After finishing this book, I found myself wondering what was the point of this book. In the story a Dominican Monk goes on a search for a lost manuscript, stops a town were weird things happen, and then he leaves to retrieve the manuscript he was searching for. There is no explanation for the weird events in the town.

What this book did well was setting the time and place for the story. The translation was beautiful and descriptive. The character were not well developed and the main character's ARC was shallow. Regardless for Keiichiro Hirano, this was a great first novel and I will definitely read his others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Framed as a memoir, the plot is straightforward, or at least starts out that way: Nicolas, a young Dominican friar and recent graduate, much concerned with manuscripts, theology and philosophy, and a self-professed follower of St Thomas Aquinas, is en route to Florence. He finds himself in a small village near Lyon where he encounters a mysterious, dour and ascetic alchemist. The village is populated with other notable medieval characters: a garrulous blacksmith, a dissolute priest, a fellow Dominican who is also an Inquisitor.

What stands out about this novel is how uncharacteristically "un-Japanese" it feels. There’s nothing particularly Japanese about the characters, plot, or setting, and the form itself differs from the more introspective, non-plot-driven style typical in Japanese literature. Eclipse reads almost like an adventure tale.

In an essay reflecting on his work, Hirano writes about the time period he set the novel in: "New paradigms and modes of social order had yet to spread widely, and the crumbling medieval worldview lingered. Communities struggled to hold together as the values that propped them up were shaken to the root. Meaning was found in the afterlife as mysticism took off, and a sense of unity was attained through denouncement of the heterogeneous." Hirano goes on to say that though on the surface the two were nothing alike, Japan of his youth was in quite a similar state—an era of social collapse, shifting values, and a deep yearning for meaning and unity.

At the time he wrote Eclipse, Hirano was a young college student attending lectures on the history of ideas, reading Jung’s work on alchemy, Eliade’s history of theology, and philosophy of history. It was also during this period that the first Christian medieval primary source translations were published in Japanese, which he read. The influence of these texts is evident in the novel, especially in the unique syntax reminiscent of early Christian writings. Anyone familiar, for example, with the descriptions of the church and table in The Letter of Aristeas probably found themselves in the same hysterical laughing fit I did when the narrator described the village and the location of the bridge.

However, while the stylistic imitation is often charming, there are moments when the tone shifts to a more straightforward adventure narrative. Whether this inconsistency lies with Hirano’s writing or the translation, I’m not sure, but it did occasionally distract me, especially since Eclipse is a short, tight 152 pages.

Overall, Eclipse is an exceptionally enjoyable experience, particularly for readers who, like me, love theology, classical studies, and works like Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose.

You know, this was a pretty damn great first book to start 2025 with. Focuses on a person tracking down an alchemist’s papers, and a specific incident in a small French town that involves an intersex individual. Esoteric, wild as hell, and if nothing else, has a climactic moment of two giants fucking as an intersex individual is burned at the stake by the Church. Not even remotely what I expected going in, and a lovely middle finger to the binary and black and white choices. Pick it up from the library!

I don't usually read book with a deep focus on religion but this one paid off the chance I took.

The archaized (per the introduction) language seemed fitting for the story, although I needed a while to get accustomed to it. Early on, there was quite a bit of theological background that may be more valuable during a reread, which I plan to do at some point. The pace picks up once our narrator meets the alchemist and climax of the story is a transcendental and unforgettable scene.

Early access courtesy of the publisher & NetGalley.

Eclipse, by Hirano Keiichirio and translated by Brent de Chene and Charles De Wolf, is a slim novel set in 1482 that follows the journey — physical and spiritual — of a young Dominican friar from Paris to Florence as he seeks out a rare manuscript and in doing so, comes in contact with a reclusive alchemist and bears witness to a horrible tragedy.

The book is told in flashback, with the narrator Nicolas swearing “as a Christian and in the holy name of God,” that everything that follows actually happened, recognizing as he does that “it is not a document that invites one’s trust” due to its strange events. He is also concerned that because the memory is so “unbearable . . . I would be tempted … to render a false report … and end my story with much still hidden away in my heart.”

He then brings us back to how his theological studies led him to try to “bring order, under the holy name of the Lord, to the once again resurgent doctrines of the ancients” now “crashing in upon our shores,” his aim being to protect the faith from peril” by “subordinat [ing] and absorb [ing]” the pagan works “within the body of theology.” His goal was not to squelch the pagan views; his hope was that by exploring the old texts, by going “beyond” St. Thomas, he might “construct a new theology” with the pagan texts, some still unknown, acting as “a guidepost on a new path toward God.” Seeking one particular text, Nicolas set out first for Lyons and then, at the suggestion of that city’s bishop, on to to Florence. There, he recommends, the friar should try to find an alchemist well versed in natural philosophy and pagan works,

The vast majority of the book takes place in the village where Nicolas does eventually meet up with the alchemist (Pierre Dufay), becoming just as impressed with his knowledge and abilities as the Bishop of Lyons had been. Unfortunately, he also finds a bad priest and worse, a fellow Dominican (Jacques Michaelis) who is also an Inquisitor. While Nicolas observes Pierre’s attempts to find the Philosopher’s Stone and discusses philosophy and theology with him, he also discovers a secret underground cavern and an even greater secret within. When the town is visited by a plague though, Jacques and the villagers go on a witch-hunt which embroils Pierre as well as their eventual victim. All of this culminates in a horrible scene set during an eclipse. Traumatized by events and worried over getting entangled himself (a concern heightened by a not-so-subtle push by Jacques), Nicolas heads back home.

