The beautiful Annabel Lee was chilled and killed
Encyclopedia
The beautiful Annabel Lee was chilled and killed (臈たしアナベル・リイ 総毛立ちつ身まかりつ) is a novel
by Kenzaburō Ōe
, published by Shinchosha on November 20, 2007.
The novel's title came from the last complete poem "Annabel Lee
" by Edgar Allan Poe
in 1849. The novel's protagonist
, Sakura, is an internationally renowned actress who is performing in a movie filming in Japan
. As the story evolves, it emerges that she had been sexually abused by her American guardian
in her childhood. After a scandal about a film crew
member who is involved in filming child pornography
, the production of the movie stops. Thirty years later, Sakura has recovered from her childhood trauma
, and has become a storyteller to recite the tale of a peasant uprising which occurred in the narrator's home town long ago. Like Annabel Lee in Poe's poem, the protagonist has recovered from traumatic events from years ago, and has returned to face a bright future.
In one interview with Ōe, the author discussed the differences between this novel and his other works, noting: "This is the first time I have chosen a woman to be the leading figure." While women appear in his other novels, he noted, they are used as minor characters in order to write about man. He added: "For the first time, I decided to write a novel with a happy ending, where someone flees from a place of suffering.” Ōe concluded: “After I finished writing, I felt that a bright outlook gained after overcoming life's difficulties is about actively accepting one's youth anew".
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Kenzaburō Ōe
Kenzaburo Oe
is a Japanese author and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His works, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, deal with political, social and philosophical issues including nuclear weapons, social non-conformism and existentialism.Ōe was awarded...
, published by Shinchosha on November 20, 2007.
The novel's title came from the last complete poem "Annabel Lee
Annabel Lee
"Annabel Lee" is the last complete poem composed by American author Edgar Allan Poe. Like many of Poe's poems, it explores the theme of the death of a beautiful woman. The narrator, who fell in love with Annabel Lee when they were young, has a love for her so strong that even angels are jealous. He...
" by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
in 1849. The novel's protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, Sakura, is an internationally renowned actress who is performing in a movie filming in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. As the story evolves, it emerges that she had been sexually abused by her American guardian
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
in her childhood. After a scandal about a film crew
Film crew
Television crew positions are derived from those of film crew positions.A film crew is a group of people hired by a production company for the purpose of producing a film or motion picture. Crew are distinguished from cast, the Actors who appear in front of the camera or provide voices for...
member who is involved in filming child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
, the production of the movie stops. Thirty years later, Sakura has recovered from her childhood trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
, and has become a storyteller to recite the tale of a peasant uprising which occurred in the narrator's home town long ago. Like Annabel Lee in Poe's poem, the protagonist has recovered from traumatic events from years ago, and has returned to face a bright future.
In one interview with Ōe, the author discussed the differences between this novel and his other works, noting: "This is the first time I have chosen a woman to be the leading figure." While women appear in his other novels, he noted, they are used as minor characters in order to write about man. He added: "For the first time, I decided to write a novel with a happy ending, where someone flees from a place of suffering.” Ōe concluded: “After I finished writing, I felt that a bright outlook gained after overcoming life's difficulties is about actively accepting one's youth anew".