The Character of Rain

The Japanese believe that until the age of three children are gods, each one an okosama, or "lord child." On their third birthday they fall from grace and join the rest of the human race. In Amélie Nothomb's new novel, The Character of Rain, we learn that divinity is a difficult thing from which to recover.

Praise

"Nothomb potently distills from the state of infancy the intensity of beginnings, the precariousness, the trailed clouds of glory . . . that grow indistinct as childhood approaches."—Richard Eder, The New York Times 
 
"Witty and original. Perhaps the best from one of Europe's finest young writers."—Kirkus Reviews

About the Author(s)

Amelie Nothomb

Amélie Nothomb was born in Kobe, Japan, and currently lives in Paris. She is the author of several novels, translated into fourteen languages, including Fear and Trembling, which won the Grand Prix of the Académie Française and the Prix Internet du Livre.

Guides

Reading Group Guide

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