Not sure why this is considered a novel - Herzog met with Onoda before writing his story, and I would assume also read Onoda's autobiography No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War…so perhaps the basis of the story is factual, but the details come from Herzog's head? In any case, a moving tale of patriotic dedication taken to the absolute nth degree. But while it's easy to respect Onoda, it's not too far a stretch to see how just this type of fanaticism also led the Japanese to commit their near-endless atrocities throughout the war, from Shanghai to Manchuria to Changi to Bataan to far too many other places.
For his first novel, Herzog does a solid job, (although as fun as it is to imagine this book's audio narration in Herzog's trademark German accent, other reviews say it is fact excruciating to listen to). And as the director of not only the Amazon-set "Fitzcarraldo" but also two movies about the downing and imprisonment of U.S. pilot Dieter Dengler in Vietnam (the documentary "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" and the more famous Christian Bale version, "Rescue Dawn"), Herzog certainly knows his jungles. That said, he almost blows it with a totally bizarro last two pages, in which he doubles down on "Seven Seals"-type weirdness:
"The heron when cornered will attack the eyes of its pursuers. A crocodile ate a countess. The dead, when turned away from the sun, can be buried standing up. Three men on a horse, the saddle remains empty. The net of a sleeping fisherman continues to catch fish. A man who walks backward should also talk backward. Onoda backward is Adono. The heart of a hummingbird beats twenty times a second, twelve hundred times a minute; the silent Indios of the Mato Grosso do Sul believe they are alive twice. It is only among his cattle in the Mato Grosso that Onoda feels secure. His heart beats with their hearts, his breath comes and goes with theirs. When he is with them, he knows he is where he is. The night is over, and the swarms of fish know nothing."
WHAT???
Final minor kvetch: This is SUCH a bad, self-published-looking book jacket; I don't think I've seen Kabel Bold used since the early '80s, and for very good reason.
___________________________________
* Onoda wasn't in fact the last Japanese soldier to come out of the jungle, as Taiwanese-Japanese** conscript Teruo Nakamura surrendered in Indonesia nine months after Onoda. Onoda's story is the more famous and moving one however, as he didn't just wander off and hide, but as a junior officer was specifically ordered to remain behind and continue fighting "until the Japanese army returned," (SPOILER: they didn't).
** "Taiwanese-Japanese:" From 1895-1945, Taiwan was a Japanese colony, and so people like Nakamura (and my father-in-law) were brought up believing they were Japanese first, Taiwanese a distant second. As such, Taiwan served as the source of uncounted conscripts in the Imperial Army - and massive, involuntary numbers of "comfort women."
Not sure why this is considered a novel - Herzog met with Onoda before writing his story, and I would assume also read Onoda's autobiography No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War…so perhaps the basis of the story is factual, but the details come from Herzog's head? In any case, a moving tale of patriotic dedication taken to the absolute nth degree. But while it's easy to respect Onoda, it's not too far a stretch to see how just this type of fanaticism also led the Japanese to commit their near-endless atrocities throughout the war, from Shanghai to Manchuria to Changi to Bataan to far too many other places.
For his first novel, Herzog does a solid job, (although as fun as it is to imagine this book's audio narration in Herzog's trademark German accent, other reviews say it is fact excruciating to listen to). And as the director of not only the Amazon-set "Fitzcarraldo" but also two movies about the downing and imprisonment of U.S. pilot Dieter Dengler in Vietnam (the documentary "Little Dieter Needs to Fly" and the more famous Christian Bale version, "Rescue Dawn"), Herzog certainly knows his jungles. That said, he almost blows it with a totally bizarro last two pages, in which he doubles down on "Seven Seals"-type weirdness:
"The heron when cornered will attack the eyes of its pursuers. A crocodile ate a countess. The dead, when turned away from the sun, can be buried standing up. Three men on a horse, the saddle remains empty. The net of a sleeping fisherman continues to catch fish. A man who walks backward should also talk backward. Onoda backward is Adono. The heart of a hummingbird beats twenty times a second, twelve hundred times a minute; the silent Indios of the Mato Grosso do Sul believe they are alive twice. It is only among his cattle in the Mato Grosso that Onoda feels secure. His heart beats with their hearts, his breath comes and goes with theirs. When he is with them, he knows he is where he is. The night is over, and the swarms of fish know nothing."
WHAT???
