
The Bear and the Paving Stone - Japanese Novellas (Paperback)
Toshiyuki Horie (author), Geraint Howells (translator)
£8.99
Paperback
128 Pages
Published: 25/01/2018
Published: 25/01/2018
Winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, three dream-like tales of memory and war
Visiting a friend in the French countryside, a man finds himself cast into the quandaries of historical whim, religious identity, and seeing without sight; a walk along the seashore, upon the anniversary of a death, becomes a reverie on building sandcastles; and an innocent break-in at the ruins of an archbishop's residence takes a turn towards disaster.
In three stories that prove the unavoidable connections of our past, Toshiyuki Horie creates a haunting world of dreams and memories where everyone ends up where they began - whether they want to or not.
Publisher: Pushkin Press
ISBN: 9781782274377
Number of pages: 128
Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
"Horie weaves fables out of everyday existence in these three captivating tales of relationships and lives revisited . . . Across these ruminative stories, Horie suddenly drops in moments of piercing wisdom and revelation, revealing that, for better or worse, there is no escape from one's memory. - Publishers Weekly
"A gentle, stirring novella of history and memory that simmers with raw emotional ferocity. . . Horie uses descriptive imagery in a distanced narrative style. His characters maintain an inner strength and Zen-like independence that wavers under the emotional weight of shared memories, which merge in unexpected ways to convey a yearning for deeper connections. The Bear and the Paving Stone adds to the bold collection of contemporary Japanese literature published by Pushkin Press." - Shelf Awareness
"It is a rather beautiful, very funny, often bitter or sadly gentle book that will entice and satisfy while leaving one thirsting for more." - Bookanista
"Whimsical stories, celebrating, language, friendship and life." - Japan Times
"A gentle, stirring novella of history and memory that simmers with raw emotional ferocity. . . Horie uses descriptive imagery in a distanced narrative style. His characters maintain an inner strength and Zen-like independence that wavers under the emotional weight of shared memories, which merge in unexpected ways to convey a yearning for deeper connections. The Bear and the Paving Stone adds to the bold collection of contemporary Japanese literature published by Pushkin Press." - Shelf Awareness
"It is a rather beautiful, very funny, often bitter or sadly gentle book that will entice and satisfy while leaving one thirsting for more." - Bookanista
"Whimsical stories, celebrating, language, friendship and life." - Japan Times
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