Book Review: Eclipse by Hirano Keiichiro (Literary Fiction)

Eclipse
Hirano Keiichiro
Columbia University Press
12 November 2024
152
eBook - PDF
Literary Fiction
ARC via Edelweiss

In the late fifteenth century, a young Dominican friar sets out on a journey from Paris to Florence in search of manuscripts of pre-Christian philosophy. Along the way, he encounters an ascetic alchemist in a small village. As the young man falls under the spell of the alchemist’s quest for enlightenment, a series of disasters—culminating in a total solar eclipse—strikes the village, with profound consequences.


Keiichiro Hiranō’s Eclipse was a meteoric literary sensation when it first appeared in 1998. Its author, still an undergraduate, was hailed as a prodigy; the book received Japan’s most prestigious literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, and became a best-seller. Set on the eve of the Renaissance in Europe, Eclipse depicts a society that is on the surface vastly different from modern-day Japan. Yet its account of a challenge to dualistic binaries and ossified worldviews holds striking contemporary resonance and philosophical depth. Taking the form of a memoir, Eclipse brings together an evocative portrayal of its historical setting, including the lore of medieval alchemy, with a rich literary lexicon, lush imagery, and psychological intricacy. This vivid translation offers Anglophone readers a vital work by one of Japan’s most distinctive voices. 

The opening of Eclipse caught my interest, and I wondered how the story would unfold. By the end, though, part of me wondered what I had just read, since it was a strange tale. You can clearly see the themes running through the book: a challenge to long-held views, and a presentiment of harsh retribution against any who dare to do so. The historical ideas of witchcraft certainly have modern-day equivalents, which is, I believe, what the author sought to highlight. And in this, he does succeed. However, despite its short page count, this is not necessarily an easy read, and I think it will only appeal to a certain type of reader; others could be left baffled and find it too obscure. I am giving it 3.5 stars. I didn't dislike it and found it intriguing, but it didn't completely capture my heart or mind.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.