David Guterson Criticism
David Guterson's acclaimed novel Snow Falling on Cedars, which won the PEN/Faulkner Prize for Fiction, delves into the complex themes of racial prejudice, community, and personal guilt. Set on the fictional San Piedro Island in Puget Sound during 1954, the narrative revolves around the murder trial of Kabuo Miyamoto, a Japanese-American fisherman accused of killing Carl Heine. The backdrop of the story includes the historical context of Japanese-American internment during World War II, when Miyamoto's family was forcibly relocated to the Manzanar internment camp. Upon returning from war service in Italy, Miyamoto finds that the Heine family has sold the strawberry farm his family had intended to purchase, which becomes a pivotal element of the trial's motive.
The novel is structured around the courtroom drama but employs flashbacks to explore the intertwined histories of the island's residents, including a past romance between Ishmael Chambers, a war veteran and newspaper editor, and Hatsue, Miyamoto's wife. This layered narrative approach has been praised for its subtle exploration of racial tensions and the moral complexities faced by the characters, as discussed by Stephen Henighan in his examination of the novel's themes of racism and justice.
Critics have noted the novel's dual nature, offering both a suspenseful whodunit and a deeper mystery about human nature and societal biases, as described by Michael Harris. While some, like Merle Rubin, have critiqued the novel for its perceived lack of vitality, others, such as Nicci Gerrard and Nancy Pate, have commended its evocative prose and atmospheric portrayal of the island. Guterson's narrative skill, especially in handling a complex storyline, is further lauded by Susan Kenney, highlighting the novel's ability to maintain suspense and engage readers in its rich thematic exploration.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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Sometimes, Even Good People Must Coexist With Evil
(summary)
In the review below, Harris comments on character and theme in Snow Falling on Cedars. David Guterson's haunting first novel works on at least two levels. It gives us a puzzle to solve—a whodunit complete with courtroom maneuvering and surprising turns of evidence—and at the same time it offers us a mystery, something altogether richer and deeper.
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First Forays Into Novel Writing
(summary)
In the following excerpt, Rubin offers an unfavorable review of Snow Falling on Cedars, stating "unfortunately, almost nothing in this novel comes alive."
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Their Fellow Americans
(summary)
In the review below, Kenney praises Guterson's handling of Snow Falling on Cedars' complex narrative.
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Love for a Cold Climate
(summary)
In the review below, Gerrard remarks favorably on Snow Falling on Cedars.
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Murder Unveils an Island's Secrets
(summary)
In the review below, Pate remarks favorably on Snow Falling on Cedars.
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Red and Yellow Necks
(summary)
In the following review, Henighan discusses characterization and the theme of racism in Snow Falling on Cedars. Set in 1954, on an island near Seattle, Snow Falling on Cedars describes the trial of a Japanese-American fisherman accused of murdering a white colleague. When Carl Heine's body is hauled up out of his own net, a wound on his head, combined with circumstantial evidence and racial suspicion, leads to the arrest of his neighbour and boyhood friend Kabuo Miyamoto. The trial's investigation of the tangled relations of the Heines and the Miyamotos reveals the hypocrisies and injustices of an entire era.
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Sometimes, Even Good People Must Coexist With Evil
(summary)
- Further Reading