Night on the Galactic Railroad
| Author | Kenji Miyazawa |
|---|---|
| Original title | 銀河鉄道の夜 |
| Translator | Roger Pulvers, Sarah Strong, John Bester, Joseph Sigrist |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Genre | Children's literature, Fantasy, Philosophical novel |
| Publisher | Bunpodō |
|
Publication date
|
October 1934 |
Night on the Galactic Railroad (銀河鉄道の夜 Ginga Tetsudō no Yoru?), sometimes translated as Milky Way Railroad, Night Train to the Stars, or Fantasy Railroad In The Stars, is a classic Japanese fantasy novel by Kenji Miyazawa written around 1927. The nine-chapter novel was posthumously published in 1934 as part of Complete Works of Kenji Miyazawa Vol. 3 (『宮沢賢治全集』第三巻?) published by Bunpodō (文圃堂?). Four versions are known to be in existence, with the last one being the most famous among Japanese readers.
The novel was adapted as an 1985 anime film of the same title, as well as various stage musicals and plays.
Giovanni is a boy from a poor family, who works delivering papers to feed his sick mother (who has contracted an unnamed disease). Due to his adult responsibilities, Giovanni never has any free time and is ridiculed by his peers, making him something of a social outcast. His kindly friend, Campanella, is the only one (apart from his teacher, mother and sister, the latter two of whom are never actually seen) who cares for him.
At school one day in science class, the teacher asks Giovanni what the Milky Way really is. Giovanni knows that there are stars, but cannot give a thorough answer. The teacher then asks Campanella, but he intentionally does not answer in order to save Giovanni from even more ridicule from his peers. During class, the local bully, Zanelli, says that Giovanni has been so absent-minded because his father has yet to come back from an to the far north. Zanelli claims that Giovanni's father was arrested because the trip was supposedly "illegal", which angers Giovanni. Before they can come to blows, the bell rings and class ends. After encouraging the students to attend the star festival occurring that night, the teacher dismisses the class. Giovanni, however, stays behind to chat with the teacher.
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