The Bear and the Paving Stone

The Bear and the Paving Stone

About the Book

A haunting world of dreams and memories where everyone ends up where they began – whether they want to or not

Winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, this collection of 3 tales of memory in wartime France is perfect for fans of Helen Oyeyemi and Banana Yoshimoto


Owing a debt to French writers from La Fontaine to Proust, the 3 fable-like tales in this volume illuminate stories of loss, memory, and a longing to belong.

There was “something about me” which made him talk about things he didn’t need to talk about, made him expose his wounds. That surely made me more dangerous than a stranger who was totally indifferent.

Visiting a friend in the Normandy countryside, a man is drawn into conversations that plunge him into the complexities of historical chance, religious identity, and his own past. Sharing memories and looking at old photographs, the pair circle around the area’s disturbing wartime history.

A work of great depth and atmosphere, “The Bear and the Paving Stone” is here accompanied by 2 equally striking stories in which:
  • a walk along the seashore, upon the anniversary of a death, becomes a reverie on building sandcastles;
  • and an innocent break-in at the ruins of an archbishop's residence takes a turn towards disaster.

These 3 dream-like stories develop like haunting fables, full of shadows and echoes of French literature, and all revolve around the unavoidable connections of our past. Winner of Japan’s most prestigious literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, The Bear and the Paving Stone is a book of intricate, gentle beauty.
Read more
Close

Praise for The Bear and the Paving Stone

"Horie weaves fables out of everyday existence in these three captivating tales of relationships and lives revisited . . . Across these ruminative stories, Horie suddenly drops in moments of piercing wisdom and revelation, revealing that, for better or worse, there is no escape from one’s memory. — Publishers Weekly

"A gentle, stirring novella of history and memory that simmers with raw emotional ferocity. . . Horie uses descriptive imagery in a distanced narrative style. His characters maintain an inner strength and Zen-like independence that wavers under the emotional weight of shared memories, which merge in unexpected ways to convey a yearning for deeper connections. The Bear and the Paving Stone adds to the bold collection of contemporary Japanese literature published by Pushkin Press." — Shelf Awareness

"It is a rather beautiful, very funny, often bitter or sadly gentle book that will entice and satisfy while leaving one thirsting for more." — Bookanista

"Whimsical stories, celebrating, language, friendship and life." — Japan Times
Read more
Close

Japanese Novellas Series

Someone to Watch Over You
The Bear and the Paving Stone
The End of the Moment We Had
Spring Garden
Record of a Night Too Brief
Slow Boat
Mysterious Setting
Harlequin Butterfly
This is Amiko, Do You Copy?
Kafka
View more

About the Author

Toshiyuki Horie
Decorative Carat

About the Author

Geraint Howells
Decorative Carat

By clicking submit, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and understand that Penguin Random House collects certain categories of personal information for the purposes listed in that policy, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information and retains personal information in accordance with the policy. You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime.

Random House Publishing Group