Goodreads | Harp of Burma (UNESCO Collection of Contemporary Works) by Michio Takeyama

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Claire rated it:

01/09/08

Michio Takeyama, author of Harp of Burma, was born in Osaka, Japan in 1903. He spent many of his childhood years in Seoul, Korea and later graduated from the German Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University. After the great success of Harp of Burma, Michio gave up his career as a professor of German literature to focus on literature and literary criticism. Harp of Burma recounts the journey of a company of Japanese soldiers in Burma at the end of World War II. The men encounter many har...more

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Carolinem rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

The novel, harp of burma by Michio Takeyama, was about the lives of a group of musical Japanese soldiers who were P.O.Ws in Burma after WWII ended. They face many challenges, especially when they do not know the whereabouts of a beloved soldier. Most of the book is about the soldiers trying to find out where he is, if he is even alive. Takeyama has also ritten, The Scars of War: Tokyo During World War II: Writings of Takeyama Michio. WWII is a common theme in his novels, and does have japanese h...more

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Heidi rated it:

01/13/08

Written by Michio Takeyama, Harp of Burma is a war novel taking place during World War II in Burma, which is now called Myanmar. Takeyama wrote the novel in 1946, and it was later translated into English in 1996. The novel demonstrates the significance of music in a soldier’s life. The Japanese soldiers who were known as the “singing company”, sang songs and played instruments to cheer themselves up during rough times, and also times of rejoice. The main character of the story, corporal Mi...more Written by Michio Takeyama, Harp of Burma is a war novel taking place during World War II in Burma, which is now called Myanmar. Takeyama wrote the novel in 1946, and it was later translated into English in 1996. The novel demonstrates the significance of music in a soldier’s life. The Japanese soldiers who were known as the “singing company”, sang songs and played instruments to cheer themselves up during rough times, and also times of rejoice. The main character of the story, corporal Mizushima, was an inspiration to his company. He left to go on a mission and did not return, making his company think he was dead, until they later found out he had been disguising himself as a monk.
Mizushima’s disguise surprised me the most in Harp of Burma. I thought the whole situation was extremely ironic. His company had been seeing him everyday and did not know it, thinking he was dead the whole time. Although they made observations of recognizing the monk as Mizushima, they did not believe it was him. The company thought they lost their best corporal in a mission to retrieve soldiers, but all along he had been right there by their sides.
I thought Harp of Burma had quite a few weaknesses. Some of the major ones were the gruesome details, the insignificant information, and the lack of description for most characters. Takeyama described some of the death situations with too much detail. I did not enjoy reading about the cannibals in so much detail. On the other hand I thought some other events were not described with enough detail. Some parts of the story that I thought were significant were brushed by such as the surrendering of the Japanese. That seemed like a major event to me, but it was only mentioned, not described. I also did not like how none of the characters had names. Mizushima was the only character with a name, and the rest of the soldiers were labeled as “the singing company.” I thought more characters should have been individualized and given names.
Although I thought the novel had weaknesses, Harp of Burma was the easiest war novel to understand. It did not go into chapters of unnecessary information like most books about war do. It was also fairly simple to understand, not using words from centuries ago. I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys a story about war, and also likes a book with plenty of symbolism. Overall I thought Harp of Burma was an exceptional book demonstrating the importance of music and leadership during war.
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Matt rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: anyone.

