Kobo Abe Biography | Author of The Woman in the Dunes

The Woman in the Dunes Author Biography

Kobo Abe, one of Japan's greatest writers, was born on March 7, 1924, in Tokyo. He followed in his father's footsteps to a certain extent, gaining a degree in medicine but quickly decided that he did not want to become a doctor. He much preferred storytelling. During his childhood, most of which was spent in the Manchurian city of Mukden, Abe entertained himself and his friends by reciting stories. Many of these tales came from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe; but Abe, even at an early age, created stories of his own. Having been raised outside of the main Japanese culture, Abe's writings and interests differed from those of many of his compatriots. He studied abstract painting instead of the traditional Japanese arts, and like his character in The Woman in the Dunes, Abe also studied insects.

Abe witnessed the atrocities and consequences of war, both in...
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