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The Ark Sakura
Series: Penguin Science Fiction
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Check link for latest rating. ( 1,974 ratings, 179 reviews)
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The Ark Sakura
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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?
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Description
A surreal work of science fiction from one of Japan's most brilliant novelists.
In anticipation of a coming nuclear apocalypse, Mole has converted a huge underground quarry into an ark. While searching for his crew, he falls for the tricks of a wily insect dealer and his friends. In the surreal drama that ensues, the ark is invaded by first a gang of youths and then a sinister group of elderly people, before Mole himself becomes trapped in the ark's central piece of equipmentโa giant toilet powerful enough to flush almost anything out to sea.
A science-fiction classic from acclaimed Japanese novelist Kobo Abe, The Ark Sakura's Kafkaesque embrace of nuclear disaster and ecological catastrophe is at turns both hilarious and desperate.
Series: Penguin Science Fiction
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The Ark Sakura
A surreal work of science fiction from one of Japan's most brilliant novelists. In anticipation of a coming nuclear apocalypse, Mole has converted a huge underground quarry into an ark. While searching for his crew, he falls for the tricks of a wily insect dealer and his friends. In the surreal drama that ensues, the ark is invaded by first...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
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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?
The Ark Sakura is praised for its ambitious exploration of themes such as ecological destruction, ageing, violence, and nuclear war, set against the backdrop of outcast life in modern Japan. Critics highlight the book's blend of humour and unsettling tension, creating a compelling narrative on survival. Comparisons to writers like Poe and Kafka emphasise its ability to captivate and maintain reader engagement.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780241454589
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 03 June 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Penguin Classics
Contributors:
- Translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 21.0mm
Width: 111.0mm
Height: 181.0mm
Weight: 222g
Pages: 384
About the Author
Kobo Abe was born in Tokyo in 1924, grew up in Manchuria, and returned to Japan in his early twenties. Before his death in 1993, Abe was considered his country's foremost living novelist. His novels have earned many literary awards and prizes, and have all been bestsellers in Japan. They include The Woman in the Dunes, The Ark Sakura, The Face of Another, The Box Man and The Ruined Map. Juliet Winters Carpenter is an award-winning translator of Japanese writing. She has translated dozens of works, including fiction, poetry and philosophy, as well as three novels by Kobo Abe.
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The Box Man
The Box Man by Kobo Abe is an existential and entertaining masterpiece. "This is the record of a box man." The streets of Tokyo have been seeing a strange phenomenon recentlyโpeople who have decided to live their lives in a box on the street. Behind their cut-out eyeholes, they sit and watch from behind their four cardboard walls. Our nameless...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Ruined Map
The Ruined Map is a hardboiled detective story that combines the narrative suspense of Chandler with the psychological suspense of Dostoevsky. Mr Nemuro, a respected salesman, disappeared over half a year ago, but only now does his alluring yet alcoholic wife hire a private eye. The nameless detective has but two clues: a photo and a matchbook. With these, he...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Woman in the Dunes
New to Penguin Modern Classics One of the premier Japanese novels in the twentieth century, The Woman in the Dunes combines the essence of myth, suspense, and the existential novel. In a remote seaside village, Niki Jumpei, a teacher and amateur entomologist, is held captive with a young woman at the bottom of a vast sand pit where they are...Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
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