The Bear and the Paving Stone

Toshiyuki Horie author Geraint Howells translator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Pushkin Press

Published:25th Jan '18

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Bear and the Paving Stone cover

Winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, three dream-like tales of memory and war Visiting a friend in the French countryside, a man finds himself cast into the quandaries of historical whim, religious identity, and seeing without sight; a walk along the seashore, upon the anniversary of a death, becomes a reverie on building sandcastles; and an innocent break-in at the ruins of an archbishop's residence takes a turn towards disaster. In three stories that prove the unavoidable connections of our past, Toshiyuki Horie creates a haunting world of dreams and memories where everyone ends up where they began - whether they want to or not.

"Horie weaves fables out of everyday existence in these three captivating tales of relationships and lives revisited . . . Across these ruminative stories, Horie suddenly drops in moments of piercing wisdom and revelation, revealing that, for better or worse, there is no escape from one’s memory. — Publishers Weekly

"A gentle, stirring novella of history and memory that simmers with raw emotional ferocity. . . Horie uses descriptive imagery in a distanced narrative style. His characters maintain an inner strength and Zen-like independence that wavers under the emotional weight of shared memories, which merge in unexpected ways to convey a yearning for deeper connections. The Bear and the Paving Stone adds to the bold collection of contemporary Japanese literature published by Pushkin Press." — Shelf Awareness

"It is a rather beautiful, very funny, often bitter or sadly gentle book that will entice and satisfy while leaving one thirsting for more." — Bookanista

"Whimsical stories, celebrating, language, friendship and life." — Japan Times

ISBN: 9781782274377

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

128 pages