The Frontier Within: Essays by Abe Kobo (Weatherhead Books on Asia)

by Kobo Abe (Author), Richard Calichman (Author)

New
Paperback
2016
$41.19

Abe Kobo (1924-1993) was one of Japan's greatest postwar writers, widely recognized for his imaginative science fiction and plays of the absurd. However, he also wrote theoretical criticism for which he is lesser known, merging literary, historical, and philosophical perspectives into keen reflections on the nature of creativity, the evolution of the human species, and an impressive range of other subjects. Abe Kobo tackled contemporary social issues and literary theory with the depth and facility of a visionary thinker. Featuring twelve essays from his prolific career-including Poetry and Poets (Consciousness and the Unconscious), written in 1944, and The Frontier Within, Part II, written in 1969-this anthology introduces English-speaking readers to Abe Kobo as critic and intellectual for the first time. Demonstrating the importance of his theoretical work to a broader understanding of his fiction-and a richer portrait of Japan's postwar imagination-Richard F. Calichman provides an incisive introduction to Abe Kobo's achievements and situates his essays historically and intellectually.

Synopsis

Abe Kobo (1924-1993) was one of Japan's greatest postwar writers, widely recognized for his imaginative science fiction and plays of the absurd. However, he also wrote theoretical criticism for which he is lesser known, merging literary, historical, and philosophical perspectives into keen reflections on the nature of creativity, the evolution of the human species, and an impressive range of other subjects. Abe Kobo tackled contemporary social issues and literary theory with the depth and facility of a visionary thinker. Featuring twelve essays from his prolific career-including Poetry and Poets (Consciousness and the Unconscious), written in 1944, and The Frontier Within, Part II, written in 1969-this anthology introduces English-speaking readers to Abe Kobo as critic and intellectual for the first time. Demonstrating the importance of his theoretical work to a broader understanding of his fiction-and a richer portrait of Japan's postwar imagination-Richard F. Calichman provides an incisive introduction to Abe Kobo's achievements and situates his essays historically and intellectually.

$41.19

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 28 Oct 2016
ISBN 10: 0231163878
ISBN 13: 9780231163873
Book Overview: Abe Kobo (1924-1993) was one of Japan's greatest postwar writers, widely recognized for his imaginative science fiction and plays of the absurd. However, he also wrote theoretical criticism for which he is lesser known. Featuring twelve essays from his prolific career, this anthology introduces English-speaking readers to Abe Kobo as critic and intellectual for the first time. Richard F. Calichman provides an incisive introduction and situates his essays historically and intellectually. Abe Kobo (1924-1993) was one of Japan's greatest postwar writers, widely recognized for his imaginative science fiction and plays of the absurd. He also wrote theoretical criticism, merging literary, historical, and philosophical perspectives into keen reflections on the nature of creativity, the evolution of the human species, and other subjects. Abe Kobo tackled contemporary social issues and literary theory with the depth and facility of a visionary thinker. Featuring twelve essays from his prolific career, this anthology introduces English-speaking readers to Abe Kobo as critic and intellectual and demonstrates the importance of his theoretical work to a broader understanding of his fiction-as well as a richer portrait of Japan's postwar imagination.

Author Bio

Richard F. Calichman is professor of Japanese studies at the City College of New York, CUNY. His Columbia University Press books include Overcoming Modernity: Cultural Identity in Wartime Japan (2008); Contemporary Japanese Thought (2005); and What is Modernity? Writings of Takeuchi Yoshimi (2005).