Rating: 
Summary: content? in a nonfiction? i didnt think that existed....
Review: i had originally expected this to be another cookie cutter books about what had happened and why we should all feel sorry and the like. what surprised me later on as i got on in reading it was that had one been not yet informed on the unlikely event of august 6, 1945, one might think it to be a rather compelling fiction story. it was much akin to Night and The Grapes of Wrath in that it told a story about something often taken for granted. one thing is for certain though; read this before you go out and see pearl harbor. it puts nonbiased views better in place.
Rating:
Summary: Slow at times, but worth the read
Review: Although this book progressed quite slow at times (and at others, the reader was overwhelmed with seemingly meaningless facts) the writing and research obviously took Hersey time. He invested that time well, as the final product shows. This alone saves this book from a lower rating because of the slowness and overwhelming facts.
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Summary: Hiroshima- Love it or Hate it
Review: A book should be like a black hole, it should pull the reader in towards it, and leave the reader with a felling of amazement. Hiroshima did not leave me with that feeling; by the end of the book I felt a sense of disappointment and confusion. Hiroshima is a historical-fiction novel based on the dropping of the Atomic Bomb. The author, John Hersey, was very confusing and graphic in describing each character's situation throughout the entire novel. These six characters were introduced to me within one paragraph. From that point on I was confused, then I became frustrated. The only reason that I read the book further was because I thought that it would get better and more exciting, but it didn't. The book described each character's reaction to the Atomic Bomb in an unorganized fashion. For example the book began with Ms. Sasaki being crushed by a bookshelf located behind her; this caused her left leg to break. Next, we met Mr. Tanimoto, who was unloading clothes at a friend's house when the bomb went off. Then, the author shifted to Mrs. Nakamura, a tailor's widow, who was in her house at the time of the bombing. Next, we met Dr. Fujii, who was sitting on a porch in his private hospital when the blast occurred. Then, Father Kleinsorge a German priest, was introduced, he was in his room when the Atomic Bomb detonated. After we met Father Kleinsorge, Dr. Sasaki was brought into play, he was carrying a blood sample in the Red Cross Hospital when the bomb went off, and a cinder block wall shielded him. After reading this incoherent chapter I felt utterly confused. In the follow chapters, instead of explaining what happens to each character, one at a time, the author tells as little as possible about one character before he switches to the next character. I learned that Mr. Tanimoto avoided the blast by diving behind a rock. The author then changed to Mrs. Nakamura; who was buried in debris, after digging herself out she then dug her children out of the debris. She then left her toppled home and preceded with her family to Asano Park, a safe haven for the wounded. For no apparent reason the author then began to tell us about Father Kleinsorge who, after the bomb exploded, began to pull people from the wreckage. After less than two pages of discussion about Father Kleinsorge, the author began to talk about Dr. Fujii, who had fallen off his porch into the river, and was pinned between two pieces of timber. Dr. Fujii, after being trapped between the fallen lumber found that his arm was badly injured. Before I could fully compensate this situation the author "pulled a one-eighty on me" and began to reiterate what he said earlier about Father Kleinsorge, this time he eluded to how heroic Father Kleinsorge was, and how he helped save his fellow priests and parishioners. After these brief details, the author began to speak again of Mr. Tanimoto and how he had ran several miles to find the other priests in his congregation to give them aid. After three pages of discussion about Mr. Tanimoto, Ms. Sasaki was brought into the picture. She was trapped under the bookcase for a long time, and after being rescued she was left outside in the courtyard, unable to move because of her leg. Before I could fully understand the graveness of Ms. Sasaki's injury, Dr. Fujii was reintroduced, he was said to have traveled to his parents' roofless house, where he stayed for a few days. Once there he wished he were better so he could tend to the people in Asano Park, but he wasn't. The "last section" of chapter-two told of how Mrs. Nakamura, once in Ascano Park, found it extremely difficult to receive food, water, or medical treatment. Also in this "section" Father Kleinsorge was told to have been fighting fires in Ascano Park, which were sweeping through the woods. He also fetched water for the wounded victims who lied helplessly on the ground. At the end of chapter-two the author talked about Mr. Tanimoto, who went to the riverbank and stole a boat from five dead men. He then began to ferry victims across the river to Asano Park where they would be safe from the raging fire on the opposing side of the riverbank. The last three chapters of the novel were very incoherent, much like chapter one and two. Chapter-three was very unorganized, and like chapter-two, the author bounced from character to character. I found it very difficult to realize the main topic of this chapter. But after much analysis I realized that it was a chapter about people dealing with the injuries they had sustained, and the losses that they had suffered. By chapter-four the author hadn't changed his odd style of writing, and still I was confused. Chapter-four, mainly talked about the effects of the bomb, such as radiation sickness and how it affected each character. Also chapter-four foreshadowed what lied ahead for or each of the six characters. Finally, in chapter-five the author became a little bit more orthodox. In chapter-five the author told what happened to each of the characters after the bomb, and how they rebuilt their lives. This was a very powerful chapter, and I was able to absorb the full affect because the author didn't bounce from one character to another. The book Hiroshima, because of its layout, was confusing and it had a limited sense of organization. Even though the book was confusing, it still showed me how senseless the dropping of the Atomic Bomb was and how this destruction affected so many lives. I would persuade a person not the read this book unless they can pick facts out from the text and keep track of them. If not, the reader will be utterly confused throughout the entire novel just like I was.