Final minor kvetch: This is SUCH a bad, self-published-looking book jacket; I don't think I've seen Kabel Bold used since the early '80s, and for very good reason.
___________________________________
* Onoda wasn't in fact the last Japanese soldier to come out of the jungle, as Taiwanese-Japanese** conscript Teruo Nakamura surrendered in Indonesia nine months after Onoda. Onoda's story is the more famous and moving one however, as he didn't just wander off and hide, but as a junior officer was specifically ordered to remain behind and continue fighting "until the Japanese army returned," (SPOILER: they didn't).
** "Taiwanese-Japanese:" From 1895-1945, Taiwan was a Japanese colony, and so people like Nakamura (and my father-in-law) were brought up believing they were Japanese first, Taiwanese a distant second. As such, Taiwan served as the source of uncounted conscripts in the Imperial Army - and massive, involuntary numbers of "comfort women."
Want to read
June 13, 2022"I still try to avoid psychological introspection.”
in: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/...
in: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/...
July 13, 2022
Hiroo Onoda is something of a legend these days, a lieutenant in the Imperial Army during World War II, stationed on the Philippine island of Lubang, he kept fighting long after the Allied victory, until he was finally relieved of his duties in 1974.
This legendary status was tinged with humour by many, including media, but Herzog refuses to go in that direction. Rather, as we shouldn't be surprised, Herzog the filmmaker, in his first novel, chooses to delve into the absurdity of Onoda's situation, as well as being determined to defend the dignity of a man who had no choice but to persevere in what soon became an impossible mission, his loyalty to a lost cause.
In Tokyo to stage a production of Chushingura in 1997, Herzog had declined an opportunity to speak with the Emperor and instead asks to see and interview Hiroo Onoda. This book is based on that meeting, but why, I wondered at the outset, write it as fiction. On the opening page he writes..
The result is an easy to read and short novel that fits Onoda's strange and twisting odyssey perfectly, the language effortlessly switching between the narrative in the jungle to a more abstract appreciation of a fascinating life.
Surely there's a film to come..
This legendary status was tinged with humour by many, including media, but Herzog refuses to go in that direction. Rather, as we shouldn't be surprised, Herzog the filmmaker, in his first novel, chooses to delve into the absurdity of Onoda's situation, as well as being determined to defend the dignity of a man who had no choice but to persevere in what soon became an impossible mission, his loyalty to a lost cause.
In Tokyo to stage a production of Chushingura in 1997, Herzog had declined an opportunity to speak with the Emperor and instead asks to see and interview Hiroo Onoda. This book is based on that meeting, but why, I wondered at the outset, write it as fiction. On the opening page he writes..
Most details are factually correct; some are not. What was important to the author was something other than accuracy, some essence he thought he glimpsed when he encountered the protagonist of this story.
The result is an easy to read and short novel that fits Onoda's strange and twisting odyssey perfectly, the language effortlessly switching between the narrative in the jungle to a more abstract appreciation of a fascinating life.
Surely there's a film to come..
February 24, 2024
Bir işin içinde Werner Herzog varsa ister istemez heyecanlanıyorum. Bu defa da benzer heyecanı bu romandan haberdar olunca hissettim. Roman diyorum ama tam olarak okuduğumuz bir kurmaca metin mi emin değilim. Girişte yazdığı üzere bazı kısımlar kurmaca ama bazı kısımlar birebir gerçek. Roman, 2. Dünya Savaşı bitmiş olmasına rağmen, 29 yıl boyunca bir adayı korumayı kendine görev bilmiş, savaşın bittiğini 1974 yılında öğrenen bir Japon askeri olan Hiroo Onada’nın adada geçirdiği süreyi anlatıyor. Herzog’un belgeselciliği kendini metinde de gösteriyor ve hiç allayıp pullamadan Onada’nın yaşadıklarını bölümler halinde olduğu gibi aktarıyor. Dünyaya, savaşa ve savaşın saçmalığına dair çok ince gözlemler var. Herzog sinemasında da sıkça karşımıza çıkan bir amaç uğruna delirme ya da deliliğin sınırında dolaşma temaları burada da kendine yer buluyor. Güzel, kendini okutan bir metin ama böyle bir karakterden çok daha başka bir şey bekliyordum doğrusu. Bu yüzden biraz beklentimin altında kaldı. Herzog sanki konuyu merak edip (ki buna hiç şaşmamalı, eminim daha önce iki kere filmi çekilmiş olmasa filmini çekerdi) şöyle bir bakıp çıkmış gibi yarım kalmışlıkla dolu bir hisle tamamladım kitabı. Daha detaylı, karakterin psikolojisinin kuytusunu, köşesini gösterecek bir şey bekliyordum. Yine de Herzog’un içinde olduğu her şey üzerine düşünmeye değer. Konuyu merak edenler için Onada’nın otobiyografi kitabı olduğunu da ekleyeyim.
