March '06 discussion thread: When the Emperor Was Divine

[Caryl]

Here is our discussion thread for When the Emperor Was Divine, our March group read. As always, be cautious of reading the posts below if you haven't finished, as they may contain spoilers.

[SusanH]

Just bumping this because I started it today and am already nearly halfway through it. Very quick read, which has me intrigued and ready to find out what will happen next.

[rebeccav]

I finished it two weeks ago, when I get a minute I'll gather my thoughts and post on this thread too!

[carissanboys]

Where is everyone on this thread?! LOL

I read this book in one day. I've always found this topic to be an interesting one (and of course, sad). I'm not sure that I liked the way the story was told, from so many different views. Definitely a depressing story. It's so sad and pointless that these people's lives were forever changed and for the most part, ruined.

This was the author's first story, correct?

[Caryl]

Originally Posted by carissanboys

It's so sad and pointless that these people's lives were forever changed and for the most part, ruined.

This was the overwhelming feeling I had after finishing this book, Carissa. I can't understand how our country got away with doing something like this. I was impressed with the close-up look Otsuka gave us, the personal details, both before, during and after the family's experience in the internment camps.

I hope to get to this thread again to add a few more of my thoughts. And yes, I think this was the author's first novel.

[Caryl]

I am just now writing in my reading journal about this book, and I found myself agreeing with this exerpt from a Publisher's Weekly review:

The novel's honesty and matter-of-fact tone in the face of inconceivable injustice are the source of its power. Anger only comes to the fore during the last segment, when the father is allowed to tell his story-but even here, Otsuka keeps rage neatly bound up, luminous beneath the dazzling surface of her novel.

I also want to add that the part that is staying with me the most is the section about the family returning home. I still have vivid pictures in my head: sleeping together in the same room, afraid of the possibility of intruders; the way no one greeted them when they returned -- "Hey, it's great to have you back!"; staying silent and polite because you've learned from your experience it might not be safe to speak.

[SusanH]

I still haven't commented on this thread.

Overall, I liked the book but not as much as I thought I would. I felt distant from the characters for some reason and I disliked the final chapter which was overdone, imo. The same points had already been made with subtlety and suddenly I felt like I was being beaten over the head with everything in case I hadn't been paying attention. "Ohhhh, so it was wrong to lock up innocent people for years on end for no reason other than their ethnic heritage? Well, why didn't you just SAY so?!"

Of course, I'm pregnant and cranky. It was worth reading, I think, just not quite the definitive book on the Japanese-American experience. I think a better book could be written on the topic.

[rebeccav]

Susan, I felt the same way about the ending.

I found it interesting that I still felt I "knew" the characters even though the author never gave them names, and also that the story seemed to focus mostly on the girl. It followed the thoughs and actions of each family member at some point, but I found it mostly followed the daughter, and I wonder why that was. I was interested in hearing the story of the mother, but she seemed to fade away over time and I felt less connected with her as the book went on.

I happened to be eating breakfast while I read the first few chapters and got to the part about the mother dealing with the family pets before they had to leave - and the part about the dog - !! I nearly choked! I didn't see that coming!

I'd known very little about the experience of Japanese Americans during WWII, and while reading this I was astounded at the injustice of it! DH and I had interesting discussions about what was done and why, though!