Modern Books and Cinema Club

The Woman in the Dunes is a 1962 novel by Abe Kobo that has achieved a lasting success and is considered one of the finest Japanese novels of the post-World War II period. The novel tells the story of a schoolteacher and amateur entomologist Jumpei Niki, who travels to a remote coastal village to collect rare insects. He finds himself trapped in a sand pit where a woman lives, digging sand daily to prevent the village from being buried. Jumpei is forced to join her labor, gradually realizing the futility of his situation and the impossiblity of escape. In the process, he begins to re-evaluate his life and the relationships with those around him.

According to George Mullan, Abe's linguistic craft is profoundly evident in the novel. With a sparse ensemble of characters and a story that takes place in one bare location, a strong sense of constriction is established. Essentially, the sand itself becomes a quasi-character in the book; it constantly clings to the couple and pervades their bodies and thoughts. With the protagonist's name rarely used and the woman remaining nameless throughout, The Woman in the Dunes alllows for the characters and their story to take on a universal quality.

Tokyo-born Kobo Abe was a prominent postwar Japanese writer
who gained early recognition for his 1951 short story collection The Wall and became known for blending surrealism, absurdity, and social critique in works examining alienation and entrapment. He was influenced by existentialists like Kafka, Camus and Sartre, as well as, Western philosophers such as Nietzsche and Heideger.

The Woman in the Dune earned Abe the 1962 Yomiuri Prize for Literature, and sold over 100, 000 copies in Japan.
With the first English translation appearing in 1964 by E. Dale Saunders, the work was later translated into more than 20 languages. The novel was adapted into a critically acclaimed 1964 film directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, with screenplay by Abe which won the special Jury Prize an the Cannes film festival for its bold artistic vision. The film's subsequent U.S. release attracted substantial arthouse audiences, cementing its status as a landmark of 1960s global cinema.

This is an online meetup where both Abe's book and Teshigahara's film are discussed.
Details:
- Read Abe's novel.
- Rent the film using one of the available streaming services and watch it in your own time.
- At 8.00pm EET time the online meeting will start to discuss book & adaptation.
Film: Woman in the Dunes (1964)
director: Hiroshi Teshigahara
Running Time: 2h 27min

English author Ian McEwan’s first novel, The Cement Garden explores the dark and disturbing world of a dysfunctional family. The story follows the lives of four siblings between the ages of six and seventeen who struggle to survive on their own after the death of their mother and father. Upon its first publication in 1978 the novel received positive reviews and has since become a classic in contemporary literature.

In the arid summer heat, Jack, Julie, Sue and Tom, find themselves abruptly orphaned. To avoid being taken into care, the four children bury their parents in cement in the basement, after which they attempt to continue a normal life, with the eldest, brisk, manipulative Julie, in charge. As the novel progresses, the siblings become increasingly isolated, and their relationships become more complex and twisted. “In this tour de force of psychological unease, Mc Ewan excavates the ruins of childhood and uncovers things that most adults have spent a lifetime forgetting or denying.” Goodreads

According to various book analysts, the narrative style of The Cement Garden is a key element in the novel’s success. McEwan’s use of a first-person narrator, Jack, allows readers to experience the story through his perspective. This creates a sense of intimacy with the characters and their actions, making the disturbing events of the novel all the more unsettling. Additionally, McEwan’s use of vivid and descriptive language adds to the overall atmosphere of the novel, creating a sense of foreboding and unease. As a result, "The Cement Garden is a masterful example of how language and perspective can be used to create a powerful and unforgettable reading experience.”

In sum, The Cement Garden is a Freudian nightmare of family dysfunction and gothic sexuality that kick-started McEwan's long and illustrious career as a novelist. In 1993, the book was adapted into a film of the same name by Andrew Birkin starring his niece Charlotte Gainsbourg and Andew Robertson. It was entered into the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival where Birkin won the Silver Bear for Best Director.

This meetup is created to discuss both Mc Ewan's novel and Birkin's film.
Details:

- Read The Cement Garden (1978)
- Rent the film using one of the available streaming services and watch it in your own time.
- At 8.00pm EET time the online meeting will start to discuss book & adaptation.
Film: The Cement Garden (1993)
director: Andrew Birkin
Running Time: 1h 41 min