Somersault

Rating:
Summary: Splendid, Thoughtful Look At Religion from Oe
Review: Kenzaburo Oe gives a thoughtful, occasionally engaging, look at religious fanaticism in his latest novel "Somersault". It is a dense depiction of the rise, fall, and subsequent rise of a religious cult. It is also an intigruing look into homosexuality in Japan and other types of societal relationships. Told primarily from the perspective of Japanese expatriate artist and professor Kizu, the story slowly unravels, taking us to and from and then back to Japan. Regrettably Oe doesn't spend as much time describing the religious values of the cult or why it had such appeal among its members. Still this is an insightful work of fiction from one of the world's foremost contemporary novelists.

Rating:
Summary: What was that all about?
Review: What really puzzled me after reading the book was: What exactly is Patron's religious movement all about? Aside from preaching that the end of the world is near and people should repent, little else is revealed about the core beliefs of Patron's religion. This is mainly because Patron discusses his religion at a personal level: the deep trances he goes into, his relationship with Guide, the Somersault incident,etc.. Most of the time he talks about his own personal experience rather than putting forth any set of beliefs. So it's hard for the reader to comprehend why Patron can attract so many followers when he expresses his own religion in such vague and abstract terms.