A review by flexluthor
The Ruined Map by Kōbō Abe

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

3.5

 A noir detective story that plays with time and identity in interesting ways. I never really fully bought into the central conceit of the story, that being that the main character finds himself subsuming the identity of the missing man. I'm not sure if I just wasn't reading deep enough or smart enough to catch the telegraphing of the ending, or if it just wasn't telegraphed enough. Though I didn't enjoy the ending, the book itself was well written and evocative, and a great noir. 3.5/5