Rating:
Summary: Suffering and the will to survive
Review: On August 6, 1945, in a final attempt to end World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The novel Hiroshima, by John Hersey, tells the story of six survivors of the bombing. The novel demonstrates that, in life there are those who suffer and drown in the pain, and those who suffer but rise to the occasion and show greatness in times of need. The author shows the reader that suffering and struggling for survival or "stepping up" in a difficult time are two human conditions that are valid both historically and today. Hersey wrote that following the explosion of the bomb, "They reported that 78,150 people had been killed, 13,983 were missing, and 37,425 had been injured." (103) Although these statistics seem extremely daunting, this novel doesn't focus on all of the deceased, but focuses on the stories of six of the strong and lucky who survived. For example, Dr. Terufumi Sasaki, a young surgeon, was one of the only doctors to survive the tragedy. Without the use of his own glasses, he took care of thousands of victims and didn't sleep for long periods of time so he could assist those who were injured. Similarly, Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto, the pastor of the Hiroshima Methodist church, went to a park and brought water to those suffering and transported them to refuge across a river by way of a boat that Tanimoto, himself, took back and forth. His goal was to help as many people as he possibly could. Both men selflessly worked to save the lives of numerous other citizens. Similarly, Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge was a German priest who tried to help one of the other priests who was dying. While he helped only a single person survive, in the scheme of things, one life can truly make a difference. The other three characters, Dr. Masakazu Fuji, Miss. Toshika Sasaki, and Mrs. Hastuyo Nakamura all struggled to survive and fought through their own intense pain to survive. Mrs. Nakamura did everything possible to save herself and the lives of her children, who she loved dearly. All six characters display the will to survive and to help those in need. Even though the novel focuses primarily on six stories of people who survive, it also gives attention to those who die because they don't have the will or they are helpless and cannot survive grave injuries. Also, it is important to remember that in the case of an atomic bomb, some were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. For example, a man named Mr. Fukai, was being helped away from the fires by Father Kleinsorge, and ran back into the disasters to die because he did not have the will and the power to survive. Also, as Dr. Sasaki was helping patients, all of those hopelessly injured, laid on the ground and just moaned Doctor! Doctor! but could not help themselves. One man was said to have been tearing down his own home because "it lay in the path of an air-raid-defense fire lane, when the bomb hit and wrecked it anyway. This is just the case of a man being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hence, fate may be more significant than will.Unfortunately, many people were "in the wrong place at the wrong time" when the bomb hit Hiroshima, which is why there were so many victims and so few survivors. The six characters who did survived may have been lucky, but they also had the overwhelming desire and will to live. The true hero is someone who rises up in a time of need. In this novel, some of the main characters definitely displayed this type of heroic behavior and were outstanding human beings because of it. One would suggest that those who do not drown in pain but rather fight through it are the ones who make a difference. Today, even though there are few many bombs being dropped, some people still exemplify the will to survive while others suffer and crumble with the pain. The novel, Hiroshima, displays these human conditions beautifully.
Rating: 
Summary: A Modern Classic
Review: The Saturday Review of Books claimed that anyone who is able to read should read this book. I wholeheartedly agree. The city of Hiroshima was destroyed by the first atomic bomb on April 6, 1945. This book begins on that day, detailing the terrible destruction and the hardships that fell on the citizens of the city.The book follows the lives of several survivors-a doctor, a housewife, and a German priest among others-as they struggle through the ruins of their homes and the lingering effects the radiation had on their lives for decades afterwards. Hiroshima is a testament to humanity and its will to survive, to move on, and try desperately to not repeat the tragedies of the past. Appropriately, Hiroshima points no fingers of blame, but instead shows the best humanity has to offer in the face of unspeakable horror.
Rating:
Summary: A lot of bang for the buck
Review: This is one of those books that is worth the price of admission many times over. It contains the stories of several survivors of the nuclear bombardment of Hiroshima, from what they were setting out to do that fateful morning until how their lives turned out decades latter. The first portion of the book, dealing with the survivors' stories of the bombing and its immediate aftermath, was the stronger of the two. It was as haunting, mesmorizing, and terrifying read as I have ever had, yet weighed in at only about a little over hundred pages. The latter portion of the book, which Hersey added years later to show how his subjects' lives had turned out, was somewhat disappointing. Overall, this is still an excellent book, whose haunting images will remain with you for the rest of your life. Well worth a few bucks and a couple of hours.