Eclipse is an odd little novel. The plot is pretty straightforward and simple, as are the individual scenes comprising the story, with the vast majority of them being either Nicolas alone being introspective or Nicolas interacting with a single character: the reclusive, erudite, and mysteries Pierre, a truculent blacksmith, the helpful Bishop of Lyons, etc. Where the book breaks away from simplicity is when it bends, as it does frequently, toward the more philosophical realms, whether its Nicolas’ musing on the Dominicans versus the Franciscans, the recent decline of the Church, his desired melding of pagan, alchemical, and Christian worldviews, his meditations on the existence, form of evil and Church doctrine surrounding it, and the surreal, ecstasy of discovery and unification that culminates in the eclipse scene. Unity is obviously a major theme of the book, beginning with his directly stated desire to unify pagan and Christian thinking, but the theme is expressed/explored in multiple other ways throughout, particularly via a single character whose appearance I won’t spoil.

The author does a good job of portraying the mindset of the time, it seems to me (not being a medieval historian), in the depiction for instance of Nicolas’ acceptance of visions, his concerns of the fallen nature of the Church, the mean ignorance of the villagers that turns quickly to violence and a search for a scapegoat for the plague that afflicts them. It’s ignorant superstition that provokes this, but a superstition rooted in a worldview where the superstition makes some sense perhaps. But if the superstition is the base, what fans the horror that ensues is the ugly trait of people to fear and abhor the “other”, a trait happily exploited by those in power (the Inquisitor).

If the mindset of the time is well portrayed, I can’t say the world itself is fully present for me: it’s sounds and smells and day to day existence. And if the highly charged language of our narrator is a good fit for he mind of a friar of the time, I confess it was at times a bit much for my own personal liking. In general, while I found Eclipse interesting, I can’t say it ever fully grabbed me or immersed me, and Nicolas’ stance as a more passive observer lent it a distance that made engagement more difficult. A relatively slim novel, I’d say it’s just as long as it should be, in that any longer and I might have slightly regretted my time spent reading it. I never considered putting it down, knowing how quick a read it would be, but it’s not a book I’d enthusiastically recommend picking up.

This is an odd little book; I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. The first half or so is an incredibly slow burn in plot terms, but when the plot picks up everything happens very fast. I enjoyed the sheer unclassifiability of it, though I think I would struggle to recommend it to others, as it is quite unusual. I think we expect translated books to deal only with the author's home country or language (and this says a lot about the politics of what gets translated), so I very much appreciated the chance to read a Japanese novel about Europe.

Brent de Chene and Charles De Wolf's translation is very readable, while also capturing the somewhat archaic nature of the text, which is meant to read (and reads quite successfully) as the personal memoirs of a late medieval monk. De Chene's introduction is helpful is understanding the book's rather unusual place within contemporary Japanese literature, as well as highlighting some references to alchemical thought that I had missed, this not being an area in which I am super knowledgeable. I would, however, encourage fellow readers to save the introduction for the end and first experience the novel's plot for themselves, without knowing what comes next, as this is, in my opinion, part of what makes the reading experience enjoyable.

I liked this novel a lot. A unique novel from a Japanese author. I would love to see more translated from them. expect the unexpected.

Sorry, but this one just wasn't for me. It clearly went over my head and I couldn't engage at all with the topic, the language, or the tone.

DNF at 47%

I will say though, that what I did read was well written.

A massive hit in Japan on its release in 1998, this small wonder of a book gets a (worthy) English translation by Brent de Chene and Charles De Wolf (love 'de' names, by the way). The year is 1482, and our narrator sets off on a journey from Paris to Florence, hoping to find some esoteric manuscripts. Along the way he hears of, and then visits, an alchemist by the name of Pierre Dufay, and all sorts of odd things start to happen.

On its release this must have been a strange novel for a Japanese readership, a story involving an ancient world far away, and that unsettling relationship between text and context is equally strong in this English-language translation of a Japanese text set in medieval Europe. It is a beguiling mixture, and suits the themes and almost other-worldliness of the writing. I don't pretend to have got all of the meanings and subtext of what is, in a short novel, a book heavy on philosophy. I got faint echoes of Shusako Endo's 'Silence' in the way it looks at another religion from a Japanese perspective (though that isn't explicit in the narrative, it would be for the original reader upon its publication).

