Product Description

The sixth book in the classic eight volume graphic novel series retelling the story of Buddha, from the godfather of the genre. In book six, as Kapiluvastu burns and it's people are hunted down, an infant refugee -- Ananda -- is granted the gift of invincibility by Mara, an evil demon. Nurtured by the she-devil, Ananda learns to use his power to become a fearsome bandit, honing his cruelty and selfishness before he is unleashed upon the demon's enemy: Buddha. Originated in the 1970s, Buddha is Osamu Tezuka's unparalleled rendition of the life and times of Prince Siddhartha. Tezuka's storytelling genius and consummate skill at visual expression blossom fully as he contextualizes the Buddha's ideas, with an emphasis on action, emotion, humour and conflict as Prince Siddhartha runs away from home, travels across India and questions Hindu practices such as ascetic self-mutilation and caste oppression. Rather than recommend resignation and impassivity, Tezuka's Buddha predicates enlightenment upon recognizing the interconnectedness of life, having compassion for the suffering, and ordering one's life sensibly. Furthermore, his approach is slightly irreverent in that it incorporates something that Western commentators often eschew, namely, humour.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #266304 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
'A stunning achievement.' Publishers Weekly 'If you've never tried something like this before, check it out; it's fascinating stuff. An engrossing read that you'll get through in no time. And then you'll want the other seven instalments.' Starburst 'If it weren't for [Tekuza] and his ripping religious yarns, we wouldn't have had Akira.' Arena 'You simply won't find anyhting else quite touches Tezuka's innovative use of the manga format, his humour, his intuitive understanding of human nature and his sympathy for the main characters.' Neo [the UK's number one manga magazine]

About the Author
Osamu Tezuka (1928-89) is the godfather of Japanese graphic novels. A genuine intellectual, deeply familiar with Western culture from the Bible to Goethe to Hollywood, Tezuka originally intended to become a doctor and received an M.D. Though many have followed his example, it is still Tezuka who draws the deepest awe with his sweeping vision, deftly intertwined plots, persuasive characters, feel for the workings of power, and above all, an indefatigable commitment to human dignity and the sanctity of life.

Customer Reviews

Awesome, Seminal, Work of Art
I have read the entire Buddha series this year, and rather than review each individually, I will post this review on each one. Sorry if this seem crass; I had originally planned to only post on Book 8, but I wanted to tell as many people as possible, just how good these books are.

It is impossible to heap too many superlatives upon the Buddha Series, it is simply awesome. The artwork ranges from elegant and attractive to ridiculously primitive but the abrupt changes in style never seem to jar. The story is both ancient and sacred and is told with a beguiling mixture of reverence and irreverence. On one page, there will be laid out an important tenet of the Buddhist faith and on the next, a reference to television and E.T.

The stories in no way attempt to be an accurate retelling of the Buddha's life, although all the key moments are there. There are many allegorical digressions and although many of the main characters are entirely fictional they are used well to illustrate Buddha's teachings.

Over the eight book sequence, there is a fair amount of repetition of themes and even storylines, which may irritate some, but since Buddhists (among many others) have been preaching peace and forgiveness for the last two and half thousand years, with seemingly little effect on most of humanity, a few more iterations won't do any harm.

If you have any interest in either Manga or Buddhism, then I urge you give these books a try; life-changing is probably too strong a term, but these books have had a profound effect on my world view. They are peerless and magnificent.