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The Harp of Burma was written by Michio Takeyama and a World War 2 story told from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers in Burma, now known as Myanmar. The novel follows a group of soldiers known as the singing company because they always sing to keep their spirits up. A soldier in the singing company named Mizushima plays the harp to accompany all of the company's songs and he uses the harp to save the company from death on many occasions. The Japanese eventually surrender and the si...more The Harp of Burma was written by Michio Takeyama and a World War 2 story told from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers in Burma, now known as Myanmar. The novel follows a group of soldiers known as the singing company because they always sing to keep their spirits up. A soldier in the singing company named Mizushima plays the harp to accompany all of the company's songs and he uses the harp to save the company from death on many occasions. The Japanese eventually surrender and the singing company is taken prisoner. Mizushima is asked by the captain of the singing company if he will briefly leave the company to help the British convince a group of die hard Japanese to surrender. Mizushima agrees and sets off on his mission. He never returns to the POW camp and the singing company is left filled with doubt about what happened to Mizushima. One day a monk appears around the POW camp that resembles Mizushima and the company hears harp music playing while they are out working. Finally, when the company is about to be released and sent back to Japan, the monk reveals himself as Mizushima, but refuses to rejoin the company. He later explains in a letter that he has decided to remain in Burma to give all of the dead and forgotten Japanese a proper burial.

The characterization is the novel was very well done. Mizushima was the only character with a name and the author did a great job showing how he was split between staying in Burma as a monk or returning to Japan throughout the novel. The author also did a great job of portraying the company's feeling about Mizushima's disappearance, especially the captains feelings. Besides the expert characterization, the author did a great job weaving a deep plot that didn't just involve Mizushima deciding that he liked Burma better, but deciding that the dead needed to be honored, which came as a total surprise to the reader. The author did a great job describing the contrast of Japanese and Burmese culture.

I found that a major weakness in the book was that Mizushima's adventures could have been described in a more exciting way. The way the author spoke of him sitting in the middle of the battlefield playing his harp as bullets whizzed by didn't capture Mizushima's fear or how tense the situation was at all. I also felt that the author could have used more descriptive language. Although I found that the descriptions of the Burmese culture were great, more descriptive language would have allowed me to imagine what Burma looked like, not just what the culture was like.

Overall, I thought that the novel was a very enjoyable read because its lack of description of setting and action was easily made up for with the authors descriptions of Burmese culture. I thought the plot was very entertaining and although it was not unthinkable that Mizushima decided to remain in Burma, his reasons took the reader completely by surprise. I would recommend this book for anyone because I found it interesting and none of the topics covered in the book appeal to my interests, so anyone, no matter what their interests, could find this book enjoyable....less

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Sherean rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

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The Harp of Burma was written by Michio Takeyama and was published in 1946, translated into English in 1966. The Harp of Burma takes place in Burma, now called Myanmar, during WWII. It is about a Japanese War Company, who sing to help them get through their hard times. Corporal Mizushima is the soldier all the other soldiers in the company honor and adore, and they all hope to someday become just like him. After the company surrenders because the war is over, Mizushima is sent to tell another co...more The Harp of Burma was written by Michio Takeyama and was published in 1946, translated into English in 1966. The Harp of Burma takes place in Burma, now called Myanmar, during WWII. It is about a Japanese War Company, who sing to help them get through their hard times. Corporal Mizushima is the soldier all the other soldiers in the company honor and adore, and they all hope to someday become just like him. After the company surrenders because the war is over, Mizushima is sent to tell another company of Japanese who are fighting against British soldiers and trapped in a mountain to surrender. The rest of the Japanese are transferred to a P.O.W. camp, in Mudon, where they wait eagerly each day for Mizushima’s return.
I found the novel very intriguing and informative. It was not one of those boring, informative, and monotonous war novels, like The Killer Angels, but it was a short, mellow, and easily understandable novel. I enjoyed how a person could be able to understand very easily as to what exactly was going on in the novel. The amount of symbolism that was used in this novel I felt was very unique because in most novels there is not that much amount of symbolism, and this caused me to really appreciate and enjoy symbolism. I also liked the way the novel kept comparing Japanese culture to Burmese culture and how you got to learn about to different cultures at the same time. Reading about WWII from the viewpoint of the other side I think also put a lot into perspective because it made you understand that even if they were our enemy, war is the same on both sides, soldiers struggling to go by day by day.
Although the novel was a pleasure to read, there were some parts of the plot I did not like. I think the author could have shortened the part of the novel about what the soldiers lives were like as POW’s. The ending could have been more interesting because I would have liked to learn more about how the soldiers were after they came back to Japan and if Mizushima was able to perform his monk duties and bury all the dead Japanese soldiers. I think the story might have been more interesting if we had known the narrator’s name or more names of various members of the company. It was quite nerve racking throughout the novel reading about only a few selected members of the company, it made it seem as if the other troops in the company were not important.
Although I disliked a few things with the plot, I found this novel to be a light, easy, and enjoyable read. It is informative about the Burmese, Japanese, and the war, yet while it still remains some what fictional and story like. I would recommend this novel to people who are curious to find out about other cultures, interested in learning more about WWII, or entranced by tails of war.
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Brooke rated it:

