The Woman in the Dunes

A disturbing allegory by a highly talented author. The text reads like a nightmare but the plot is skilfully arranged to keep the reader riveted to the plight of the protagonist. The constant - and ultimately futile - effort needed to clear the perpetually encroaching sand from the central character's environment is convincingly portrayed as a lifelong struggle against the inevitable. Not an easy read, but one very well worthwhile.

strange and took a while for me to get into it... interesting and memorable.

I can't get enough of Kobo Abe, following reading the boxman I decided to give this a go. Coincidentaly I watched 'The Cloud Atlas', recently which has many similarities, although this is a much starker version. A book that questions why we do what we do in a kafkaesque manner, 'The Castle', with beautiful similies along the lines of Omar Khayyam.

I saw the opinions on this site about the book and bought it. I remember I watched the film once but it was just a memory.I loved this book, a true beautiful nightmare.

I wasn't sure what to expect of this little book - I'd heard vague rumours about the film being 'cult' and controversial - but knew nothing of the book which inspired it. Having read the novel, this is likely one of my most recommended offerings when friends ask for reading suggestions, and I am keen to track down the film version.It's the tale of a lost insect collector, of a lost village and of a maladaptive way of life. The woman of the title is opaque to us ... viewed as seductive, powerful, weak and aggressive by turns. The narrator changes and evolves through the story, learning from his experience and reflecting on the lessons. I found the whole process very satisfying ... despite the odd premise of the story I had very few moments of wanting to shout at the narrator "why don't you do this!" Usually, the author beat me to them.[Note: the sand will seep into your mind at odd moments of the day after reading this book, and you may also have a strange compulsion to reread Herbert's Dune. Or maybe that's just me!]