Scan barcode
A review by librar_bee
Inheritors by Asako Serizawa
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
4.25 stars. I adore a generational historical fiction novel, and Serizawa delivered a beautifully complex and winding saga that pulled me in from the start. Through lyrical prose, varied storytelling formats (narrative, interview, temporal shifts) from a variety of perspectives, Serizawa confronts legacy - of Japan as a colonizing force, Japanese-Americans as scapegoats and minorities, and questions what it means to inherit these histories.
This novel tackles the subjugation of women (Korean & Japanese) by the Japanese government and American occupiers, suicide missions, Unit 731, and even futuristic scenarios in the last two stories. About halfway through the book, the dialogue began to drone and I would have preferred to see the futuristic elements interspersed throughout the book the way the past and present were. All in all, though, this is a must-read for anyone interested in Japan and its specific sociocultural legacies.
This novel tackles the subjugation of women (Korean & Japanese) by the Japanese government and American occupiers, suicide missions, Unit 731, and even futuristic scenarios in the last two stories. About halfway through the book, the dialogue began to drone and I would have preferred to see the futuristic elements interspersed throughout the book the way the past and present were. All in all, though, this is a must-read for anyone interested in Japan and its specific sociocultural legacies.