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Author: Kenzaburō ōe
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-09-01
Features: The Fall is a masterpiece by the renowned post-war Japanese writer Kenzaburō ōe, crafted after four years of arduous effort and released in 1999. The novel features two controversial characters, "The Master" and "The Guide," who founded a religious group. As the radical faction among the followers prepares to carry out a terrorist act of blowing up a nuclear power plant, "The Master" and "The Guide" perform a "somersault," declaring their doctrine to be false, foolish, and a farce. Consequently, the church dissolves, and the radical movement collapses. Ten years later, the two former leaders plan to make a comeback, but a series of unexpected events occur, and "The Master" fails to achieve any new accomplishments. At this very moment, a new "outsider" church quietly emerges.
Kenzaburō ōe explores the contradictions and conflicts within the souls of Japanese people in modern society. With its rich intellectual content and objective, thorough analysis of issues, The Fall surpasses his previous works in both depth and scope. As this Nobel laureate in literature himself believed, The Fall is his most important work, his longest novel, and possibly his last novel in his lifetime.