Rating:
Summary: Book Review
Review: The book Hiroshima, by John Hersey, follows the lives of six survivors of the Atomic Bomb, dropped on the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 at 8:15 AM. The book chronicles the lives of these six survivors up to forty years after the dropping of the bomb. On that day, more then 100,000 Japanese were killed, and these six were fortunate to live through it. The survivors had to continue their lives through their will to survive, overcoming all obstacles such as pain, poverty, disease, famine, and lack of humanity. The survivors of the bomb had to live the rest of their lives suffering with more then just their physical pain, but also with their social non-acceptance. People would not hire A-bomb victims, or Hibakusha (literally- explosion affected people) because Non-Hibakusha employers developed a prejudice against survivors, and their descendents. The employers were scared that victims would come down with a disease making them unreliable workers. This was the case for survivor Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura. Mrs. Nakamura, weak and poor, began a courageous struggle, which would last for many years, to keep herself and her children alive. She was forced to work many laborious jobs, such as delivering loaves of bread, selling fish, and cleaning houses for her neighbors, and still earned barely enough money to put food on the table. Because of her weakened condition due to radiation exposure, Mrs. Nakamura had to rest for two of three days for every week she worked. Help to her did not come until 1957, thirteen years after the bombing, when the Diet, the congress of Japan, passed the A-bomb Victims Medical Care law, which gave free medical care to survivors. Other survivors of the Atomic Bomb went through pain, both physically and socially, as a direct result of the explosion. Miss Toshinki Sasaki, at the time of the explosion, was at work talking to a co-worker. The force of the bomb knocked down bookcases, which landed on Miss Sasaki's left leg, crushing it instantly. When rescuers found her, they carried her into a field, under a tin roof, next to two dying people, whose skin was peeling off. Here she sat for two days without any food or water, with terrible pain. Three years before the explosion, Miss Sasaki was engaged to be married, by arrangements through her parents. The couple liked each other, and accepted the arrangements. The two started a life together, but her fiancé was drafted into the war. Upon his return, after the bombing, he did not come back to her. His family had had second thoughts on allowing their son to marry a Hibakusha and a cripple. Miss Sasaki eventually gave up hope on finding a husband, and decided to become a nun. Besides continuing difficulties with her leg, she endured liver dysfunction, night sweats and morning fevers, borderline angina, and blood spots. At a banquet celebrating her twenty-fifth anniversary of becoming a nun, Miss Sasaki made a speech. "...It is as if I had been given a spare life when I survived the A-bomb. But I prefer not to look back. I shall keep moving forward." Miss Sasaki had a forgiving heart and decided to keep moving foreword with her life. She was going to have the bomb affect her life in the smallest way possible. The survivors in this novel are great examples on how life goes on, even after the human spirit has endured all types of hardships. Miss Toshinki Sasaki and Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura continued living their lives, making it as best as possible. They overcame pain, poverty, disease and famine also getting through a time of discrimination. This book is definitely worth reading because it shows the human beings willingness to live, even after experiencing ones worst time in life.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Message...But Boring!
Review: This book held a very strong message. In telling of the lives of six people that survived the bomb, we learn not only their stories, but we also feel a bit of the enormity of the disaster the bomb at Hiroshima caused. We learn that the effects of the atomic bomb didn't end a few days after it was dropped. It ended the lives of many, and changed those of all the citizens of Hiroshima. The fact is, however, that the book was very boring and confusing. It is necesary to read a chapter two or three times to take in everthing that happened. If you are willing overcome that aspect of the novel, then you should buy this novel without delay. I wasn't able to do so. That's why I gave it three stars.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling.....war is a terrible thing!!!!!
Review: This timeless classic about the first hand account of the dropping of "the bomb" on Hiroshima. Everyone should read this quick and shocking read. Not for the weak of stomach!
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Summary: A review fit for an essay
Review: Pulitzer prize-winning author John Hersey, was born in Tientsin in 1914. He attended Yale and Cambridge Universities. He is also the past president of the Author's League of America and the past Chancellor of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is married and has five children and three grandchildren. In 1946, his novel HIROSHIMA was published. It is a record of the experiences of six survivors, where they were when the bomb hit, what the immediate effects were, and what the permanent effects were. When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, not many could have anticipated its potential for devastation. The words of Miss Sasaki, Dr. Fujii, Mrs. Nakamura, Father Kleinsorge, Dr. Sasaki, and the Reverend Tanimoto gave a face to the statistics that filled the media and brought upon an overwhelming public response. Whether you believe the bomb made the difference in the war or that it should never have been dropped, "Hiroshima" is a great novel that describes the shadow of armed conflict. Hersey goes into great detail describing how quickly the bomb hit, with no warning or anything of that nature. Like, Miss Sasaki was just turning her head to speak to a fellow co-worker when she was struck out of her desk and pinned in by a bookshelf. He describes the mangled limbs and bodies, and the smells of dead carcasses. Then, to bring more shock and revulsion, he returns to bring the condition of these pitiful souls forty years later. HIROSHIMA is great for anyone who believes that "The Japanese had it coming", or that America was completely in the right to get an equivalent view of the matter. It is also great for anyone who doesn't concur with the American decision to bomb Japan. It is an exceptional novel for anyone of any age, and I vastly recommend it.
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