Deep river (edició 1996)

In this moving novel, a group of Japanese tourists, each of whom is wrestling with his or her own demons, travels to the River Ganges on a pilgrimage of grace.

Reality - compelling and drew me into it ... ( )

This is the second book that I have read by Roman Catholic, Japanese Author Shūsaku Endō. His books, Silence and Deep River are both included on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. Endō explores religion, especially Catholicism and the Japanese culture in his writings. In this book, set during the time period when Indira Ghandi, prime minister of India, was assassinated examines the lives of 4 Japanese who are on a tour to India to visit Buddhist sites.
1. Osamu Isobe, a man looking for his reincarnated wife.
2. Mitsuko Naruse, a former housewife who takes a trip both as a pilgrimage and to see her ex-boyfriend Otsu as atonement for mistreating him
3. Numada, a bird watcher who wants to set a bird in his possession free.
4. Kiguchi, a former WWII Imperial Japanese Army soldier.
These characters are on a journey, a pilgrimage and it is the story of their individual pilgrimage. The deep river is the Ganges where all peoples are taken in and flow together.
This was an interesting book and look at both Japanese and Indian culture. One point the author makes; I think, is that all Gods are the same God and that in seeking God, no matter which God, that Jesus is born again in that person. Another point in the book is that peoples, cultures, and religions are at odds with each other and in the best circumstances, conflict remains. I personally did not enjoy the descriptions of the river but also believe that the author did an excellent job of painting the picture of the river bank and of India (without using the camera). This book did not inspire me to want to visit India. ( )

In this novel Endo looks at the motives for several Japanese tourists to visit India. Their tour guide, a Japanese man who moved to India permanently after studying there, feels most come to visit Buddhists sites, though Buddhism is no longer big in India. Others come to stare.

This group, though, has a variety: Kiguchi, a veteran who survived the march through Burma, thanks to a friend; Isobe, whose wife recently died and asked him to find her reincarnated self; Mitsuko, divorced middle-aged woman, volunteer at the hospital Isobe's wife died in; Numada, a children's author who has recovered from a bad illness; Otsu is a college acquaintance of Mitsuko, now lives in India though he is technically a Catholic priest, but his philosophy matches Hinduism much better. Sanjo and his wife, newlyweds, play the part of the more typical tourists (complaining about the smell, the heat, the dirt, while trying to take pictures).

Interesting, and thankfully short, but the characters who travel all learn something about themselves, even if it is not what they were hoping to find. ( )

This book reminds me of the Canterbury Tales (Chaucer), and of The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder. Like those books, Deep River is a collection of character sketches tied together by a situation, in this case a group of Japanese tourists on a tour of India. The author explores themes of death and rebirth, faith and religions(especially Christianity and Buddhism), and suffering in its various forms. ( )