September 30, 2021
Die Zeit außerhalb unseres Lebens scheint die Eigenschaft von jähen Anfällen zu haben, ohne dass es das Universum aus seiner Gleichgültigkeit rütteln könnte. Onodas Krieg ist bedeutungslos für das Weltall, das Schicksal der Völker, den Verlauf des Krieges. Onodas Krieg ist geformt aus der Vereinigung eines imaginären Nichts und eines Traumes, aber Onodas Krieg, dergestalt von nichts gezeugt, ist ein überwältigendes Ereignis, eines, das der Ewigkeit abgetrotzt ist.
September 4, 2022
What could be more interesting? Werner Herzog, documentarian of the deluded and bold and Hiroo Onoda, Japanese soldier clinging to an imaginary war in the Phillipeano jungle for 30 years after it ended. Fascinating right? And yet not. The prose hangs together like a poorly stitched rug, wafting in repetitive phrases ‘the rot, the rot’ and touching on nothing so intriguing as plot, personal motivation or imagination. I found this book very opaque and slippery, hard to get your teeth into. This could be the translation from German to English or it could be Herzog being a documentarian rather than a novelist- but all in all I found this very unsatisfying. Like eating a paper picture of a hamburger instead of a real thing. I feel like in different hands this material could have been great.
June 22, 2022
Who would have thought this wasn't Herzog's spin on sparkly vampires?
Instead it's a maybe fictionalized account of a real-life Japanese solider who stayed hidden on a Philippines island for 20 something years protecting it and being ready for the return of the Japanese Army. In other words Herzog has written a novel about a real-life very Herzog type scenario.
Instead it's a maybe fictionalized account of a real-life Japanese solider who stayed hidden on a Philippines island for 20 something years protecting it and being ready for the return of the Japanese Army. In other words Herzog has written a novel about a real-life very Herzog type scenario.
January 20, 2026
Захоплива історія про дурнуватого японця, який кошмарив філіппінців 20 років, гадаючи, що Друга світова так і не завершилась.
Шкода що так мало та фрагментарно, історія має шалений потенціал.
Шкода що так мало та фрагментарно, історія має шалений потенціал.
March 9, 2024
Історія Хіру Онодо – японського лейтенанта, який 29 років після завершення Другої світової війни, партизанив у джунглях на Філіппанах, бо не знав про капітуляцію Японії не може не вражати. Його залишили тримати острів і чекати повернення японських військ і він всі ці роки виконував наказ. В книжці описується як він разом з кількома іншими японцями пристосувався до такого життя, як ховався в джунглях, як діставав їжу, як бачив листівки і газети, але вважав, що це ворожа пропаганда змушує його повірити у закінчення війни.
Для мене це такий досить неоднозначний персонаж. Він на чужій території, нападав на селян, щоб вкрасти рис чи вбити буйвола, вступав у перестрілки з поліцією, бо виконував наказ. Загинули невинні люди – і цей момент якось не дає мені спокою і не дає побачити в Онодо якогось героя.
А книжка хороша, наштовхує на роздуми. Та й постать Оноди для мене нова, цікаво дізнаватися про подібні історії із життя.
Для мене це такий досить неоднозначний персонаж. Він на чужій території, нападав на селян, щоб вкрасти рис чи вбити буйвола, вступав у перестрілки з поліцією, бо виконував наказ. Загинули невинні люди – і цей момент якось не дає мені спокою і не дає побачити в Онодо якогось героя.
А книжка хороша, наштовхує на роздуми. Та й постать Оноди для мене нова, цікаво дізнаватися про подібні історії із життя.
June 27, 2024
As an old enough Japanese, I remember this as a big news story (and of Mr. Yokoi from Guam) when I was a child.
Despite I was ready what this was going to be, it was still a very intense gripping ride.
If you are interested in Japan’s odd history of WW2 and post-war, and about who lived an extreme eccentric life (very much the author’s cup of tea), this is for you. The author narrates the audiobook and it’s worth it, add to the unique experience. 3hours, but VERY dense.
