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A review by adamgolden
The Woman in the Dunes by Kōbō Abe
4.0
(4/5★)
If you didn't have ammophobia (a fear of sand) before reading this book, that might change once you've finished it. The Woman in the Dunes constantly reminds you of the barren, anhydrous setting, and what it would be like to live in such a place without any means of escape. The plot is fairly straightforward, and for the most part takes place in the same location, a hut owned by a nameless woman in a deep pit surrounded by sand dunes.
Primarily focusing on the inner monologues of an entomologist named Niki Jumpei, and the volatile relationship between himself and the woman who "captured" him, Kōbō Abe crafts a Kafkaesque story with an open-ended conclusion that leaves the reader in an uncomfortable state of uncertainty. The 1964 film adaption by Hiroshi Teshigahara does a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the book, creating a chilling depiction of Abe's nightmarish vision.
If you didn't have ammophobia (a fear of sand) before reading this book, that might change once you've finished it. The Woman in the Dunes constantly reminds you of the barren, anhydrous setting, and what it would be like to live in such a place without any means of escape. The plot is fairly straightforward, and for the most part takes place in the same location, a hut owned by a nameless woman in a deep pit surrounded by sand dunes.
Primarily focusing on the inner monologues of an entomologist named Niki Jumpei, and the volatile relationship between himself and the woman who "captured" him, Kōbō Abe crafts a Kafkaesque story with an open-ended conclusion that leaves the reader in an uncomfortable state of uncertainty. The 1964 film adaption by Hiroshi Teshigahara does a great job of capturing the atmosphere of the book, creating a chilling depiction of Abe's nightmarish vision.