01/09/08

"Harp of Burma"

Michio Takeyama, author of "Harp of Burma", shows the reader the suffering of Japan during and after World War II. He tells the stories of a single Japanese company, and he shares their misfortunes and struggles. Michio Takeyama was born in 1903 Osaka, Japan, but moved to many places throughout his life; he died in 1984. Harp of Burma won Michio Takeyama fame and a major literary prize (Mainichi Shuppan Bunkasho) and was made into a well-known movie, also ...more "Harp of Burma"

Michio Takeyama, author of "Harp of Burma", shows the reader the suffering of Japan during and after World War II. He tells the stories of a single Japanese company, and he shares their misfortunes and struggles. Michio Takeyama was born in 1903 Osaka, Japan, but moved to many places throughout his life; he died in 1984. Harp of Burma won Michio Takeyama fame and a major literary prize (Mainichi Shuppan Bunkasho) and was made into a well-known movie, also award-winning. Although he is known for this novel, he has spent most of his writing career translating German philosophy and poetry and writing in literary magazines about his political beliefs. He wrote one other book, "Scars", but it is not as popular. Michio paints a vivid picture of the crash of Japan’s prosperity and the extent of its damage.
The flowing language, subtle foreshadowing, and many examples of symbolism really made the book. Michio’s foreshadowing is enough to creep the reader into suspicion without having the future events be obvious. He sets the reader into the Japanese viewpoint of World War II, showing differing opinions from our American ones and the Japanese set of values as they are being turned. He clearly shows the difference in our cultures through many experiences of the Japanese soldiers. He writes of the Japanese' surprise and disbelief, and the extreme contrast between two societies, the Burmese and the Japanese. I enjoyed the unpredictability and steady flow of events. Michio’s imagery of the intense moments of war and monotony of being captured is wonderful. I got tense just reading about how the Japanese soldiers could never be caught off guard, always had to be wary, and could never sleep the whole night during the war. I enjoyed the presence of music throughout the entire novel, because I could easily relate to it. Takeyama wrote this novel with care, and it’s easy to tell by its quality.
"Harp of Burma" is thoroughly enjoyable and exciting, and there are not many faults or many things missing. My only slight complaint is that I would have liked to have heard descriptions of the landscape and scenery that the Japanese would see. This would help readers visualize things better, and see even clearer from the soldiers' viewpoint. Also, there was a bit too much content as the soldiers were learning about the monk and Mizushima, and there might have been one fact leading to their arguments whether he was or was not the same person that could be left out. It was the only lengthy part of the book, yet it was still enjoyable. This book was well crafted, and it’s difficult to find any flaws at all.
Despite its one or two flaws, "Harp of Burma" by Michio Takeyama is intriguing and is a wonderful read for anyone with knowledge of World War II. There is no way that the book will not affect them in some way, because it is simply inevitable. The book holds the attention of the reader the whole way through and is well-written and wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciate its message to take a step back and think about what you want instead of rushing to gain power and money.
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Michelle rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: War-book-lovers

