Deep River

New York: New Directions, 1994. Third Printing. Hardcover. Near Fine/very good +. 8vo - 8 x 6 x 1 inches; 13 ounces; 216 p. "A trip to India becomes a journey of discovery for a group of Japanese tourists playing out their "individual dramas of the soul." Isobe searches for his reincarnated wife, while Kiguchi relives the wartime horror that ultimately saved his life. Alienated by middle age, Mitsuko follows Otsu, a failed priest, to the holy city of Varanas, hoping that the murky Ganges holds the secret to the "difference between being alive and truly living." Looking for absolutes, each character confronts instead the moral ambiguity of India's complex culture, in which good and evil are seen as a whole as indifferent to distinction as the Ganges River, which washes the living and transports the dead. This novel is a fascinating study of cultural truths revealed through a rich and varied cast. Endo, one of Japan's leading writers, (The Final Martyrs, LJ 9/1/94) skillfully depicts the small details of life, investing them with universal significance. Highly recommended." -- from the Library Journal, Paul E. Hutchison, Bellefonte, Pa. Book is in near fine condition, light edge wear and bumping at spine ends. Back cover has 2 light surface scratches, show as blue on blue. The dust jacket is very good, very mild edge wear and lightly bumped at lower edge. Interior is clean and bright, the binding is tight.