This is a groundbreaking piece of scholarship in the field of Japanese studies. . . . Hino Ashihei is a thought-provoking figure important for any consideration of wartime and postwar fiction.

Sarah Frederick, Boston University

Rosenfeld's book, by presenting a broad range of information and analysis, paves the way for such further consideration of the writings of Hino Ashihei.

Monumenta Nipponica

Rosenfeld's analysis of these works not only provides insight into this important writer but, by traking and analyzing this relationship, also elucidates important questions of an author's role in the production of his own readership and the vagaries of public opinion. . . . At the heart of this novel is a concern fundamental to Rosenfeld's study, the agency of the author.

Journal of Asian Studies

In this beautifully presented book, Rosenfeld writes lucidly and efficiently, weaving sharp textual analysis seamlessly into historical context (and at times delighting the reader with a sense of humour that one suspects was reined in for the occasion). Rosenfeld has made a contribution to the field of Japanese Studies that will be appreciated across the disciplines of literature, history, and cultural studies.

Japanese Studies

Deftly examining Hino Ashihei's wartime and postwar literary career against radically changing political vicissitudes, David Rosenfeld's study illuminates Hino's interactive role in styling his narrative and historical persona while repackaging past and present representations of his war experience. The result is an incisive study of Hino's attempts at self-redefinition as both man and artist within a shifting political environment that inspired its tortuous and often tormented internal drama.

Chia-ning Chang, University of California, Davis