The Face of Another (Japanese: 他人の顔, Hepburn: Tanin no kao) is a 1964 novel written by the Japanese novelist Kōbō Abe. Like other stories written by this author, the novel explores the alienation of modern man from urban society.[1] It is written in the first person narrative mode, and is divided into a prologue, three "notebooks" (black, gray, and white), and a concluding letter from the protagonist's wife.[2] In 1966, it was adapted into a film directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara.[3]
An industrial accident has severely burned the face of an unnamed plastics scientist. His wife is repulsed by his disfigurement and refuses to have sexual contact with him. In an effort to regain the affection of his wife, he attempts to create a prosthetic mask in a rented apartment. With this new "face," the protagonist sees the world in a new way and begins a clandestine affair with his estranged wife. Although the mask gives the man newfound freedom, at the end of the story, it becomes difficult to determine if the mask has taken ownership of the man or the man has taken ownership of the face.[1][2][4]
There is also a subplot following a hibakusha woman who has suffered burns to the right side of her face. In the novel, the protagonist sees this character in a film; in the film version, this is deliberately obscured.
face, another, this, article, about, novel, film, film, japanese, 他人の顔, hepburn, tanin, 1964, novel, written, japanese, novelist, kōbō, like, other, stories, written, this, author, novel, explores, alienation, modern, from, urban, society, written, first, pers. This article is about the novel For the film see The Face of Another film The Face of Another Japanese 他人の顔 Hepburn Tanin no kao is a 1964 novel written by the Japanese novelist Kōbō Abe Like other stories written by this author the novel explores the alienation of modern man from urban society 1 It is written in the first person narrative mode and is divided into a prologue three notebooks black gray and white and a concluding letter from the protagonist s wife 2 In 1966 it was adapted into a film directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara 3 The Face of AnotherAuthorKōbō AbeOriginal title他人の顔Tanin no kaoTranslatorE Dale SaundersIllustratorRobert Steele Wallace US ed CountryJapanLanguageJapanesePublisherKodanshaPublication date1964Published in English1966Media typePrintPages387 Japanese ed Contents 1 Synopsis 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksSynopsis editAn industrial accident has severely burned the face of an unnamed plastics scientist His wife is repulsed by his disfigurement and refuses to have sexual contact with him In an effort to regain the affection of his wife he attempts to create a prosthetic mask in a rented apartment With this new face the protagonist sees the world in a new way and begins a clandestine affair with his estranged wife Although the mask gives the man newfound freedom at the end of the story it becomes difficult to determine if the mask has taken ownership of the man or the man has taken ownership of the face 1 2 4 There is also a subplot following a hibakusha woman who has suffered burns to the right side of her face In the novel the protagonist sees this character in a film in the film version this is deliberately obscured See also editLa Belle Image by Marcel Ayme a novel with a similar premiseReferences edit a b Hoover William 2019 Historical Dictionary of Postwar Japan 2nd edition Lanham MD Rowman amp Littlefield p 11 ISBN 9781538111550 a b Abe Kobo 1980 The face of another Internet Archive New York Perigee Books ISBN 978 0 399 50484 6 Teshigahara Hiroshi 1967 06 09 Tanin no kao Drama Horror Sci Fi Teshigahara Productions Tokyo Eiga Co Ltd retrieved 2022 04 17 Rush Zachariah 2014 Beyond the Screenplay A Dialectical Approach to Dramaturgy Jefferson NC McFarland p 59 ISBN 9780786466030 External links editThe Face of Another at the Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Face of Another amp oldid 1211549570, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