PS: I think he would love to make this into a film. I can totally see it. But maybe he is too old to go through yet another intense filming in the jungle. Thus it’s a book?
PSS: It is marketed as fiction, much of the core story is based on the fact. I didn’t recall Suzuki-San, so I looked up Japanese websites and his life story is accurate. Perhaps minor details in the book is fictional, but I listened to it mostly as nonfiction.
PSSS: though the story is fascinating and moving, author does not forget to touches on the controversy surrounding his 30 year war and his life after.
Despite I was ready what this was going to be, it was still a very intense gripping ride.
If you are interested in Japan’s odd history of WW2 and post-war, and about who lived an extreme eccentric life (very much the author’s cup of tea), this is for you. The author narrates the audiobook and it’s worth it, add to the unique experience. 3hours, but VERY dense.
PS: I think he would love to make this into a film. I can totally see it. But maybe he is too old to go through yet another intense filming in the jungle. Thus it’s a book?
PSS: It is marketed as fiction, much of the core story is based on the fact. I didn’t recall Suzuki-San, so I looked up Japanese websites and his life story is accurate. Perhaps minor details in the book is fictional, but I listened to it mostly as nonfiction.
PSSS: though the story is fascinating and moving, author does not forget to touches on the controversy surrounding his 30 year war and his life after.
October 4, 2024
Herzog, który z prawdziwą pasją bada granice ludzkiego doświadczenia, tym razem bohaterem swojej książki (nie filmu) czyni Hiroo Onodę, japońskiego żołnierza, który zagubiwszy się w dżungli na filipińskiej wyspie, żył w pełnej gotowości bojowej, przekonany, że II WŚ wciąż trwa.
Herzog w bardzo oszczędnym, surowym stylu ukazuje mechanizm wojennej paranoi, który dobitnie krystalizuje się w losie zagubionego w czasie żołnierza.
Jest to niebywała, pełna napięcia historia - swoisty hołd, który Herzog składa wszystkim z góry przegranym historiom, którym może niekoniecznie warto było poświęcać wszystko zarazem jest także próbą oddania im utraconego głosu.
Herzog w bardzo oszczędnym, surowym stylu ukazuje mechanizm wojennej paranoi, który dobitnie krystalizuje się w losie zagubionego w czasie żołnierza.
Jest to niebywała, pełna napięcia historia - swoisty hołd, który Herzog składa wszystkim z góry przegranym historiom, którym może niekoniecznie warto było poświęcać wszystko zarazem jest także próbą oddania im utraconego głosu.
September 14, 2022
(English review below)
Dieses kleine Buch Werner Herzogs erzählt die Geschichte seines echten Freundes Hiroo Onoda, der auf einem kleinen südlich von Manila liegenden Insel den zweiten Weltkrieg für Jahrzehnten weitergeführt hat. Er blieb immer mobil und im Dschungel versteckt, zuerst mit ein paar Kameraden, letzten Endes allein, und hat seine Befehle, jeden Vormarsch der Alliierten zu verhindern, bis 1974 ausgeführt.
Das Buch beginnt mit einem kleinen Vorspiel, das den Weg für alles Folgende bereitet. Es erzählt die Geschichte von Chushingura, Herzog nach “die japanischte aller japanischen Geschichten,” in denen 47 Krieger ihren beleidigten Herr rächen, obwohl sie wissen, dass Scheitern Tod bedeuten würde, und Erfolg dasselbe. Die Geschichte evoziert das japanische Motiv der totalen Hingabe an eine Lebensweise, das durch Selbstverleugnung veranschaulicht wird. Man kann z.B. dieses Motiv in der Zen-Maxime spüren, dass man so meditieren soll, wie um den Kopf vor Feuer zu retten. In Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomes klassischen Samurai-Handbuch, liest man:
"Wer jeden Morgen und jeden Abend sein Herz prüft und dadurch fähig wird, so zu Leben, als wäre sein Körper schon tot, den macht dieser Weg frei. Er wird sich nie etwas zuschulden kommen lassen und wird auch in seinem Gewerbe erfolgreich sein." (Übersetzung hier.)
