Reviews

The Face of Another by Kōbō Abe

thebajabust's review

3.0

This book was an interesting read, but overall I think it fell short of being great. The story is very haunting, and I feel as though a lot of the impact/prose may have been left behind in the translation process. That being said, there are many things to love about this book. It has an intriguing story, a very haunting series of events, and chronicles a man's descent into madness very well. My biggest praise is that the entire aesthetic of the book felt how a sort of Victorian-era oil painting looks.

vojvel's review against another edition

5.0

Technicistní analýza společnosti, která se zvrhává v iracionální dvouhru jedince.

jeremie's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Minor: Body horror, Incest, and Ableism

randofos's review

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

paramrb's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

benrogerswpg's review

4.0

I enjoyed this one a lot.

Abe is such a great writer. Very interesting book that tells a lot about the author more than anything.

Reflective subject matter!

palomasstefani's review

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jay__book's review

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

james1234's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

joshuavrysen's review

5.0

fantastic.

so many decent reviews, I won't leave one that would be less adequate.

but definitely, as has already been mentioned, watching the film along with reading the book is highly recommended. Since Abe and Teshigahara worked together closely, the movie is much more of a companion piece, than just an adaptation.