蛇にピアス
Author: 金原ひとみ
Page count: 124 (hardcover)
Summary
Japanese
「スプリットタンって知ってる?」そう言って、男は蛇のように二つに割れた舌を出した―。その男アマと同棲しながらサディストの彫り師シバとも関係をもつルイ。彼女は自らも舌にピアスを入れ、刺青を彫り、「身体改造」にはまっていく。痛みと快楽、暴力と死、激しい愛と絶望。今を生きる者たちの生の本質を鮮烈に描き、すばる文学賞と芥川賞を受賞した、金原ひとみの衝撃のデビュー作。
English
Describing a world as amoral and fascinating as the landscapes of Less Than Zero and Trainspotting, this novel about a young woman living in the violent world of Japan’s underground youth culture is both shocking and strangely beautiful.
Enchanted by the snakelike forked tongue of a stranger called Ama, nineteen-year-old Lui takes a walk on another side of life. Following Ama home the night she meets him, Lui straightaway moves in with him and begins making plans to have her own tongue pierced. Determined to push her boundaries further, she asks Ama’s strange friend Shiba to design an exquisite dragon tattoo for her back. But when Lui and Shiba begin an affair, Ama’s jealousy is stirred and the situation becomes explosive.
Availability
Personal Opinion
This book is described as a cult classic, very controversial, but also an Akutagawa Prize winner. I’m interested in Japanese counterculture, which this book promises a lot of. Also, it’s a short read, and it’s not a mystery novel. The language also doesn’t seem too difficult from the few pages I looked at, so it seems like a quick and intriguing read to shake things up.
Pros and Cons for the Book Club
Pros
- Quick and easy
- Akutagawa Prize winner
- Not a mystery
- Famous cult classic
Cons
- Some twisted/disturbing/S&M content?
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Difficulty Poll
How much effort would you need to read this book?
- No effort at all
- Minimal effort
- Moderate effort
- Significant effort
- So much effort my head might explode
- I don’t know
0 voters