Silence Once Begun: A Novel by Jesse Ball (First Edition)
From the celebrated author of The Curfew ("A spare masterwork of dystopian fiction"-The New York Times Book Review), Jesse Ball's Silence Once Begun is an astonishing novel of unjust conviction, lost love, and a journalist's obsession.
Over the course of several months, eight people vanish from their homes in the same Japanese town, a single playing card found on each door. Known as the "Narito Disappearances," the crime has authorities baffled-until a confession appears on the police's doorstep, signed by Oda Sotatsu, a thread salesman. Sotatsu is arrested, jailed, and interrogated-but he refuses to speak. Even as his parents, brother, and sister come to visit him, even as his execution looms, and even as a young woman named Jito Joo enters his cell, he maintains his vow of silence. Our narrator, a journalist named Jesse Ball, is grappling with mysteries of his own when he becomes fascinated by the case. Why did Sotatsu confess? Why won't he speak? Who is Jito Joo? As Ball interviews Sotatsu's family, friends, and jailers, he uncovers a complex story of heartbreak, deceit, honor, and chance.
Wildly inventive and emotionally powerful, Silence Once Begun is a devastating portrayal of a justice system compromised, and evidence that Jesse Ball is a voraciously gifted novelist working at the height of his powers.
Hardback | 232 pages
145.29 x 223.01 x 26.42mm | 399.16g
28 Jan 2014
Random House USA Inc
India
English
B&W ILLUSTRATIONS
0307908488
9780307908483
Condition: Very Good
A book that has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket included and in very good condition (very minimal creasing around the edges). No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. Very minimal wear and tear.