Harp of Burma by Michio Takeyama follows the adventures of a Japanese company in WWII. The soldiers of this company use music to pull them through hardships and celebrate their few triumphs. The corporal, Mizushima Yasuhiko, accompanies the singing company on his harp. He is a young, serious soldier that eventually realizes his longing for the natural, spiritual life of the Burmese natives. When the company is finally captured and informed of Japan’s loss, they are taken to a POW cam...more Harp of Burma by Michio Takeyama follows the adventures of a Japanese company in WWII. The soldiers of this company use music to pull them through hardships and celebrate their few triumphs. The corporal, Mizushima Yasuhiko, accompanies the singing company on his harp. He is a young, serious soldier that eventually realizes his longing for the natural, spiritual life of the Burmese natives. When the company is finally captured and informed of Japan’s loss, they are taken to a POW camp. There, Mizushima is given the task to cajole an adamant and foolish Japanese company to surrender. He disappears, and shows up a year later, only to inform his comrades that he cannot return to Japan with them. He feels he has the duty to bury the forgotten Japanese dead in Burma. The singing company eventually accepts that Mizushima’s spirit lies in Burma, and leave for their war-torn homelands. The reformed monk and the company part. The company returns to rebuild their desolate, broken homeland, Japan. Michio Takeyama has also written several other Japanese books: Shuyaku to Shite No Kindai, Ushinawareta Seishun, Supein No Nisegane, and The Scars of War: Tokyo during World War II. He started his literary career translating German works into Japanese. During his later life, he favored literary criticism and analyzed Western civilizations. He was born in 1903 and died in 1961.
The book gave readers a perspective of the war from the side of the enemy. The book allows people to realize that the Japanese soldiers with human emotions. They have the same feelings as soldiers in WWII stories Americans usually read about. We as Americans forget that sometimes, generalizing that all of our enemies in the war were cold and ruthless. The novel also showed the life of the native, the simple and peaceful Burmese people. These may people seem primitive, but the violence and strife that comes with modernization are absent in their lifestyle and principles. The author portrays these aboriginal and pious tribes truthfully, giving them the respect they deserve.
Harp of Burma has a few areas where it lacks. The author does a mediocre job of foreshadowing, causing the book to become predictable. Readers could easily imagine what the next event would be, ruining the suspense. The section concerning the cannibalistic natives was also unappealing. I know I did not want to read about a group of savages feigning hospitality towards a man just to cook him, soak their dumplings in his sweat, and cut him up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
Overall, Harp of Burma is a very enjoyable book to read. Anyone who loves a good war story and reading about fearless heroes will love the unothodox singing company. Michio Takeyama successfully portrays the neglected side of WWII. New light was shed on the courageous warriors and Japanese who were manipulated into believing they would be victorious. Many gave their lives for what they thought was a heroic cause. Their efforts were futile in the end, but their emotions of fear and anguish can be relived through Harp of Burma. ...less

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Emily rated it:

01/09/08

“Harp of Burma”, a captivating novel written by Micho Takeyama (1903-1983), is an overall interesting read. Takeyama was a Japanese novelist and German scholar, who known for translating German works into Japanese. “Harp of Burma” is one of his more prominent writings, which explores a world into the life of a group of P.O.W’s after the Second World War.
This novel was chalk full of interesting details. I liked how the author portrayed the conflict between the modern, westernizing wo...more

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Jill rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

Harp of Burma is an intriguing Japanese war novel written by Michio Takeyama. Takeyama was involved in several occupations including a literary critic and a German translator as well as being an author. He translated such works as An Anthology, Thus Spake Zarathustra, and Out of My Life and Thought: An Autobiography. He has also analyzed Western civilization in his literary magazine, Jiyu, which means “freedom”. Despite all of these publications, Harp of Burma is the book that made Takeyama...more

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Brian rated it:

01/09/08

bookshelves: shelf-one

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: Everybody

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HA rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: readers who enjoy warefare and learning about different cultures

"Harp of Burma", written by Michio Takeyama tells the story of a Japanese group of soldiers stationed in Burma. To pass the time and lift their spirits they enjoy singing together. The men are accompanied by their fellow soldier, Mizushima on the harp. Takeyama was taught German and was also a literary critic. His interests as a writer were quite diverse. Other books written by him include "On Human Beings", "Freedom", and "The Japanese and the Beauty".
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Ally rated it:

01/09/08

Harp of Burma by Michio Takeyama is a book told from the perspective of a nameless World War II Japanese soldier, stationed in Burma, and taken into a small town of Mudon as a Prisoner of War. The company of which he belongs is a passionate group of men who love music. They sing all the time, to express their emotions and to accompany their leader, Mizushima, on his harp. The tale takes you through the tropical Asian country formerly known as Burma (now named Myanmar) and follows the lif...more

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Chris rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

Harp of Burma is one of Michio Takeyama best novels. Other writings he has written include Showa no Seishin-shi and the Jiyu. Takeyama was born in July 21, 1899 in Osaka, Japan. He was inspired to write this book after he saw his Tokyo destroyed by air raids. This book is a world known novel and there has been a movie based off the novel. In this novel, a singing company in WW2 losses one of its favorite members. After being taken as POW’s they lose hope that their comrade, Mizushima will retu...more

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Layla rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

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Harp of Burma, by Michio Takeyama is a heart-warming novel about a group of musically talented Japanese soldiers in Burma during WWII. Michio Takeyama was born in Osaka, Japan in 1903, but grew up in Seoul, South Korea. He pursued a career in education after graduating from the German Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University and became a scholar on German literature. Soon after, he began publishing his writing, and now he has written numerous books in both Japanese and English. Har...more Harp of Burma, by Michio Takeyama is a heart-warming novel about a group of musically talented Japanese soldiers in Burma during WWII. Michio Takeyama was born in Osaka, Japan in 1903, but grew up in Seoul, South Korea. He pursued a career in education after graduating from the German Literature Department of Tokyo Imperial University and became a scholar on German literature. Soon after, he began publishing his writing, and now he has written numerous books in both Japanese and English. Harp of Burma takes the reader through the journeys of a Japanese company in Burma during WWII who is filled with musical enthusiasm. When the company’s closest friend and most loyal soldier, Mizushima, goes missing, the men’s thoughts dwell on his absence and are intent on finding him. The company realizes in the end that Mizushima has become what he has always wanted, a Burmese monk who serves the Japanese by burying the dead soldiers, and leave him in Burma to fulfill his duty.
One of the best things about Harp of Burma is how visually stimulating it is. Throughout the story, you can vividly picture what is going on in your mind’s eye. When Mizushima went missing, this is very prominent. The monk that Mizushima is described as is done so with such meticulous detail that every inch of the man can easily be pictured. At another point in the book, a beautiful peacock appears in front of the soldiers. The peacock’s colorful plumage stands out with picturesque strokes of blue and green. From animals to soldiers, everything is brilliantly displayed as you take in the beauty of this well-written story.
However well-written a book may be, there will always be negative aspects of a story. The main weakness I found in Harp of Burma was when the company is in the P.O.W. camp thinking about Mizushima. For a few chapters, all that goes on has to do with the men thinking about him while almost nothing else happens. To go along with this theme, some parts of the story are touched upon longer than necessary, no matter how much of a light read Harp of Burma is. To change this aspect, Takeyama could have invented some disturbance or event in the camp during the tedious moments.
Despite the novel’s technical strong points, Harp of Burma is only a good book, but no more than that. It isn’t amazing, but it’s not bad either. I do not think I would read it again, and if I was not reading it for class I would not have read it. It lacks a satisfactory amount of excitement, especially when accounting for the fact that it is a book about war. However, I did enjoy a few parts in the book. For example, when the company deduces who Mizushima is disguised as, the novel becomes very interesting for a few pages. Anyone who enjoys realistic war stories would greatly enjoy this n
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Andrew rated it:

