Touring the Land of the Dead
A journey through love, loss, and the complexity of family
Maki Kashimada author Haydn Trowell translator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Europa Editions (UK) Ltd
Published:4th Mar '21
Should be back in stock very soon
This emotionally charged collection features Touring the Land of the Dead, exploring memory and redemption through interconnected stories of love and loss.
In Touring the Land of the Dead, readers are drawn into a dream-like narrative that explores the intricate themes of memory, loss, and love through the lens of a bold new voice in Japanese fiction. The story follows Taichi, who has been unable to work for nearly a decade, and his wife Natsuko, who sustains their household with her part-time income. Natsuko's past is marked by hardship, having grown up in a family that faced financial ruin, leading to a surreal existence shaped by her mother's refusal to accept their diminished circumstances.
The plot thickens when Natsuko discovers an advertisement for a spa that she recognizes as a former luxury hotel visited by her family in her childhood. Driven by a desire to reconnect with her past and provide a healing experience for her husband, Natsuko decides to take Taichi to the spa. Their visit becomes a profound journey, triggering memories that delve into the complexities of her family's history, ultimately leading them through a transformative experience that touches on themes of redemption and the delicate balance between life and death.
Additionally, the book features Ninety-Nine Kisses, a poignant tale that captures the lives of four unmarried sisters in a close-knit Tokyo neighborhood. This second story, inspired by the works of Junichiro Tanizaki, showcases the emotional depth and lyrical beauty that define Kashimada's writing. Critics have praised her unique ability to evoke a tense yet charming atmosphere, making this collection a compelling read.
“While Kashimada’s stories, like Murakami’s, resist easy interpretation, the former revel in the beauty of experience, whether sorrowful or joyous, affirming life in all its strangeness, horror and mystery.” * TLS *
Fiction to look out for in 2021 “Magical Japanese novel: Maki Kashimada’s Touring the Land of the Dead asks whether places are haunted by their own past.” * The Guardian *
"Two polished novellas, though different in mood, probe family relationships with insight and elegance." * Tatler *
“Kashimada’s writing is exceptional; this collection is dark and suffocating. It is part of a trend in Japan of female authors rewriting traditional and well-loved stories through a feminist lens, and is a welcome addition to the works by Japanese women being translated into English.” * The Spectator *
“A spare and profound story, beautifully translated.” * Waterstones *
“The tense disquiet that hangs over the work has a unique charm. This is a world that only Kashimada could have depicted.” -- Yoko Ogawa
“While difficult to pin down, this novel is particularly compelling. This sense of sincerity comes, I think, not from the strength of the emotions put into the novel, but rather from the author’s writing style, and is a credit to her craftsmanship.” -- Hiromi Kawakami
"An intriguing introduction to a significant voice in contemporary Japanese fiction." * Kirkus Reviews *
“Kashimada is a writer who brings something truly rich.” -- Nikkei
"Maki Kashimada writes about one woman’s trauma with razor-perfect concision and an austere beauty." * Asian Review of Books *
"It’s fair to make comparisons here with Hiromi Kawakami's Strange Weather in Tokyo and Yoko Ogawa's The Housekeeper and the Professor, and Kashimada’s tale is a similar example of an unusual love story that simply works…" * Tony's Reading List *
ISBN: 9781787702806
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
144 pages