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The Pine Islands

By Marion Poschmann
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Check link for latest rating. ( 2,158 ratings, 303 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
The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann is a contemplative journey that follows a German lecturer, who, after dreaming of his wife's infidelity, impulsively flies to Japan. There, inspired by Bashō's haikus, he embarks on a quest through the pine-covered islands with a fellow traveller contemplating his own life's worth. Their journey through both the landscapes and their inner experiences explores themes of identity, existential angst, and the search for meaning.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by stories of self-discovery and personal reflection. Set in the enchanting landscapes of Japan, it combines a quirky adventure with deep themes of identity and existential contemplation, making it perfect for readers who appreciate poetic storytelling and cultural exploration.

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Shortlisted for The Man Booker International Prize 2019 - a charming, playful, profound tale of lost souls in search of transformation in modern Japan.

Shortlisted for The Man Booker International Prize 2019 - a charming, playful, profound tale of lost souls in search of transformation in modern Japan

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

When Gilbert Silvester, a journeyman lecturer on beard fashions in film, awakes one day from a dream that his wife has cheated on him, he flees—immediately, irrationally, inexplicably—for Japan.

In Tokyo, he discovers the travel writings of the great Japanese poet Basho. Suddenly, from Gilbert's directionless crisis, there emerges a purpose: a pilgrimage in the footsteps of the poet to see the moon rise over the pine islands of Matsushima.

Falling into step with another pilgrim—a young Japanese student called Yosa, clutching a copy of The Complete Manual of Suicide—Gilbert travels with Yosa across Basho's disappearing Japan, one in search of his perfect ending and the other the new beginning that will give his life meaning.

The Pine Islands is a serene, playful, profoundly moving story of the transformations we seek and the ones we find along the way.

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 Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann is a novel noted for its miraculous storytelling and profound beauty, weaving together black humour with an exploration of modern life. Reviewers have praised its mix of wit and mysticism, likening it to the work of Murakami. The book is celebrated for its tender exploration and playful absurdity, offering a refreshing, funny, and poetic experience with a subtle confrontation with mortality.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788160926

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 April 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Serpent's Tail

Edition: Main

Contributors:

  • Translated by Jen Calleja

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 160g

Pages: 192

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Marion Poschmann

About the Author

Marion Poschmann was born in Essen in 1969. A prize-winning poet and novelist, she has won both of Germany's premier poetry prizes and the Berlin Prize for Literature. Poschmann has been shortlisted for the German Book Prize on three occasions and won the 2013 Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize.

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