Onoda lebte gemäß seiner Pflicht und stellte keine Frage danach. Als Flugblätter vom Himmel fielen, die das Kriegsende verkündeten, glaubte er, sein Feind wollte ihn täuschen. Als amerikanische Flugzeuge über ihn hinweg flogen, zuerst nach Korea und danach nach Vietnam, glaubte er, das war nur eine Fortsetzung des ihm bekannten Krieges. Allmählich wurden die Herausforderungen für seinen Glauben immer schwerer zu ignorieren, bis jeder vernünftiger Leser danach fragen muss, wie Onoda solche Deutungen glauben könnte, aber die Prämisse, der er sich volkommen verschreiben hatte, war jenseits der Grenze der Überlegung.
“Jeder vernünftiger Leser.” Alle Menschen leben innerhalb der Grenzen unserer Verpflichtungen, und die Vernunft ist immer durch ihre Prämissen begrenzt. Oder?
Dieses Buch ist ein Gedicht, eine Oper ohne Musik, ein Film ohne Bilder. Es verkündet eine Tatsache des menschlichen Herzens und lädt uns ein, uns sie zu überlegen, ohne Kommentar oder Urteil. Nur um sie klar zu sehen. Es ist unerklärlich, genauso wie Menschen unerklärlich sind.
Diese kleine, einfache Erzählung von einem Mann, der 27 Jahre in einem Traum eingesperrt lebte, ist vielfältig. Manchmal dachte ich an Philip K. Dick oder Wittgenstein. Ich erinnerte mich an “Rescue Dawn” und “Little Dieter Needs to Fly.” Ich dachte an Klimawandelleugnung, und an einen Schmetterling, der träumte, er war ein Mensch.
***
Herzog's short book tells the story of his real-world friend Hiroo Onoda, who kept World War II alive on one small island in the Philippines south of Manilla. He kept mobile and hidden in the jungle, first with a handful of companions, eventually alone, and carried out his orders to disrupt any Allied advance until 1974.
The book begins with a brief overture that off-handedly sets the stage for the action to follow in recounting the story of Chushingura, for Herzog "the most Japanese of all Japanese stories," in which 47 warriors avenge their dishonored lord, knowing that defeat will mean their death, and success will mean their death. The story evokes the Japanese motif of total dedication to a form of life, a devotion exemplified by the renunciation of one's own welfare. We find it, for example, in the Zen maxim to practice as if to save your head from fire. Or in Yamamoto Tsunetomo's classic handbook of Samurai arts, Hagakure, where we read:
"If by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling."
Onoda lived his life in accordance with his duty, and he asked no questions of it or about it. When leaflets fell from the sky saying the war was over, he took it as a trick of the enemy. When American planes flew overhead, bringing war to Korea, then to Vietnam, he assumed it was a continuation of the war he knew. Eventually the challenges became harder to disbelieve, until any reasonable reader will ask how he could have believed as he did for so long under the circumstances, but the premise to which he was totally committed was beyond the reach of deliberation.
"Any reasonable reader." We all live within the confines of our commitments, and reason always operates within the field of its premises. Is that not who and what we are?
This book is a poem, an opera without music, a film without images. It presents a true fact of the human heart and invites us to consider it without commentary or judgment. Just to see it as it is. It's inexplicable in all the ways that people are inexplicable.
This short, simple story of a man who spent 27 years imprisoned inside a dream is manifold. At times I thought of Philip K. Dick, or of Wittgenstein. I thought of "Rescue Dawn" and "Little Dieter Needs to Fly". I thought of climate change denial, and I thought of a butterfly named Chuang Tzu dreaming he was a man.
Dieses kleine Buch Werner Herzogs erzählt die Geschichte seines echten Freundes Hiroo Onoda, der auf einem kleinen südlich von Manila liegenden Insel den zweiten Weltkrieg für Jahrzehnten weitergeführt hat. Er blieb immer mobil und im Dschungel versteckt, zuerst mit ein paar Kameraden, letzten Endes allein, und hat seine Befehle, jeden Vormarsch der Alliierten zu verhindern, bis 1974 ausgeführt.
Das Buch beginnt mit einem kleinen Vorspiel, das den Weg für alles Folgende bereitet. Es erzählt die Geschichte von Chushingura, Herzog nach “die japanischte aller japanischen Geschichten,” in denen 47 Krieger ihren beleidigten Herr rächen, obwohl sie wissen, dass Scheitern Tod bedeuten würde, und Erfolg dasselbe. Die Geschichte evoziert das japanische Motiv der totalen Hingabe an eine Lebensweise, das durch Selbstverleugnung veranschaulicht wird. Man kann z.B. dieses Motiv in der Zen-Maxime spüren, dass man so meditieren soll, wie um den Kopf vor Feuer zu retten. In Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomes klassischen Samurai-Handbuch, liest man:
"Wer jeden Morgen und jeden Abend sein Herz prüft und dadurch fähig wird, so zu Leben, als wäre sein Körper schon tot, den macht dieser Weg frei. Er wird sich nie etwas zuschulden kommen lassen und wird auch in seinem Gewerbe erfolgreich sein." (Übersetzung hier.)
