Take a photo of a barcode or cover
dtpsweeney 's review for:
The Woman in the Dunes
by Kōbō Abe
I can easily understand why this terrifying book is a modern classic in Japanese literature. The premise — being entrapped at the bottom of a hole in the dunes with siding that is too steep to climb out, and having to constantly keep digging to prevent yourself from being buried by yet more sand — is a simple yet horrifying set up. It is the Sisyphus myth (never ending, pointless work) meeting the Tantalus myth (what you want is within sight and almost within reach, but you never get it). It’s an incredibly claustrophobic prison of sand.
The writing is alert with panic and adrenaline, the translation seamless. The novel feels a bit like Edgar Allen Poe narrating Franz Kafka’s nightmare diary. Been meaning to read this short masterpiece for years, and I’m so glad that I finally did! Its modern mythic qualities have me anticipating that I’ll soon start catching parallels and references to it everywhere in other works.
The writing is alert with panic and adrenaline, the translation seamless. The novel feels a bit like Edgar Allen Poe narrating Franz Kafka’s nightmare diary. Been meaning to read this short masterpiece for years, and I’m so glad that I finally did! Its modern mythic qualities have me anticipating that I’ll soon start catching parallels and references to it everywhere in other works.