Hilarious strange and moving in equal measure--a Japanese multi-million-copy smash hit about
the struggles of a young manzai duo of stand-up comedians Perfect for readers of strange funny
Japanese fiction from Sayaka Murata's Convenience Store Woman to Emi Yagi's Diary of a Void "A
whip-smart tale that'll prove impossible to put down" - Vogue Tokunaga is a young comedian
struggling to make a name for himself. He meets the older Kamiya who is either a crazy genius
or perhaps just crazy and who agrees to take Tokunaga under his wing if he writes his
biography. Kamiya's indestructible confidence inspires Tokunaga but it also makes him doubt
not just the limits of his own talent but his dedication to manzai comedy--a Japanese form of
comedy involving a duo one partner playing a more serious character the other playing the
fool. A novel about comedy that's as moving and thoughtful as it is funny and written by an
author who himself found fame as one half of a manzai comedy duo Spark is already a sensation
in Japan where it won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize has sold more than 3 million copies
has been adapted for manga stage film and a hit Netflix show which is available now in the
US. Offering a hilarious and poignant look at the unique world of Japanese manzai comedy Spark
is also a story about art and friendship about countless bizarre drunken conversations and
about how far it's acceptable to go for a laugh.
