An Artist of the Floating World

What was it like for the Japanese to wage a world war and lose it? Through one man's eyes we see the pride and patriotism, the devastation and losses, the shame and reversals. Our witness is an artist, trained to see and re-create--but can we trust the memory-pictures he paints? As spare and intricately crafted as a poem, the text (by the author of THE REMAINS OF THE DAY) is perfectly complemented by Case's refined, aristocratic voice and nearly flawless reading. For the artist-narrator, Case creates a subtle and complex characterization that reveals its secrets gradually, like the novel itself. Other characters are delicately and amusingly differentiated. Highly recommended--both the novel and the recording demand to be enjoyed more than once. S.P. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine