The Big Wave: A Japanese Novel About Two Friends Learning Courage and Hope After Tragedy for Children (Ages 8-12)

Great book and good story. Well written.

Well, I have not read a bad book book by Pearl S. Buck, and this one is no exception. It is beautifully written, in a clear, simple style. It deals with the power of nature, the acceptance of that power, and with love within a family. The main characters are good people, with hearts big enough to accept someone else into their family, even though they are not blessed with money. In a way that "big wave", the tsunami, that strikes them, brings out the best in all of them. And the description of the disaster itself and the havoc and destruction it is causing is powerful, yet poetic, as if the wave is alive. I was sorry to put the book down when it ended, I wanted it to continue...

Tsunami have been a part of Japan's culture for as long as they can remember. The people face a catastrophic wave with characteristic pragmatism. Notable are the kindness and generosity of both the rich paternal town leader and the humble village farmer, who is especially wise. A glimpse into the world of human existence, common to all cultures.

I read this book many years ago, and have been waiting for the right moment to read it to my child. This week, while we are absorbing the 12/26/2004 tsunami in South Asia, I deemed the moment right. The story is set in Japan at some time in the past, when the farmers and fishermen in the community are following the paths their fathers and grandfathers set. We see the story through the eyes of Kino who lives on a mountain farm, and learns about the sea through his friendship with Jiya, who lives "in the last house in the row of houses toward the ocean, and [whose] house [does] not have a window toward the sea" because, as Jiya tells Kino, "the sea is our enemy." Kino is relieved that he does not live near the sea, but his father reminds him of the great volcano, twenty miles away, and tells him that they "must learn to live with danger." The storyline is simple, almost inevitable. A volcano erupts under the sea and causes a tsunami, which sweeps away the fishing village by the sea. Many lives are lost. As the survivors slowly recover, and Kino's friend Jiya starts to accept life again, Kino asks his father all the questions that children need to ask after a natural disaster. His father's answers each question with patience and wisdom, in a manner open-ended enough so that the reader (or reader and parent) can pause and talk about their own beliefs and feelings. Or the reader can turn the page and stay absorbed in this well-crafted story. My only disappointment with my paperback edition (HarperCollins, 1986, ISBN 0-06-440171-5) is that it left out the famous woodblock prints by the 19th century Japanese artists Hokusai and Hiroshige. I pored over these illustrations as a child and immediately recognized them when I saw them in my library copy. Pearl Buck selected each individual print to allow her readers to see the beauty of Japan, and they form an integral part of the story. I would recommend you buy the Library Binding version by HarperCollins (1999, ISBN 0-38-199923-8) or check out a book with illustrations from your library.

Understanding human nature has always been the key. As usual Pearl S Buck does not disappoint, a very pleasant way to spend an hour with a delightful book.

Pearl Buck's "The Big Wave" was my introduction as a 3rd grader into a world that was not a fairy tale world. Buck tells the story of friends, Kino and Jiya. They live in Japan as a farmer's son and a fisherman's son, respectively. Kino is not as comfortable with the sea as Jiya is. But they swim together and go on outings together, enjoying their friendship and their families. When the tsunami strikes, Jiya loses everything in his life. This is the point that is unusual in a children's book. Buck takes Jiya through the grieving process. Kino's father has many wise things to tell his son about life and death and the way we must accept that death is part of life. A child of 8 could probably read this book on her own, but read aloud, it gives a chance to discuss the fears and issues. The knowledge that families go on and life goes on even after terrible tragedy is a beautiful lesson in this well-told tale.

To me this was not one of Pearl S. Buck's best writings. It seemed as if the story was written for children. I am a Retired teacher and I can see creating several units from the book. Chose another title for a book if you want complete character development and plot entanglements---as described In the title page--this is a story.

Ordered this book for my third grade homeschooled kids literature for the year. Absolutely adored this little gem of a book. So quick to get through but packed with lots of wisdom. We had a great time incorporating a lot of earth science into our learning as well.

アメリカでかってベストセラーになり映画にもなった作品。作者は戦前の長崎県島原に住んだことがあり津波や噴火に向き合い助け合って生きる日本人が美しく描かれています。軍事国家としての日本には批判的だったパールですが、庶民への眼差しはあくまで優しく共感に満ちていて嬉しく思いました。

Pearl S Buck is without doubt one of the best writers in history. She writes about China especially as though she were Chinese when in fact she was the daughter of an American missionary. Over the years I have can only be described as 'greedy' when it comes to reading her book and I will continue to do so until the very last book is read. A fabulous writer and a fantastic woman.

Great read for my grandson.

I'd like to express my deep condolences to the Great Tohoku Earthquake victims. This novel seems to predict this kind of the earthquake. There is an impressive expression like this ; People spoke of the time before and the time after the big wave. The big wave had changed everyone's life. I hope that Japanese people will stand again strongly as Jiya did.

The Child Study Association's Children's Book Award とあるように、子供向けの出版物である。 パール・バックは、長らく中国で暮らしていたが、北伐と南京攻略を間一髪で逃れ、上海から日本に避難していた。1927年長崎港にたどりついてのち、日本国内を旅行している。満州事変以降、日本の中国大陸進出とともに、共産軍が外国人（アメリカやヨーロッパ諸国）を日本人と同一視して、排斥、急襲したころのことである。本書は、その当時（つまり第二次大戦前の）長崎での記憶をもとに書いたと思われる。 津波に襲われ、村ごと一瞬にして消滅した漁村の少年とそれを支える農民家族の成長の物語。 長崎でのひと時の記憶をもとに舞台背景を描いているが、ニッポンがパール・バックには、よほど珍しかったのか？ 活火山（雲仙岳のことか？）が火と噴煙を吐くさまや、棚田（イタリア式庭園の石畳みたいな階段状の田、坂の多い長崎の階段のことか？）、そこで働く農民、領主の苔庭と植栽（日本式庭園の苔滑らかなさまや、竜安寺の石庭みたいな掃き清められた庭）などアメリカ人から見て当時の風景が非常に珍しかったようで、随所に克明に描写している。 日本人からみると、登場人物の精神論は、えっ？？？？の箇所が多く、インド伝来の思想などや、自然、天と人間との死生観などは、中国思想と、ブッダと、武士道なんかが、ごちゃまぜかな？こりゃ、日本でなくって中国かも？朝鮮の儒教精神のこと？？と感じるが、そこが異文化のめずらしさ。面白く感じた。 当時のアメリカ人の目に、日本はどのように映っていたのか？東洋は、どう感じられたのか？？そこが、よくわかる。 日本に一時避難していたパール・バックは宿泊した宿屋で、靴を脱いで部屋にあがる習慣を、非常にきれいだ・・と感じていたらしく、その旨の表現が、しばしば出てくる。日本人のきれい好き・・・を祖国でも知人に評していたらしく、そこも本書に少し表れている。 57ページしかないし、大きな文字で、行間が大きく、しかも簡単な単語しか出てこないから1時間以内に読み切れる内容で、形態はおそらく小学1〜3年向けの書だと思うが、1930年代に、アメリカ人が日本に住んで、どんな印象を持ったのか？（物語の舞台は、もう少し時代はさかのぼるが）作家の視点が、いまなお斬新で、新鮮だと思う。内容は、ストーリーの展開に重きはおかれず、むしろ、ジャポネの特殊性（日本人の死生観や精神性、中国とも異なる慣習、風景。教育）に筆の力点を置いている。なので、当時のこどもに受けたかどうか？は、疑問。この書が発刊された以後、日本とアメリカは交戦するが、パール・バックの日本人観は、あくまで公平だし政治色は無い。この本を評価した当時のアメリカの鑑賞力には、うなる。 こども向けの書であるが、内容は大人の鑑賞に堪えると思う。