The Woman in the Dunes

The Woman in the Dunes, written by Abe Kōbō, tells the story of Niki Jumpei, a teacher and amateur entomologist who visits a rural fishing village in search of a new insect species. As night falls he takes shelter in a village threatened by ever-encroaching sand dunes. Deceived by the villagers, he finds himself imprisoned with a woman at the bottom of a sand pit with no way out, and is forced to shovel the endless sand in order to stay alive.

The Woman in the Dunes is a thriller that offers a plethora of interpretations to its symbolism and keeps the reader engaged well after they finish reading.