‘A Healing Family’ by Kenzaburō Ōe (Review)

After looking at several review copies (and making a couple of visits to Genjiland), I finally found time a while back to get around to another of my latest crop of library books, and where my first choice had me checking out a minor work by a Nobel Laureate, today’s selection… well, has me checking out a minor work by a different Nobel Laureate (variety is the spice of life, after all). This one’s a rather more domestic affair, so let’s pay a visit to a writer, and his family, with today’s choice the work of a man who believes in writing about rather personal affairs. ***** Kenzaburō Ōe’s A Healing Family (translated by Stephen Snyder) is a collection of essays, first published together in Japanese in 1995, shortly after his Nobel win. What we’re presented with here is a mixed bag, fifteen pieces on a range of topics, with some more personal than others. They’re all beautifully written, and brought into English wonderfully by Snyder, making it a perfect book to dip into when you have…