Author:Yukio Mishima,Stephen Dodd
'The best book I've read this year ... darkly comedic and full of tension and surprise' Marina Abramovic
'Life for sale. Use me as you wish. I am a twenty-seven-year-old male. Discretion guaranteed. Will cause no bother at all.'
When Hanio Yamada realises the future holds little of worth to him, he puts his life for sale in a Tokyo newspaper, thus unleashing a series of unimaginable exploits. A world of murderous mobsters, hidden cameras, a vampire woman, poisoned carrots, code-breaking, a hopeless junkie heiress and makeshift explosives reveals itself to the unwitting hero. Is there nothing he can do to stop it? Resolving to follow the orders of his would-be purchasers, he comes to understand what life is worth, and whether we can indeed name our price.
Yields a rare glimpse of the pulp-fiction flipside that partnered the rhapsodic and mystical Mishima... grotesque, melodramatic, spectacular, utterly silly
—— The TimesIt's funny and horrific and curious and thoroughly entertaining and should win Mishima a new generation of fans
—— The IndependentThere is a place in life for the exhilarating, surreal and sometimes downright silly. This novel ticks all the boxes
—— SpectatorSucceeds in capturing vividly the bathos of the self-pitying modern nihilist... the absurdity of life is conveyed through the tropes of pulp fiction and manga comics
—— John Gray , The New StatesmanAn engaging all-action satire
—— The GuardianA writer of immense energy and ability
—— Time OutFizzying, affectionate, sparkling. Smith presents her world view in words as fresh as lemons. A joyful read
—— HeraldA tour de force
—— Lionel Shriver , Financial TimesA virtuoso piece of writing, both funny and gripping . . . Smith is a writer with a rich array of conventional strengths
—— Times Literary SupplementA must read
—— Toronto NOWMiller reveals the life of a pugnacious, energetic, free-thinking poet.
—— James Marriot and Robbie Millen , The Times, *Books of the Year*Stunningly good—a brainy page-turner that’s gorgeous and frightening in equal measure. The Illness Lesson dazzled me.
—— Leni Zumas, author of Red ClocksNarrated from a painfully intimate perspective, The Illness Lesson explores the consequences of an outrageous medical treatment inflicted upon adolescent girls in 1870’s New England to cure “hysteria”. In Clare Beams’ luminous and suspenseful prose, the unspeakable is spoken, falteringly at first, then with triumphant strength. Its timeliness will be evident to readers for whom the suppression of female sexuality / identity is an ongoing and urgent issue.
—— Joyce Carol OatesBeams excels in her depiction of Caroline, an intriguingly complex character, and in her depiction of the school, which allows the reader a clear view of changing gender roles in the period, with parallels to today’s sexual abuse scandals. This powerful and resonant feminist story will move readers
—— Publishers WeeklyThis suspenseful and vividly evocative tale expertly explores women’s oppression as well as their sexuality through the eyes of a heroine who is sometimes maddening, at other times sympathetic, and always wholly compelling and beautifully rendered
—— BooklistA disturbing but brilliant narrative . . . a rare treat.
—— WOMAN'S WEEKLYA great tapestry of busy-ness . . . Walter's descriptive passage are marvellous
—— Francesca Carington , Sunday Telegraph
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