Product Description IS HOPE ITSELF THE ONLY ANSWER?The renowned author of the Ring novels unravels a story of lovers wrestling with the darkness within themselves—be it selfishness, lust, or despair—in a deeply introspective romantic mystery that will tug at your mind as well as your heart. A seemingly amnesiac woman sits mutely before her psychiatrist. Unable, or perhaps unwilling, to speak, the only time she shows any hint of emotion is when she hums a song—and the song becomes the first clue. Pregnant but abandoned by her lover, who boarded a tuna boat to brave turbulent waters far from home, she’d waded into the pitch-black waves one evening to drown herself...because when you feel like you’re stranded at sea all by yourself in the dead of the night, those waves call for you, lulling you to sink into the silence beneath. What we go on to discover is a cursed fate, a ruthless reality, and the dark humor of a world ruled by the indifferent forces of chance. They say you never know what the future holds, but what if you’re told that you only have precisely a fifty-fifty chance of attaining happiness? About the Author Koji Suzuki was born in 1957 in Hamamatsu, southwest of Tokyo. He attended Keio University where he majored in French. After graduating he held numerous odd jobs, including a stint as a cram school teacher. Also a self-described jock, he holds a first-class yachting license and crossed the U.S., from Key West to Los Angeles, on his motorcycle.In 1990, Suzuki's first full-length work, Paradise won the Japanese Fantasy Novel Award and launched his career as a fiction writer. Ring, written with a baby on his lap, catapulted him to fame, and the multi-million selling sequels Spiral and Loop cemented his reputation as a world-class talent. Often called the "Stephen King of Japan," Suzuki has played a crucial role in establishing mainstream credentials for horror novels in his country.

The Shining Sea

Literature & Fiction

SUZUKI, KOJI

United States

Vertical

A beautiful, full-color dive into the history and future of Studio Ghibli, Japan's preeminent animation house. In-depth looks at every one of their 26 feature films - including the latest, Earwig and the Witch - means there's something for everyone, while exclusive interviews and rare director's commentary plus behind-the-scenes tidbits will excite even the most devoted Ghibli afficionados. A gorgeous, stirring must-have for Studio Ghibli fans and newcomers alike! From classics like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind to the latest work, Earwig and the Witch, this beautiful art book introduces all 26 acclaimed Studio Ghibli films. Take a deep look into Ghibli's first 3D feature film, Earwig and the Witch, with an exclusive interview with director Goro Miyazaki. &nbsp; 13+

Studio Ghibli: The Complete Works

Arts & Photography

STUDIO GHIBLI

Graphic Design

"If you’re a fan of the author’s (NISIOISIN) work then you’ll certainly want this whole series in your collection!" - Anime UK News\nFrom the pen of the author of the legendary MONOGATARI novels comes another unique offering. KATANAGATARI brings to life a swordless “swordsman” and a self-described “schemer” who embark on a quest to obtain twelve peculiar masterpiece blades. Featuring beautiful interior art and copious bilingual footnotes, this paperback edition is the first of a quartet brimming with action, romance, and unexpected wisdom.

KATANAGATARI 1 (paperback): Sword Tale

Comics & Graphic Novels

NISIOISIN

Manga

A beautiful book that can be enjoyed both as a short story and an artbook. The first in a series combining gorgeous contemporary artwork with literary classics of the early 20th century, bringing classic Japanese literature to a new audience. A children's Eden on a deserted island turns to hell, as a brother and sister face the ultimate temptation... Told in epistolary form, this bizarre short story takes on themes of faith, degradation, and transgression, accompanied by stunning original artwork. &nbsp; 16+

Hell in a Bottle: Maiden's Bookshelf

YUMENO, Kyusaku

History & Criticism

“Light novels have not been my thing, [...] but reading Katanagatari was as close to a conversion experience as I’m likely to come. It also stands as, to date, a go-to example for how to translate a work of popular culture where a good half or more of it would be lost in translation.” - Ganriki.org\nSwordless “swordsman” Shichika and self-described “schemer” Togame are on a quest to obtain twelve peculiar masterpiece blades. Introducing narrative curveballs that break up the structure and modulate the tempo, this paperback edition, featuring beautiful interior art and copious bilingual footnotes, is the second of a quartet collecting a best-selling series from the former homeland of samurais and ninjas.\nNow in paperback!

KATANAGATARI 2 (paperback)

Genre Fiction

"Overall, Katanagatari continues to offer an enjoyable read, the likes of which only NISIOISIN consistently brings to the table. […] As we enter into the second half of the series, things are about to heat up and you certainly won’t want to miss out." - Anime UK News\nSwordless “swordsman” Shichika and self-described “schemer” Togame are on a quest to obtain twelve peculiar masterpiece blades. Pitting the former against his sister, who has acquired one of the legendary weapons, and the latter against a rival at court, Princess Negative, this paperback edition, featuring beautiful interior art and copious bilingual footnotes, is the third of a quartet collecting a best-selling series from the former homeland of samurais and ninjas.\nNow in paperback!

KATANAGATARI 3 (paperback)

"If you’re a fan of the author’s (NISIOISIN) work then you’ll certainly want this whole series in your collection!" - Anime UK News\nSwordless “swordsman” Shichika and self-described “schemer” Togame are on a quest to obtain twelve peculiar masterpiece blades. Unveiling the truth about the legendary katanas and their creator as part of a gorgeous tapestry of fates that vie to upend history itself, this paperback edition, featuring beautiful interior art and copious bilingual footnotes, is the last of a quartet collecting a best-selling series from the former homeland of samurais and ninjas.

KATANAGATARI 4 (paperback)

The Maiden’s Bookshelf series combines classic short stories of the early 20th century with gorgeous original artwork to create collectible editions for a contemporary audience.\nAt what cost art?\nIn the course of a routine journey, government inspector Yuan Can encounters his old friend Li Zheng—but not as he remembers him. Transformed by obsession into a hideous beast, Li Zheng spins a tragic tale, and ultimately presents his confidante with a singular request.\nDressed in the trappings of 8th-century China, Atsushi Nakajima’s meditation on poetry and friendship nevertheless transcends time and language to speak directly to our hearts about what it means to be human.\n14+

The Moon Over the Mountain: Maiden's Bookshelf

Nakajima, Atsushi

Another spectacular collaboration between a literary giant and the illustrator of Touken Ranbu! The Maiden's Bookshelf series continues with this eerie classic from the great Izumi Kyoka. 'But you couldn't have known!' A mysterious encounter in the surgery room leads back down the paths of memory, after a young woman refuses anaesthetic to protect her secret... Izumi Kyoka's 1895 classic is a mysterious, wrenching tale of doomed love.

The Surgery Room: Maiden's Bookshelf

IZUMI, KYOKA

What dark fate awaits beneath the roaring falls?\nSuwa and her father live alone on the slopes of Horsebare Mountain, eking out the most meager of existences. During the warmer months the beautiful waterfall brings a few sightseers, but when winter comes there is only solitude. Suwa would do anything to escape the life to which her father has resigned himself. And the lure of the river is strong...\nThis early classic from the author of Japan’s greatest modern novel is a dark, elliptical tale of hopelessness that weaves the folklore of the mountains into an anti-coming-of-age story as vividly relevant today as it was when it was written nearly a hundred years ago.

The Girl Who Became a Fish: Maiden's Bookshelf

Dazai, Osamu

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