Items related to The Box Man
Kobo Abe, the internationally acclaimed author of Woman in the Dunes, combines wildly imaginative fantasies and naturalistic prose to create narratives reminiscent of the work of Kafka and Beckett.
In this eerie and evocative masterpiece, the nameless protagonist gives up his identity and the trappings of a normal life to live in a large cardboard box he wears over his head. Wandering the streets of Tokyo and scribbling madly on the interior walls of his box, he describes the world outside as he sees or perhaps imagines it, a tenuous reality that seems to include a mysterious rifleman determined to shoot him, a seductive young nurse, and a doctor who wants to become a box man himself. The Box Man is a marvel of sheer originality and a bizarrely fascinating fable about the very nature of identity.
Translated from the Japanese by E. Dale Saunders.
In this eerie and evocative masterpiece, the nameless protagonist gives up his identity and the trappings of a normal life to live in a large cardboard box he wears over his head. Wandering the streets of Tokyo and scribbling madly on the interior walls of his box, he describes the world outside as he sees or perhaps imagines it, a tenuous reality that seems to include a mysterious rifleman determined to shoot him, a seductive young nurse, and a doctor who wants to become a box man himself. The Box Man is a marvel of sheer originality and a bizarrely fascinating fable about the very nature of identity.
Translated from the Japanese by E. Dale Saunders.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review:
“A spellbinder from beginnning to end, an edgy masterpiece.”–Chicago Sun-Times
“A stunning addition to the literature of eccentricity...an ontological thriller.”–The New York Times
“Brilliant.... Like Kafka’s, Abe’s work reveals an astonishing ability to create dreamlike events."–Chicago Tribune
The nature of identity itself is the ostensible subject of this bizarrely fascinating existential novel from the great Japanese fiction writer and dramatist Kobo Abe. In the story, a man decides to give up the self that he has been all his life to attain a state of blissful anonymity. He leaves his world behind and moves onto the streets of Tokyo. He puts a large box over his head, cuts a hole for his eyes. It is as strange as it sounds, but Abe's light touch and narrative innovation makes it compelling.
From the Back Cover:
“A spellbinder from beginnning to end, an edgy masterpiece.”–Chicago Sun-Times
“A stunning addition to the literature of eccentricity...an ontological thriller.”–The New York Times
“Brilliant.... Like Kafka’s, Abe’s work reveals an astonishing ability to create dreamlike events."–Chicago Tribune
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherPerigee Books/Putnam Publishing Group
- Publication date1981
- ISBN 10 0399504850
- ISBN 13 9780399504853
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages178
- Rating
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The Box Man
Published by
Perigee Books/Putnam Publishing
(1981)
ISBN 10: 0399504850
ISBN 13: 9780399504853
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Paperback
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_393623112
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Box Man
Published by
Perigee Books
(1981)
ISBN 10: 0399504850
ISBN 13: 9780399504853
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Fair. No Jacket. Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.5. Seller Inventory # G0399504850I5N00
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Box Man
Published by
Perigee Books
(1981)
ISBN 10: 0399504850
ISBN 13: 9780399504853
Used
Paperback
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.5. Seller Inventory # G0399504850I3N00
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The Box Man
Published by
A Perigree Book, (New York)
(1980)
ISBN 10: 0399504850
ISBN 13: 9780399504853
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Softcover
Quantity: 1
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Book Description Softcover. Condition: Near Fine. First Perigree printing. Translated from the Japanese by E. Dale Saunders. Trade paperback. Wrappers lightly rubbed, near fine. Avant-garde novel verging on dystopian horror, about an anonymous man living in a cardboard box that drew comparisons to both Beckett and Vonnegut. Seller Inventory # 561284
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