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Territory of Light

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( 9,916 ratings, 1,591 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima follows a young woman navigating life as a single mother in Tokyo after separating from her husband. The story unfolds over a year, capturing her emotional journey through solitude, freedom, and the challenges of independence, all reflected in the changing cityscape around her. With each month comes a new set of experiences and revelations, highlighting themes of resilience and self-discovery.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy poignant narratives exploring themes of self-discovery and resilience. Set in Tokyo, it beautifully captures the protagonist's journey through solitude and single motherhood, offering a vivid portrayal of urban life and emotional landscape. The author's lyrical prose and introspective storytelling can provide a deeply moving reading experience.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics - irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith.

Territory of Light is the radiant story of a young woman, living alone in Tokyo with her two-year-old daughter, in her first year of separation from her husband. At once tender and lacerating, luminous and unsettling, Territory of Light is a novel of abandonment, desire, and transformation.

It was originally published in twelve parts in the Japanese literary monthly Gunzo, between 1978 and 1979, each chapter marking the months in real time, and remains one of Yuko Tsushima's most beloved works.

Series: Little Clothbound Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Territory of Light by Yuko Tsushima is praised for its poetic and fresh narrative that explores themes of existential loneliness and single parenthood. Critics have highlighted its atmospheric and intimate portrayal of a woman's struggles, drawing comparisons to notable literary figures like Virginia Woolf. The novel resonates with the experiences of single mothers, blending moments of strangeness with powerful emotional insight.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241620243

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 23 February 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Geraldine Harcourt

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 117.0mm

Height: 168.0mm

Weight: 207g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Yuko Tsushima (Author) Yuko Tsushima was born in Tokyo in 1947, the daughter of the novelist Osamu Dazai, who took his own life when she was one year old. Her prolific literary career began with her first collection of short stories, Shaniku-sai (Carnival), which she published at the age of twenty-four. She won many awards, including the Izumi Kyoka Prize for Literature (1977), the Kawabata Prize (1983) and the Tanizaki Prize (1998). She died in 2016.

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  • Child of Fortune
    New in Penguin Japanese Classics: an innovative feminist novel about motherhood and girlhood. Introducing Penguin Japanese Classicsβ€”a collection of some of Japan's most celebrated and ground-breaking 20th century writers, with covers inspired by Japanese art and design. Taking us from a sun-drenched affair in a seaside town to an underground 'ark' full of shadows and eccentrics, with stops at mountains...
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