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Praise for A Bloody Song
“I enjoyed [the read]—simultaneously very academic and well-written.”
–Morris Berman, historian, social critic and author of Neurotic Beauty: An Outsider Looks at Japan
“The best tribute to a favorite manga and anime is to analyze it, delving into its influences, insights, and impact. Caroline Kerjean does this beautifully in her personal, passionate, powerful essay about Rose of Versailles (Lady Oscar).”
-Alisa Freedman, Professor of Japanese Literature and Film, University of Oregon
and Editor-in-Chief of the U.S.-Japan Women's Journal
“I was impressed by Kerjean's clear, graceful writing and the wonderful diversity of sources she brings to bear on her topic.”
-Wendy Steiner, Richard L. Fisher Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania
“There is quite a lot to say about this wonderfully rich and evocative book!”
-Nathalie Nadaud-Albertini, CREM, Université de Lorraine
“Wonderful book. I was especially struck by Kerjean's explanation of koi.
I know the feeling...”
-Andrew Feenberg, Simon Fraser University. Author of Nishida, Kawabata and the Japanese Response to Modernity
“I enjoyed [the read]—simultaneously very academic and well-written.”
–Morris Berman, historian, social critic and author of Neurotic Beauty: An Outsider Looks at Japan
“The best tribute to a favorite manga and anime is to analyze it, delving into its influences, insights, and impact. Caroline Kerjean does this beautifully in her personal, passionate, powerful essay about Rose of Versailles (Lady Oscar).”
-Alisa Freedman, Professor of Japanese Literature and Film, University of Oregon
and Editor-in-Chief of the U.S.-Japan Women's Journal
“I was impressed by Kerjean's clear, graceful writing and the wonderful diversity of sources she brings to bear on her topic.”
-Wendy Steiner, Richard L. Fisher Professor of English, University of Pennsylvania
“There is quite a lot to say about this wonderfully rich and evocative book!”
-Nathalie Nadaud-Albertini, CREM, Université de Lorraine
“Wonderful book. I was especially struck by Kerjean's explanation of koi.
I know the feeling...”
-Andrew Feenberg, Simon Fraser University. Author of Nishida, Kawabata and the Japanese Response to Modernity
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Growing up in a fractious household in working-class Brooklyn, my mother dreamt of living in France, of experiencing “civilization.” As for myself, molded by the gloomy obsessions of the adults around me, I sought refuge as a child in a Japanese anime titled Lady Oscar, and its story of a woman forced into the role of military officer for the royal guard at Versailles. Very personal in tone, A Bloody Song examines the enduring mystery of “time travel”, leading from an adult’s awakening into the enchanted world of childhood and back again. It explores the major themes and imagery in the celebrated anime Lady Oscar and comments on those of The Rose of Versailles, the manga it is based on. The essay also proposes to examine these motifs through a comparative study of Nobel-prize winning Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. Divided into eight distinct parts, or themes, A Bloody Song offers a glimpse into the rich, ancient culture and literature of Japan via one of its most famous animes and mangas. In this way, it aims to elucidate the adult themes concealed within the dark, fairytale realm of a cherished girlhood series. My main reason for revisiting this world is this: to save a favourite animated character from feeling abandoned. As I once did. As we all sometimes do. |
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PURCHASE
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Book Details:
108 Pages Black & White Trim Size 5x8 |
ISBNs:
eBook: 978-1-5255-5113-0 Hardcover: 978-1-5255-5111-6 Paperback: 978-1-5255-5112-3 |
Categories:
Keywords: Lady Oscar, The Rose Of Versailles, Bushido Values, Loss, Marie-Antoinette, Riyoko Ikeda, Osamu Dezaki |
CAROLINE KERJEANCaroline Kerjean is a Quebec City-based writer and visual artist. She fell in love with art and culture at a young age and, after a life-changing experience restoring two medieval castles in the beautiful Alsace region, enrolled in art history at the University of Paris. After returning to Canada, she worked in the museum sector while pursuing her writing career. Kerjean’s writing experience includes novels, essays, poetry and fan-fiction. A Bloody Song is her first published work and, drawing inspiration from the Old Masters, she is currently creating a series of paintings that further explore some of the themes in this essay. It’s no coincidence that this rich and meaningful dialogue between past and present evokes the weaving of a tapestry, an art form the author holds dear.
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