Above all, it is beautifully written, a testament to the excellent translation as well, and its sentences will linger long in your mind:
'After the rain, the earth, reflecting the brilliant sun, is blindingly bright. Birds are singling. When I look off into the distance, I see that in the sky, resplendent, a rainbow is shining.'

An excellent addition to the wealth of Japanese literature being translated and made available these days. It is also a welcome change from bookshops/cafes/potteries/libraries, so that too is to be celebrated. Challenging and rewarding at the same time, this book deservedly won the Akutagawa prize in Japan and deserves a wide audience. 4.5 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

I can't imagine what prompted a modern Japanese author to write a story about a 14th century monk's study of alchemy, but here we are and Eclipse is the result. It's an amazing small novel, filled with the mundane, the miraculous, and the hallucinogenic, told in first person with earnest scholarly detachment by our young monk. It's one I will think about for a while and probably reread.

Well, I guess it's nice to see that English-language authors don't have a monopoly on rambling semi-philosophical Eurocentric historical fiction. I got almost nothing out of this, sad to say; one presumes that the Japanese-language original was considered well-written stylistically (to have won the Akutagawa Prize) but I found it all impenetrable and basically had no idea what was going on or why.

Eclipse was both mesmerizing and thought-provoking. While I struggled to engage fully and found connecting challenging, I appreciated the unique reading experience and beautiful writing. Overall, it’s a captivating read that offers much to ponder, earning a solid four stars from me!

This book reminded me somewhat of Silence, by Shusaku Endo, though this one is set in Europe. I didn't like the graphic bits in this one any more than I liked the similarly graphic scenes in Silence, but I did enjoy this book more than I expected to. The first third of the story is really slow, but once the plot kicks in the story gets easier to engage with. I suspect that readers who enjoyed Hanya Yanagihara's The People in the Trees, Christopher Priest's The Islanders, or Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose may also enjoy the style of this novella. For me it was a decent bit of serious literary fiction, but not a book I would recommend to just anyone. There is enough going on in this novella to make it a great option for college world literature classes, so I would not be surprised if this book winds up in the syllabus in a few courses over the next few years.

3.5/4

This is probably the strangest book I've read this year. The prose is excellent and flows well. There were parts which were captivating in their oddness and I found it difficult to stop reading at times. However there were also parts which I read several times and still didn't understand what Hirano was trying to say.

The story follows a young priest, Nicolas, on his journey through France ostensibly heading to Florence to find a manuscript. However, along the way he gets waylaid in a village where he becomes entranced by an alchemist, Pierre Dufay. Strange things begin to occur in the village which culminates in the burning of a witch.

The book is a strange mixture of religion, paganism and the failings human nature. It certainly wasn't the book I was expecting to read. I would recommend this book if you have an interest in religion and its attitude to life in the 16th century.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for the advance review copy.

Thank you so much to author Keiichiro Hirano, translators Brent de Chene & Charles De Wolf, Columbia University Press, and NetGalley for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A relatively quick read (which can likely be consumed in one sitting), Eclipse is a bite sized novella that follows a religious man pursuing different avenues of knowledge in 15th Century France. Rather than seeing Good as Good and darkness and Evil as 100% evil, that bit in between-that grey area--is explored as our main character meets new people and stories along his journey. Though the original Eclipse was published in 1998, I do believe that the themes brought up back then are still relevant to this day. Overall, I enjoyed this translation, though I would like to note that while the story begins a bit slow, it does ramp up as the story picks up. Just stick with it!

The ideas and premise of this story was fascinating. Hirano explores religion, philosophy, alchemy and nature within a short book. We get a real sense of the religious journey the Friar embarks on, and how he questions the world as his relationship with the alchemist develops.The language at times was beautiful and soulful.

However, this felt like a slog. Perhaps it is a novel that needs to be savoured, and concentrated on more than I was able to. The ideas and exploration as mentioned above are profound and fascinating, but they are a lot to digest and really understand. This book took me a long time to get through. It may have achieved its purpose in making the reader think and really understand the world and nature, but it felt like the reader really has to commit to absorbing these.

Everything was there in this novel, but the pace and language require it to be completely embraced and pored over. It is certainly not a quick read, nor an easy one. But it is extremely clever and impressive and I can see why it was awarded.

An odd, mysterious little novella, translated expertly. I found myself interested in the strange happenings in this medieval French village, but the theological discussions didn’t engage me and it moved too quickly to build tension to the explosive ending. Certainly an intriguing work, but it didn’t fully work for me.

Eclipse is a novella which spans a very short space of time but the pacing made it feel much longer.

The protagonist, who writes in the first person, is an inquisitive but cautious person and has an air of detachment to their narration which meant I didn't feel there was much build up or excitement to the novel. The writing style distracted me from the action and I found my interest waning several times although I did manage to finally get to the end.

A mesmerising, atmospheric and thought provoking story, following a priest's experience with pagan forces and a mysterious alchemist in Lyon. I was absolutely captivated by this, it's a little slow to start with but there is such a sense of suspense and the final third is very thought provoking. A very unique story, I'm so glad we've finally got an English translation of this.