Onoda lebte gemäß seiner Pflicht und stellte keine Frage danach. Als Flugblätter vom Himmel fielen, die das Kriegsende verkündeten, glaubte er, sein Feind wollte ihn täuschen. Als amerikanische Flugzeuge über ihn hinweg flogen, zuerst nach Korea und danach nach Vietnam, glaubte er, das war nur eine Fortsetzung des ihm bekannten Krieges. Allmählich wurden die Herausforderungen für seinen Glauben immer schwerer zu ignorieren, bis jeder vernünftiger Leser danach fragen muss, wie Onoda solche Deutungen glauben könnte, aber die Prämisse, der er sich volkommen verschreiben hatte, war jenseits der Grenze der Überlegung.
“Jeder vernünftiger Leser.” Alle Menschen leben innerhalb der Grenzen unserer Verpflichtungen, und die Vernunft ist immer durch ihre Prämissen begrenzt. Oder?
Dieses Buch ist ein Gedicht, eine Oper ohne Musik, ein Film ohne Bilder. Es verkündet eine Tatsache des menschlichen Herzens und lädt uns ein, uns sie zu überlegen, ohne Kommentar oder Urteil. Nur um sie klar zu sehen. Es ist unerklärlich, genauso wie Menschen unerklärlich sind.
Diese kleine, einfache Erzählung von einem Mann, der 27 Jahre in einem Traum eingesperrt lebte, ist vielfältig. Manchmal dachte ich an Philip K. Dick oder Wittgenstein. Ich erinnerte mich an “Rescue Dawn” und “Little Dieter Needs to Fly.” Ich dachte an Klimawandelleugnung, und an einen Schmetterling, der träumte, er war ein Mensch.
***
Herzog's short book tells the story of his real-world friend Hiroo Onoda, who kept World War II alive on one small island in the Philippines south of Manilla. He kept mobile and hidden in the jungle, first with a handful of companions, eventually alone, and carried out his orders to disrupt any Allied advance until 1974.
The book begins with a brief overture that off-handedly sets the stage for the action to follow in recounting the story of Chushingura, for Herzog "the most Japanese of all Japanese stories," in which 47 warriors avenge their dishonored lord, knowing that defeat will mean their death, and success will mean their death. The story evokes the Japanese motif of total dedication to a form of life, a devotion exemplified by the renunciation of one's own welfare. We find it, for example, in the Zen maxim to practice as if to save your head from fire. Or in Yamamoto Tsunetomo's classic handbook of Samurai arts, Hagakure, where we read:
"If by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling."
Onoda lived his life in accordance with his duty, and he asked no questions of it or about it. When leaflets fell from the sky saying the war was over, he took it as a trick of the enemy. When American planes flew overhead, bringing war to Korea, then to Vietnam, he assumed it was a continuation of the war he knew. Eventually the challenges became harder to disbelieve, until any reasonable reader will ask how he could have believed as he did for so long under the circumstances, but the premise to which he was totally committed was beyond the reach of deliberation.
"Any reasonable reader." We all live within the confines of our commitments, and reason always operates within the field of its premises. Is that not who and what we are?
This book is a poem, an opera without music, a film without images. It presents a true fact of the human heart and invites us to consider it without commentary or judgment. Just to see it as it is. It's inexplicable in all the ways that people are inexplicable.
This short, simple story of a man who spent 27 years imprisoned inside a dream is manifold. At times I thought of Philip K. Dick, or of Wittgenstein. I thought of "Rescue Dawn" and "Little Dieter Needs to Fly". I thought of climate change denial, and I thought of a butterfly named Chuang Tzu dreaming he was a man.
