Snow Falling on Cedars: David Guterson

Snow Falling on Cedars: David Guterson


Blurb
In 1954 a fisherman is found dead in the nets of his boat, and a local Japanese-American man is charged with his murder. In the course of his trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than one man's guilt. For on San Piedro, memories grow as thickly as cedar trees and the fields of ripe strawberries - memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and a Japanese girl; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbours watched.




Snow Falling On Cedars can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here.





NB: This is my first ever book review. I have not yet adopted a style of writing or know what approach I want to take when reviewing books. I also didn't read this book with the intention of reviewing it so didn't read it thoroughly or make notes of any significant quotes. I haven't written anything properly since I left uni two years ago so please don't judge!!!


I began reading this book with little expectations. I hadn't read the blurb and knew very little of the plot. I simply read it because I was looking for a book that I wouldn't normally read and I had heard that this was a popular book amongst book clubs. Considering that I had little expectations of this novel I was pleasantly surprised by the plot. I was expecting some kind of detective novel but this isn't what I got!


The first chapter opens with the trial of Kabuo Miyamoto who is accused of murdering fellow fisherman Carl Heine.This surprised me a little as I was unsure how the rest of the book would pan out with the main focus of the plot occurring so early on. However, Guterson tells the background of the story in, for lack of a better word, flashbacks. Through the flashbacks and background story of the trial Guterson weaves in many themes which a variety of readers can relate to. He tells the enchanting story of a first love, touches on the issues of conscience and justice and more than adequately comments of the effects of war - on the individual and within the community. Closely linked with the theme of war but also presented as an theme in its own right is the issue of racism. Racism ties all of the themes together in this book: there is no event or circumstance that does have overtones/undertones of racism attached to it. Several examples of this can be seen in Hatsue and Ishmael's relationship, through Kabuo's trial and the explicit racism of Carl's mum. The war itself is caught up with numerous racist implications,the affects of which are still evident nine years after it has ended. 


My lack of knowledge about the book before reading it meant that I was also surprised about the historical element of the book. The story is set in 1954, just nine years after the end of the Second World War, and uses flashbacks to detail war experiences. I am a massive history geek so this element of the book particularly interested me. As the book is set so soon after the Second World War, the war undoubtedly still impacts the lives of the characters on a daily basis. The after effects of the war are the reason for lost love and the main cause of racism. Despite the fact that many of the Japenese inhabitants of the island are American born and fought for the the Americans during the war they still face daily prejudices as a result of the war and particularly the attacks on Pearl Harbour in December 1942.


The tension caused by the war is evident in the community, in the flashbacks and especially in the investigation of Carl's death. We get the impression that before the war racism existed, as it did in the whole of America at this time, but as a small island community there was a dynamic that worked with relative peace within the community. However, after the war the tension is evident and the Japenese traditions of fighting become one of the main reasons for suspecting Kabuto as Carl's murderer. 


The personal affects of war are mainly portrayed through Ishmael who fought in the war and whose experiences are detailed using war memory flashbacks as part of the back story to the trial. I found Ishmael the most accessible character; he is the most open and emotional character and his war experiences help us to feel empathy towards his situation. The fact that he fell in love with Hatsue (a Japenese girl) shows that he isn't affected by racial prejudices. After the war he does develop some negative feelings towards Hatsue and does blame it on the his war experiences and her race. However, I got the impression that this was more of a cover up to protect his damaged ego and anger at the way she reacted at the end of their relationship. 


Alongside the themes that are evident in this book there are two constant metaphors: snow and cedar trees (as suggested by the title). It is snowing throughout the trial and we regularly hear about the difficulties the snow has created. I didn't think too much about the snow or its significance whilst I was reading the book but on reflection I think it can be used to highlight the fact that all conflicting parties are stuck together on the island with no escape. 


Howevr, the significance of the Cedar trees did stand out to me whilst I was reading the novel and I noticed that the cedars are the only place where we witness intimate and sexual moments between the characters. The cedar's are the only safe place for Hatsue and Ishmael. They meet each day at a cedar tree which they consider to be neutral ground. The cedar tree acts as their save haven from society and its prejudices. It gives them a place where they are able to express their love for one another and where they are safe from storms: the figurative and the literal. The isolation of the tree allows their relationship to grow but it also prohibits their love and emphasises that they do not live in a world where their relationship will be accepted. 


Apart from Ishmael, I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters and I didn't get the 'feeling' that the story was set in 1954. Besides the references to the Second World War there wasn't anything that jumped out at me about this book being set in the past. The language structure seemed fairly modern and sometimes I found the dialogue disjointed and robotic. I don't know if this was Guterson's attempt to illustrate a Japenese accent or if it was simply a dialogue style that doesn't agree with me. I only noticed this a couple of times in the novel so wouldn't put emphasis on this as a criticism. Overall, I mostly enjoyed reading this book and it was a nice change from the books I have been reading recently.

6/10