Kobo Abe is one of Japan’s brightest authors and, at the same time, one of the most mysterious figures in literature. His works are read all over the world; films are made from them and theatrical productions staged. The unusual, paradoxical world created by Abe unsettles, amazes, and sometimes leaves the reader at a loss. It’s no coincidence that Kenzaburo Oe, another famous Japanese writer, called Abe the greatest author in the entire history of literature.
“Just Like a Person” is a mystery novella in which the protagonist—along with the reader—must discover who he really is and confront an apparently absurd question: “How can you prove what is already obvious?”
The novella is published in translation by the well-known science-fiction writer Arkady Strugatsky.