Book 49 "The Woman In The Dunes"

The Woman in the Dunes

By

Kobo Abe

In a remote seaside village, Niki Jumpei, a teacher and amateur entomologist, is held captive with a young woman at the bottom of a vast sand pit where, they are pressed into shoveling off ever-advancing sand dunes that threaten the village.

Kobo Abe was first introduced to me in a college world literature class. The book was introduced as one of the best Japanese novels of the twentieth century. However, like any other lazy college student I skimmed the book and didn't actually read the book as I should have! Shame! Therefore, as I was clearing out books I have stored away I came across The Woman in the Dunes and felt compelled to finish the book.

What I found was surprising. Though it wasn't presented in its original Japanese form, I still felt the frustration and pain of the hero's struggle to survive the sand pit. The realism was abounding and I craved water as I read it. Naturally, anyone that has hiked miles in a desert climate with no water can relate to craving water.

I was surprised by the ending when Niki (after years of trying to escape) found himself with an easy escape and changed his sense of urgency in leaving the village. In fact, it really left you with a feeling that he never did escape and went down in public record as a missing person...FOREVER.