01/09/08

Harp of Burma was written by Michio Takeyama. Takeyama was a professor of German, and translated several German works into Japanese. He was born in 1903 in Japan. Takeyama wrote one other novel in his lifetime, Scars. Harp of Burma is about a group if Japanese soldiers fighting in Burma during WWII. It describes this group's experience in the war, their time in a POW camp, and one man's jounrey of personal discovery.
Harp of Burma is an excellent book with many good qualities. However, a f...more

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Jen rated it:

01/09/08

Michio Takeyama was a Japanese writer, critic, and translator of German. But despite his connections with German, he was very wary of the Triparte Alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII. Takeyama's most popular book is the Harp of Burma about life for Japanse soldiers in Burmese POW camps after Japan suddenly surrendered in WWII. One of the soldiers, Mizushima, is sent on a mission to convince a unit to stop fighting. Mizushima survives, and disguised by a Burmese monk...more Michio Takeyama was a Japanese writer, critic, and translator of German. But despite his connections with German, he was very wary of the Triparte Alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan during WWII. Takeyama's most popular book is the Harp of Burma about life for Japanse soldiers in Burmese POW camps after Japan suddenly surrendered in WWII. One of the soldiers, Mizushima, is sent on a mission to convince a unit to stop fighting. Mizushima survives, and disguised by a Burmese monk, trekes across Burma to try to return to his unit. But on the way, Mizushima becomes determined to bury and honor dead Japanese soldiers, turning his back on his homeland for a more spiritual life in Burma.
The Harp of Burma was different from many other novels I have read. It was interesting to me because it was written from a different point of view. Instead of a novel about WWII written from someone on the side of the United Staes, it was written by someone coming from the opposite side. I got to see that soldiers that might have been our enemies are not that different from us. It was especially surprising to me how the Japanese company honored the British dead at the funeral procession. I also liked the ending of the book. It left you with a happy feeling that Mizushima became a monk as he had wanted. Also, the imagery and symbolism were both very well written and thought out.
To me, the Harp of Burma was very predictable. Though I liked the story line, there was so much foreshadowing that I was able to predict the whole story. That detracted from my overall perception of the book. To me it was obvious that Mizushima would become a monk and the monk that watched them at the fence was in fact Mizushima. To make it less obvious maybe Takeyama should not have used so much foreshadowing.
Despite the predictability of the <u>Harp of Burma<u/u>, I enjoyed the story. It was from an interesting new point of view and the ending was satisfying. I would recommend this book to everyone from age twelve on. It is about one of the nation's largest wars from a perspective people often miss. Even people who do not enjoy history, like myself, would enjoy this novel.

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Priyanka added it

01/09/08

Michio Takeyama wrote Harp of Burma, a fulfilling and intriguing novel. It was a heart filled story that explained the tragedy and hardship “The Singing Company” endured during the end of Word War II. A noble and respected solider, Mizushmia, led his company and often saved their lives by playing his harp. He was extremely wise and everyone admired, trusted, and cared for him.
I found to find many events in this novel extremely interesting. I was always interested and anxious when Mizushim...more

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Kaitlin rated it:

01/09/08

The novel, Harp of Burma, was written by Michio Takeyama, a notable scholar of German literature. Takeyama was born in 1903 and spent much of his youth in Korea and later a Japanese colony. The story, Harp of Burma, is based on a company of Japanese soldiers who love to sing. The book is set just after World War II ends and discusses how the characters react to becoming prisoners of war. The main character, Mizushima, was a part of the "singing company" and the book discusses how ...more

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Madison rated it:

01/09/08

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: people who like war novels

