Goodnight Tokyo (Oyasumi, Tokyo)
Atsuhiro Yoshida, Haydn Trowell (translation)“A portrait of Tokyo, of course, but really humanity.” — Parade
A symphony of interconnected lives that offers a compelling reflection on life in modern-day metropolises at the intersection of isolation & intimacy in Yoshida's English-language debut
Set over several nights, between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., in & around Tokyo, this mind-blowingly constructed book is an elaborate, energetic fresco of human nocturnal existence in all its mystery, an enigmatic literary mix of Agatha Christie, Teju Cole, & Heironymous Bosch.
On this journey through the labyrinthine streets & hidden corners of one of the world's most fascinating cities, everybody is searching for something, & maybe searching in the wrong places. Elements of the fantastical & the surreal abound, as they tend to do in the early pre-dawn hours of the morning, yet the settings, the human stories, & each character's search are all as real as can be.
Goodnight Tokyo offers readers a unique & intimate take on Tokyo as seen through the eyes of a large cast of colorful characters. Their lives, as disparate & as far apart as they may seem, are in fact intricately interconnected & as their fates converge against the backdrop of the city’s neon-lit streets & quiet alleyways, Yoshida masterfully portrays in captivating, lyrical prose the complexities of human relationships, the mystery of human connection, & the universal quest for meaning.
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Born in Tokyo in 1962, Atsuhiro Yoshida is an award-winning book designer & a renowned author who has published more than 40 books. Goodnight Tokyo has been translated into French & German & was featured in Germany's 2022 Hotlist among the top ten books from independent publishing houses.