'One of Japan's most venerated writers' David Mitchell In this unnerving fable from one of
Japan's greatest novelists a recluse known as 'Mole' retreats to a vast underground bunker
only to find that strange guests booby traps and a giant toilet may prove even greater
obstacles than nuclear disaster. 'As is true of Poe and Kafka Abe creates an unexpected
impulsion. One continues reading on and on' New Yorker 'Abe's depiction of the deadly game of
survival is hilarious but at the same time leaves us with a chilling sense of apprehension
about the brave new world that awaits us' Los Angeles Times Translated by Juliet Winters
Carpenter
