The Twilight World

A Novel

By: Werner Herzog, Michael Hofmann - translator

Narrated by: Werner Herzog

Length: 3 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

“A potent, vaporous fever dream; a meditation on truth, lie, illusion, and time that floats like an aromatic haze through Herzog’s vivid reconstruction of Onoda’s war.” —The New York Times Book Review

The national bestseller by the great filmmaker Werner Herzog.

The great filmmaker Werner Herzog, in his first novel, tells the incredible story of Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who defended a small island in the Philippines for twenty-nine years after the end of World War II

In 1997, Werner Herzog was in Tokyo to direct an opera. His hosts asked him, Whom would you like to meet? He replied instantly: Hiroo Onoda. Onoda was a former soldier famous for having quixotically defended an island in the Philippines for decades after World War II, unaware the fighting was over. Herzog and Onoda developed an instant rapport and met many times, talking and unraveling the story of Onoda’s long war.

At the end of 1944 on Lubang Island, with Japanese troops about to withdraw, Onoda stayed behind under orders from his superior officer. For years, Onoda continued to fight his fictitious war—at first with other soldiers, and then, finally, alone, a character in a novel of his own making.

In The Twilight World, Herzog immortalizes and imagines Onoda’s years of absurd yet epic struggle in an inimitable, hypnotic style—part documentary, part poem, and part dream—that will be instantly recognizable to fans of his films. The result is a novel completely unto itself: a glowing, dancing meditation on the purpose and meaning we give our lives.

©2022 Werner Herzog and Michael Hofmann (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2022

“[A] potent, vaporous fever dream; a meditation on truth, lie, illusion and time that floats like an aromatic haze through Herzog’s vivid reconstruction of Onoda’s war . . . Hofmann’s resonant translation conveys the portentous shimmer of Herzog’s voice.”—New York Times Book Review

“[A] wondrous first novel . . .”—The New Yorker

“[A] spare and lyric tale . . . In his feverish search for ecstatic truths, Herzog has given readers a portal into human folly, self-discipline and domination—surely his life’s work.”—Washington Post

This is a great book, wonderfully read

There is no one in the world like Werner Herzog. His voice is so unique and expressive and this is exactly his kind of story. A great pleasure to listen to this tale.

Truly enthralling

This is the only way to make the book better is to have been read it by the author himself. A truly magnificent masterpiece

In Our World Full Of Know It Alls… There Is So Much We Don’t Know

After reading this I realized I knew very little about what it truly means to be honorable.

Immersive and captivating

A beautiful vignette of a rare moment in time and history. Onoda had to be full of both purpose and hubris to stick to the plan so perfectly. A testament to the Japanese WW2 mindset.

Incredible story!

I had heard of Hiroo Onoda but never really gave his story much thought. This book by Werner Herzog brings his story to light and tells the amazing story of his continued fight and dedication for years after the war ended. 5 stars all around!

Wow great story!

This is a short listen and well worth listening to this story of those who stayed and defended the island.

Herzog finds his perfect subject

Personally, I think this book is worth it's price simply to hear Herzog himself pronounce words like 'insect' or 'vileness'. It so happens I recently rewatched both Herzog's film Fitzcarraldo (1982) as well as Les Blank's film Burden of Dreams (1982) about the making of Fitzcarraldo. It was such a traumatic experience for Herzog that I can't help thinking he saw himself in the Japanese soldier who is the protagonist of this book. In other words this is something of a proto-autobiography, or at least we hear the echos of Fitzcarraldo throughout....which doesn't deter from the story one bit. I also love the fact that when Herzog was in Japan he declined an invitation to meet with the Emperor but instead chose to meet with Onoda. Herzog is the real deal in a universe of artistic phonies and marginal talents.I hope he films this book. He also does a superb job of narrating. No one could have done it better.

Lyrical and strangely beautiful

Readers should know going in that this book doesn't have a whole ton of action. This is a straightforward, almost journalistic account of the campaign Hiro Onoda, one of the last Japanese soldiers to surrender after WW2--in this case, almost 30 years after the war ended. Herzog seems to have done a lot of through research, but this is a lyrical, almost poetic book that is sweeping in intellectual and emotional range, while taking place mostly in the head of a single lonely person. The ending nearly brought me to tears.

A Testament to False Conviction

All of us are capable of self deception, not all of us can truly commit.

Herzog was the perfect man to tell his story

In this book, one man who found himself lost in a jungle tells the tale of another man who found himself lost in a jungle. hurt dogs. performance is fantastic, his text is illustrative, and the story is riveting.