June 20, 2022
In this short novel, Herzog explores themes of dedication, isolation, and loyalty through the mostly true story Hiroo Onoda a soldier who continues fighting a guerrilla war for decades past the end of WWII. As Japanese troops pull out of the Philippines, Onoda is given orders to “hold the island until the Imperial Army’s return.” So he does. The tale is surreal, but true, the language lyrical, nightmarish, ethereal. For Onoda time passes: “it races forward and back, it sticks, stops dead, holds its breath, jumps ahead like a frightened deer. A night bird shrieks and a year passes. A fat drop of water … glistens briefly in the sun, and another year is gone.” And so 29 years pass, people are killed by Onoda, the very few soldiers he has with him are lost. And then he fights his imagined war completely on his own until at last a young explorer finds him and finds a way to bring him home.
Fascinating and complex.
Fascinating and complex.
November 27, 2024
Werner Herzog is no stranger to the jungle, having filmed two excellent features under grueling circumstances in the Amazon rain forest. His The Twilight World is the story of Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese officer who kept fighting some 29 years after Japan had surrendered. He and several other Japanese soldiers held out on Lubang Island, hoping that they would be reinforced by new troops. In the end, Onoda was alone, writing off as propaganda all attempts by the Filipino forces to get him to surrender. Finally, one of Onoda's soldiers who surrendered showed up with his commander, a man then in his eighties, who finally explain the situation to Onoda. Onoda returned to Japan a hero in 1974. He died in 2014 at age 91.
April 2, 2023
If you look up the word honorable in the dictionary, there should be a picture of Hiroo Onoda. Onado was a Japanese soldier who near the end of WWII was given orders to continue to defend the small island of Lubang in the Philippines until the Imperial army's return and defend it he did...
for twenty nine years after the end of the war.
The Twilight World is a fictional version of a story so bizarre, so hauntingly tragic that it seems like something from the Twilight Zone. I was absolutely mesmerized from start to finish and I can't stop thinking about it.
for twenty nine years after the end of the war.
The Twilight World is a fictional version of a story so bizarre, so hauntingly tragic that it seems like something from the Twilight Zone. I was absolutely mesmerized from start to finish and I can't stop thinking about it.
May 25, 2023
The first time I encountered Werner Herzog's work was in the mid 70s when a friend-with-connections loaned me a 16mm print of AGUIRRE THE WRATH OF GOD. Since then I've seen practically every film the man has directed, some of them many times. In the last 20 years Herzog has made some amazing documentaries and here he has written another one.
This is the story of Hiro Onoda, as Herzog heard it from him, one man's account of an endless war, a suspension in time. Onoda's story is accompanied by some breathtaking passages of pure Herzogian reflection. The whole is -- like so much of the man's work -- dreamlike and fantastic in a manner unique to the artist.
Absolutely recommended.
This is the story of Hiro Onoda, as Herzog heard it from him, one man's account of an endless war, a suspension in time. Onoda's story is accompanied by some breathtaking passages of pure Herzogian reflection. The whole is -- like so much of the man's work -- dreamlike and fantastic in a manner unique to the artist.
Absolutely recommended.
September 16, 2022
Pareltje.
July 26, 2025
(Werner Herzog voice)
This book I listened to whilst running and razing the miniature jungles that Americans name "lawns." Do ants dream of me? The daily heat and humidity is unescapable, although there is no time for the present. The heat of the day is the past, the temperateness of autumn is the future, leaving nothing for the present; it does not exist.
While running, your last step has already passed, and the next step has not yet happened. What does the present dream of? I removed my shirt to cool myself off. It was a futile gesture. Clouds of gnats hover over the path, and over the bridge in the woods where the electric lights don't reach. They do not see my approach, and their weak ears do not hear my footsteps.
When I next pass under a streetlight I look down at my torso and notice new freckles—no, not freckles. The corpses of gnats stuck to my honey-dense sweat and drowned. I flick them off my body and they fall to the pavement.
This book I listened to whilst running and razing the miniature jungles that Americans name "lawns." Do ants dream of me? The daily heat and humidity is unescapable, although there is no time for the present. The heat of the day is the past, the temperateness of autumn is the future, leaving nothing for the present; it does not exist.
While running, your last step has already passed, and the next step has not yet happened. What does the present dream of? I removed my shirt to cool myself off. It was a futile gesture. Clouds of gnats hover over the path, and over the bridge in the woods where the electric lights don't reach. They do not see my approach, and their weak ears do not hear my footsteps.
When I next pass under a streetlight I look down at my torso and notice new freckles—no, not freckles. The corpses of gnats stuck to my honey-dense sweat and drowned. I flick them off my body and they fall to the pavement.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 997 reviews