Ted's Reviews > Twenty-Four Eyes

A pleasant read, based on the reminiscences of a middle aged Japanese school teacher recalling her life experiences during the years from 1928 to 1948. The centerpiece of the book is the enduring bond that Miss Oishi formed with her class of 12 primary school pupils in her first year of teaching. The bond is a product of the compassion, kindness and consideration for others that is shown in many small ways throughout the book, by Miss Oishi towards her former students and by the students and other community members towards their former teacher. These expressions of empathy and concern are often juxtaposed with the historical realities of those years in Japanese history, which included: the rise of militarism, the invasions of Manchuria and China, WWII and the postwar American occupation of the country. I sensed an implied message from the author that those larger historical events were somehow aberrations of Japanese culture and that the compassion demonstrated by Miss Oishi and her former students was a truer reflection of the social culture of Japan.

Overall, this was an easy, gentle read, at times sentimental but with an important message just below the surface. The book was a publishing success with Japanese readers in 1952 but I’m not sure that today’s readers of the English translation will understand it in quite the same way. Most of us just don’t know enough about Japanese social culture in those earlier years to fully grasp the author's message. 3+ stars