Harp of Burma Review
By: Madison Prestipino

Harp of Burma is a novel written by Michio Takeyama. Michio is a Japanese writer who was born in Osaka. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University’s Department of German Literature. Some novels he has written include, Germany, a new Dark Age, and The Japanese and Beauty. After World War II, Michio became famous for his novel, Harp of Burma. It is set during the time of World War II, and is narrated through the eyes of one of the many Japa...more Harp of Burma Review
By: Madison Prestipino

Harp of Burma is a novel written by Michio Takeyama. Michio is a Japanese writer who was born in Osaka. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University’s Department of German Literature. Some novels he has written include, Germany, a new Dark Age, and The Japanese and Beauty. After World War II, Michio became famous for his novel, Harp of Burma. It is set during the time of World War II, and is narrated through the eyes of one of the many Japanese soldiers. It provides you with a great understanding of what being in a war is like, and the harsh conditions the soldiers have to live in.
Michio’s use of imagery in, Harp of Burma is amazing! I was able to picture every scene of the novel in my head. His descriptions made me feel like I was actually living among the soldiers. It allows for better understanding how the soldiers feel, and why. The plot change at the end of the novel keeps the reader wanting to read more, and more. Michio purposely makes you feel confused, and then clears it up by switching to another man’s point of view. Without this switch, it would be hard to understand parts of the novel, and it would not be as interesting.
The novel is mainly about two or three of the Japanese soldiers, and one or two other people that they encounter. Although, there is much to read about these characters, the author should talk about other soldiers. It would be much more entertaining to read if there were more main characters. Also, I did not like how the author suddenly jumps from a few days to a year during the time the Japanese soldiers are captured. I would like to know some important things that happen to them during that time.
Overall, Harp of Burma is an enjoyable novel to read. Very few chapters are boring, as they are all important and hold your attention. All the characters are different, and have their own story. Unlike many war novels, Harp of Burma is not confusing, and is easy to follow. Anyone who enjoys suspenseful, accurate war novels would enjoy reading it.
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Carly rated it:

01/09/08

recommends it for: young adults and adults

Michio Takeyama's, Harp of Burma, is the Japanese side of the World War II story. In his early days Michio had always had a close connection with German literature and often translated famous German work. Harp of Burma was his most famous book, however he did have another novel, Scars, and many other writings and magazines. Harp of Burma is about a Japanese company nicknamed, "The Singing Company", and their travels through the surrender of the J...more

Michio Takeyama's, Harp of Burma, is the Japanese side of the World War II story. In his early days Michio had always had a close connection with German literature and often translated famous German work. Harp of Burma was his most famous book, however he did have another novel, Scars, and many other writings and magazines. Harp of Burma is about a Japanese company nicknamed, "The Singing Company", and their travels through the surrender of the Japanese in WWII, and of their highly regarded Corporal, Mizushima. This novel dealt with issues like two polar opposite societies clashing, and the Japanese taking a second look at what "civilized life" truly meant. It also dealt with digging inside yourself to find your path, calling, or even destiny.

First, there were many things about this book that captured me and grabbed my attention. The top of that list would have to be the wording in which Michio used. His words flowed together and painted a picture for you, and gave a clear and beautiful understanding of the book. Something else that made Harp of Burma interesting was the emotional ties that developed throughout the book. I found myself especially tied to the troops emotions about the conflict that was created about Mizushima's "death", then "life", then "return", then "desertion", and finally his "reason and calling". Michio just happened to create an amazing story of an relatively untold part of WWII.

Second, in Harp of Burma there were not many things that to dislike. The only thing coming to mind is that I felt that Michio might have been able to describe the troops journey a slight bit more than he did. I felt very satisfied at the end, but now recalling back on the novel, there was some room, in my mind, for more detail of the troops lives.

Lastly, Harp of Burma, despite it's one weakness, was not only and educational read, but an emotionally gripping one. I was eager to read this novel, because WWII is of interest to me, and i was not disappointed in almost any sense. An

Harp of Burma (UNESCO Collection of Contemporary Works)

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