[.ca] Ark Sakura, The (ISBN 0394558367)

This ark has a few leaks....:
Pig, who prefers to be called Mole, has taken up residence in an abandoned stone quarry, slowly converting it into an ark to save humanity during the inevitable nuclear holocaust. He has room for a little over 300 people to become his crew, but must be selective in his choosing. Only those who he deems acceptable will be offered safe harbor in his huge ship. During one of his few outings to buy provisions for the ark, he comes across Komono, an insect dealer, and after lunching with him, offers one of the keys to the ark. Komono asks if he can think on it and walks off to use the bathroom. In the meantime, two sakura, or shills, trick Mole into giving up two keys. They immediately make a run for the ark, followed by Komono and Mole in hot pursuit. When they reach the ark, they discover that they are not alone in the depths of the quarry. The remainder of the book discusses a wide variety of topics from old age in the form of the Broom Brigade, environmentalism, survivalism, murder, loyalty, sex, humanity and nuclear devastation. More and more chaacters are added as the book progresses, each with a different story to tell, making it difficult to follow along and unenjoyable to read. I still am not sure exactly what point the author is trying to make with this novel, or even if there is a point to it. The characters themselves were not believable to me, especially Mole, a big, fat man who is obsessed with the end of the world and the female shill's behind, continually wanting to pat it even when his life is in danger. The only saving grace for me is Abe's writing. He has a very fluid style that's descriptive and easy to read. But, with the piling on of characters and story lines, I can't say that I would add this to a must-read list.

Perhaps beauty needs deception to be shown its value:
Story of a man preparing for that dark day of the apocalypse. The Ark itself was prepared to be a safe haven if/when it occured. The main character is a very interesting character. He seems nice, yet obesessed with Doomsday. This in turned affects the rest of the other characters, and eventually persuaded them into thinking that the end has come while inside.... Why did Abe call it the Ark "sakura?" I believe that it elegantly captured the theme of deceiving others, and the dangers of believing such lies. And yet, sakura also means cherry blossom, which suggests something beautiful, lovely and fragile. Perhaps Kobo wished to show us how life is so beautiful and fragile, but yet somehow needs deception in order to be shown its value. And the preciousness of life, that we all must cherish. ********************* sakura* decoy sakura cherry blossom; cherry tree

Novel is a weird waste of paper..:
The plot of this book is absurd. A survivualist tries to find "crew" for his underground "ship". Various odd things happen, some including crude toilet humor, and nobody cares what happens. I hated this book by the time I was finished. It isn't the very worst book I've read, but it's close. Only read this if you're a masochist.

Kobo Abe, Japanese Beckett:
A truly weird and amusing novel, Ark Sakura by Kobo Abe (The Woman in the Dunes) has the extraordinary ability to abolish your everyday reality in favor of its vivid, voyeuristic depiction of the bizarre consequences of an utterly unsupervised reality, a twisted kindergarten of mad adults, ungoverned and unpredictable. the Mole has retreated, along with his disturbing family background and unpleasant appearance, into a secret world beneath the crust of Japan, and in these dank, reverberating caverns of an abandoned underground quarry has been able to rejuvenate his despairing perspectives by creating a smaller living world from the refuse of another greater world, utterly self-sufficient, certainly more than capable of surviving and surviving well any imminent global apocalypse. setting off into the common life above ground, having decided it is time to consider populating his subterranean ark in preparation for the expected catastrophe, Mole encounters a peculiar group of human cast-offs, all becoming irrevocably enmeshed in a strange and surreal tale that is a beautiful open sore in the skin of the human condition. admirers of Beckett will be unable to resist Kobo Abe's magnificent ability to evoke situations and settings at the same time vast and apparently endless, yet isolating and confining; fantastic prisons of the exiled and forgotton.

Expert modern fable:
Thematically, this novel is similar to Abe's more famous book, 'The Woman in the Dunes;' it emphasizes a sense of community and connection with others. What I like about it (among other things) is that it's hardly a sledgehammer philosophical message; it allows for vaguery. The main character is a misanthrope whose personal philosophy seems to be the target of criticism, yet he is never overtly punished and is capable of questioning his views. The other characters are liars, criminals and dirty old men, but all are made sympathetic to some degree in the face of global holocaust. As far as the writing goes, it is very straightforward. I think Abe does an amazing job of both developing character and allowing the reader to visualize such an outlandish setting as the Ark.