The Lake
The Lake is a short novel about the psychological effects of childhood trauma. The book is narrated by Chihiro, a young woman working as a painter in Tokyo and grieving the recent death of her mother. When Chihiro begins a relationship with Nakajima, her troubled neighbor, she discovers that he is living with a dark secret.
Quote:
"I was slowly starting to figure it out. It wasn't anything more than a guess, but I had a vague understanding, at least, of something. It was so dark, though, I didn't even want to admit it could be part of the truth of life."
Author:
Banana Yoshimoto was born in Japan and is the author of several novels, including The Lake, Kitchen, Moonlight Shadow, and N.P.
Published: 2005
Length: 188 pages
Set in: Japan
Translated by: Michael Emmerich