Ep. 79 The Box Man

“The more you struggle, the more new passages you make in the
labyrinth, the more the box is like another layer of outer skin
that grows from the body, and the inner arrangement is made more
and more complex.” On this episode, hosts John Cribbs &
Christopher Funderburg climb into a corrugated cardboard nightmare
and explore Kobo Abe’s delightfully bizarre The Box Man. Best known
for his work with Hiroshi Teshigahara on the film adaptation of his
novels (including The Face of Another and Woman in the Dunes), Abe
was one of the most brilliant and original novelists of the 20th
century. The conversation covers the book’s elliptical, elusive,
free-flowing structure and evasive narrative truth, whether Abe is
unfairly overlooked due to his association with Teshigahara, and
where the book fits into the history of literature (in the context
of Abe’s aggressive rejection of Japanese culture). Listen as
Funderburg, a total Abe novice, discovers a new favorite author and
Cribbs offers suggestions on how to approach Abe’s intimidating
oeuvre. Support our Patreon:
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Smoke site:
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twitter.com/thepinksmoke Christopher Funderburg on Twitter:

twitter.com/cfunderburg John Cribbs on Twitter:

twitter.com/TheLastMachine Intro music: Unleash the Bastards /
“Tea for Two” 
Outro music: Marcus Pinn / “Vegas”