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The Face of Another

The Face of Another

Literary FictionPsychological Thriller
Pages
256
Published
1964
Language
Japanese

Synopsis

A man whose face is destroyed in a laboratory accident becomes obsessed with creating a perfect, realistic mask to replace it. As he begins to wear his new face, he finds that the mask does not just hide his identity—it begins to alter his personality and his relationships. He soon loses the ability to distinguish between his true self and the artificial persona he has constructed.

Prose complexity
10/10

Vibe

DarkPhilosophicalMelancholic
Unreliable NarratorSecret IdentityMorally Grey

Genres

Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller Science Fiction

About the author

A
Abe Kōbō

Kōbō Abe (安部 公房) is the pseudonym of Kimifusa Abe (安部 公房). Abe was born in Kita, Tokyo, the son of a physician who taught medicine. He was raised in Mukden, Manchuria. He returned to Japan in 1941, and in 1943 he went to Tokyo Imperial University, where he earned a medical degree but he failed his medical exam and was forbidden from practicing. He returned to Manchuria as an author. In 1947, he self-published his first book, Mumei-shishū ("Poems of an unknown poet"). His wrote avant-gard...