This month saw the publication of “The Rope Artist” by Fuminori Nakamura, translated by Sam Bett. It is the ninth of Nakamura’s books to be rendered into English, and while his books have been met with critical acclaim and commercial success abroad, his reach has been more limited than some of his Japanese contemporaries like Mieko Kawakami and Sayaka Murata.
As an avowed Nakamura fanboy who regularly recommends his books to anyone and everyone in earshot, I decided to dig into this curious situation and see if there are specific reasons why the author hasn’t yet reached the peaks of popularity and acclaim overseas that he has in Japan.
The Rope Artist, by Fuminori Nakamura,Translated by Sam Bett.288 pagesSOHO CRIME, Fiction.