"The Great Fire is an extraordinary love story set in the immediate aftermath of the great conflagration of the Second World War. In war-torn Asia and stricken Europe, men and women, still young but veterans of harsh experience, must reinvent their lives and expectations, and learn, from their past, to dream again. Some will fulfill their destinies, others will falter. At the center of the story, a brave and brilliant soldier finds that survival and worldly achievement are not enough. His counterpart, a young girl living in ...
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"The Great Fire is an extraordinary love story set in the immediate aftermath of the great conflagration of the Second World War. In war-torn Asia and stricken Europe, men and women, still young but veterans of harsh experience, must reinvent their lives and expectations, and learn, from their past, to dream again. Some will fulfill their destinies, others will falter. At the center of the story, a brave and brilliant soldier finds that survival and worldly achievement are not enough. His counterpart, a young girl living in occupied Japan and tending her dying brother, falls in love, and in the process discovers herself.In the looming shadow of world enmities resumed, and of Asia's coming centrality in world affairs, a man and a woman seek to recover self-reliance, balance, and tenderness, struggling to reclaim their humanity. The Great Fire is a story of love in the aftermath of war by "purely and simply, one of the greatest writers working in English today." (Michael Cunningham) The Great Fire is the winner of the 2003 National Book Award for Fiction."--Provided by publisher.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Ships Within 24 Hours M-F-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Has a publisher overstock mark. Item is in Good Condition. Clean Copy With Light Amount of Wear.
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Fair. Ships Within 24 Hours M-F-Satisfaction Guaranteed! Has a publisher overstock mark. This book has visible wear and may have tears, rips, and creases. Book is readable though. Heavy wear to covers tears dented corners creases. May have taped on covers for tears. READER COPY ONLY! ! ! ! !
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The sweep of the story is breathtaking, a wonderful overview of the Second World War Asian theatre. The main character, a man, was unconvincing, however. He seemed to live for love, not competition with other men, as most men I know do. His career choices and frustrations were never touched on. It was all too obvious that the author was an Australian, critical of her own country, and looking for a refined older Englishman to rescue her adolescent Aussie girl.