The Box Man
- Downloads：8525
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-07-02 08:53:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kōbō Abe
- ISBN：024145459X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
'This is the record of a box man'
The streets of Tokyo have been seeing a strange phenomenon recently - people who have decided to live their lives in a box on the street。 Behind their cut-out eyeholes， they sit and watch from behind their four cardboard walls。 Our nameless narrator， at first repulsed by the box men， slowly becomes drawn in to the anonymity and voyeuristic life inside a box。 As his identity slowly slips away and he becomes obsessed with watching an intriguing young nurse， we too become privy to the schizophrenic and seductive unreality of a box man's life。
The streets of Tokyo have been seeing a strange phenomenon recently - people who have decided to live their lives in a box on the street。 Behind their cut-out eyeholes， they sit and watch from behind their four cardboard walls。 Our nameless narrator， at first repulsed by the box men， slowly becomes drawn in to the anonymity and voyeuristic life inside a box。 As his identity slowly slips away and he becomes obsessed with watching an intriguing young nurse， we too become privy to the schizophrenic and seductive unreality of a box man's life。
Reviews
Yousef
，
Oh to see and not be seen
Sterre
，
This book really reminds me of that spongebob "imagination" meme， but with an insane level of existentialism。 So it's basically about a guy who hates his life and tries to discard his own identity by going full anonymous by deciding to drop out of society and to wear a really well made cardboard box at all times。 But then you also have a fake doctor who is also a fake box man， a nurse （fake-yes， box-no） and a seemingly real doctor who got some real fucked up issues （real-yes， box-maybe？？）？ But a This book really reminds me of that spongebob "imagination" meme， but with an insane level of existentialism。 So it's basically about a guy who hates his life and tries to discard his own identity by going full anonymous by deciding to drop out of society and to wear a really well made cardboard box at all times。 But then you also have a fake doctor who is also a fake box man， a nurse （fake-yes， box-no） and a seemingly real doctor who got some real fucked up issues （real-yes， box-maybe？？）？ But also not really because they might all be not real？ Maybe these people really exist， maybe they are a figment of the box man's imagination because of his identity-crisis。 Oh and we can't forget about the main narrators obsession with （women's！！ not men's！！） legs。 Gotta have some nice female legs in life4。5/5 。。。more
Juniperus
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My bookclub is currently reading Woman in the Dunes， which I was enjoying enough to make me want to pick up another one of Kobo Abe’s books。 Big mistake。 The Box Man starts out with a fairly strong premise which， if Abe had stuck with it， the book would have been passable。 The “hook” was the type of disaffected male antiheroes that guys who thought The Joker was deep want to emulate， and who Sayaka Murata so bitingly deconstructed in Convenience Store Woman。 The titular box men are social reject My bookclub is currently reading Woman in the Dunes， which I was enjoying enough to make me want to pick up another one of Kobo Abe’s books。 Big mistake。 The Box Man starts out with a fairly strong premise which， if Abe had stuck with it， the book would have been passable。 The “hook” was the type of disaffected male antiheroes that guys who thought The Joker was deep want to emulate， and who Sayaka Murata so bitingly deconstructed in Convenience Store Woman。 The titular box men are social rejects， who choose living and wearing a cardboard box like a turtle’s shell instead of participating in society。 Edgy， sure， and it lacks depth and nuance， but it’s nowhere near as bad as this book got by the end。 The Box Man felt like a Kafka book， without any of the sincerity; think about how a lot of Kafka books feel like metaphors for something but it’s not exactly clear what。 （I think？？） the narrative jumps from multiple points of view for no reason， and it’s impossible to tell the voices apart， so what results is a completely disjointed narrative。 After having read this book， I could not tell you what happens at all。 Any notion of “story” is completely inscrutable and lost to gimmicky writing tricks that make the story seem more post-modern， even though it has none of the requisite depth。 