Rouse Up O Young Men of the New Age!
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Rouse Up, O Young Men of the New Age! (新しい人よ、眼ざめよ; Atarashii hito yo mezameyo) is a 1983 semi-autobiographical novel by Japanese author Kenzaburo Oe, about his day-to-day life with his mentally handicapped son, Hikari (represented by an alter ego called "Eeyore") and the effect that William Blake's poetry has had on both his life and work.
[edit] Plot summary
The novelist K., similar but not identical to Oe, wishes to write a set of definitions to prepare handicapped children like his son for the real world. He struggles with definitions for concepts such as "death," only to learn that his son Eeyore has just as much to teach him about life. Oe relates his interpretations of events with Eeyore in light of Blake's poetry, and discusses the influence of and similarities between Blake's work on his own.
[edit] Major themes
Politics also become a theme of the novel. K. and Eeyore share a pool with former Tatenokai; Eeyore is kidnapped by radicals who wish to force K. into making some sort of political commitment; K. attends seminars in West Germany on nuclear proliferation.
[edit] Editions in English
(translated by John Nathan)
- hardback ISBN 0-8021-1710-4
- paperback ISBN 0-8021-3968-X
