The central event of Francis King's novel, originally published in 1961, is a savage and seemingly inexplicable murder around which revolves a panorama of life in Japan that is impressive in its complexity and insight. Although The Custom House is in some ways a saddening book, with its recurrent misunderstandings between West and East and its picture of people forever straining to rise above their limitations, it is never solely tragic, flashing through its length with passages of delightful wit and humour. In his central ...
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The central event of Francis King's novel, originally published in 1961, is a savage and seemingly inexplicable murder around which revolves a panorama of life in Japan that is impressive in its complexity and insight. Although The Custom House is in some ways a saddening book, with its recurrent misunderstandings between West and East and its picture of people forever straining to rise above their limitations, it is never solely tragic, flashing through its length with passages of delightful wit and humour. In his central characters-the English teacher, Knox; the pathetic Australian missionary, Welling; Sanae, the Japanese girl with whom he falls in love; Setsuko, one of the 'New Women' of Japan, and her uncle, head of a vast cartel and an amateur painter-King displays the penetrating knowledge of motive and character for which he was so often praised. This is a book of a scale and seriousness which few writers would attempt, and the result is not merely a thrilling and intensely vivid picture of post-war Japan but a work of art which digs deeply into universal experience.
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Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $5.63, good condition, Sold by John C. Newland rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Cheltenham, Glos., UNITED KINGDOM, published 1961 by Longmans.
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $6.85, fair condition, Sold by Stephen White Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bradford, WEST YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1961 by Longmans.
Milton Under Wychwood,
OXFORDSHIRE,
UNITED KINGDOM
$15.80
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $15.80, very good condition, Sold by Greensleeves Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milton Under Wychwood, OXFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1961 by Longmans.
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $5.07, very good condition, Sold by Goldstone Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Ammanford, CARMS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1986 by Hutchinson.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $20.89, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES.
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $32.00, like new condition, Sold by Xerxes Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Glen Head, NY, UNITED STATES.
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Seller's Description:
NY 1962 first US edition. Doubleday. Hardcover octavo. "An extraordinary novel about present-day Japan" (dj) 375p. Fine in Near Fine dj just very faintly toned; no wear on dj; price not clipped. )
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $42.00, like new condition, Sold by Sequitur Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Boonsboro, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1986 by Hutchinson.
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $53.76, very good condition, Sold by Dotcom liquidators / dc1 rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fort Worth, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Macmillan Bello.
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $95.57, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2013 by Bello.
Add this copy of The Custom House to cart. $114.86, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Faber and Faber.