Often， the narrator will launch into a completely unrelated and uninteresting Kunderaesque soliloquy on philosophy。 And the misogyny！ Andrea Dworkin had written at length about The Box Man in her book of literary criticism Intercourse， and I have to say… Andrea I should have listened to you！ Since Kobo Abe loves listing things in this book so much， I’ll wrap this review up with a list of all the depraved nasty shit crammed into these 170 pages。 - rape- exhibitionism - piss kinks- pedophilia- cannibalism？？？My review of Woman in the Dunes is forthcoming but if you want to check out Kobo Abe， his writing in that one is infinitely more clear， and the story less rapey。 The Box Man is not worth reading， and now I’ve done it so you don’t have to。 。。。more
Elizabeth
，
1
Ramin Azodi
，
«دروغ نوعی فریب‌کاری‌ست و حقیقت را از فرد پنهان می‌کند ولی خیال‌پردازی میان‌بری به سوی حقیقت است。»
Amin Lumiere
，
گویا به آبه لقب کافکای ژاپن رو داده بودند。 این کتاب خوبیه برای درک اینکه چرا بهش اینو می‌گفتند。 حسی که فقط با ادای دین یا بودن در فضای قصه‌های کافکا نیست،بلکه در عین حال یک برداشت شخصی از ادبیات کافکا به ما می‌ده، برداشتی که شاید موجب بشه تا بهتر بفهمیم。 البته این مربوط به بخش نخست کتابه。بخش دوم ایده‌ي جذاب دیگه‌ای رو پیش می‌گیره
F Gato
，
？？？？？？？
Jim Archambeau
，
I am struggling to digest what I just read。 By far the strangest book I have ever read。 I was undecided whether to rate it a 1 or a 4。 Considering I can't stop thinking about the depth and oddity of the book I went with the latter。 It is a very well written book that you need to pay attention to each sentence along the way。 It will pass a lot of emotions through you and each will be different for every reader。 Not sure I am recommending it， but I would say you will be entertained by the WTF fact I am struggling to digest what I just read。 By far the strangest book I have ever read。 I was undecided whether to rate it a 1 or a 4。 Considering I can't stop thinking about the depth and oddity of the book I went with the latter。 It is a very well written book that you need to pay attention to each sentence along the way。 It will pass a lot of emotions through you and each will be different for every reader。 Not sure I am recommending it， but I would say you will be entertained by the WTF factor this book brings with it😁 。。。more
Camden Sikes
，
Felt like it had a lot of potential to be good and interesting but didn't live up to it Felt like it had a lot of potential to be good and interesting but didn't live up to it 。。。more
Joy
，
you definitely have to give 110% to actually understand each sentence （i highly recommended reading along with an audio version） but it’s definitely worth it。 it has a weird charm。 i finally gave up trying to figure out what the ending was symbolizing and just went with it。 that’s kinda how you have to view reading the whole book。 just go with it and enjoy the ride。
Steven Godin
，
Christopher 'Alexander Supertramp' McCandless cut up all his cards， destroyed his passport， set fire to money， and went on an all American epic road trip in search of himself; in search of a great freedom。 The box man likewise destroyed his own identity papers， but took to a cardboard box in search of losing himself; in search of naked ladies to spy on。It was difficult not to read Abe's The Woman in the Dunes and not think of Kafka。 Here， the Kafkaesque vibes are still evident， but this was more Christopher 'Alexander Supertramp' McCandless cut up all his cards， destroyed his passport， set fire to money， and went on an all American epic road trip in search of himself; in search of a great freedom。 The box man likewise destroyed his own identity papers， but took to a cardboard box in search of losing himself; in search of naked ladies to spy on。It was difficult not to read Abe's The Woman in the Dunes and not think of Kafka。 Here， the Kafkaesque vibes are still evident， but this was more like a mash-up of Samuel Beckett and the Nouveau Roman master Alain Robbe-Grillet。 Most of the time we are inside the box; inside the anonymity condition， with the narrative made up of hypothetical voices and events， where things for our box man may or may not have happened。How can a simple cardboard box be also like living in a labyrinth？Does the box man have a schizo of multiple identities？Is he on a quest to have no identity at all？Did a murder occure？Emotionless as the novel was， with more questions than answers， I do like voyeuristic narratives， so a good chance I was always going to like this。 Here though， it's not peeping from behind the blinds or spying through binoculars。 It's。。。er。。。a box。 With a nice little observation window， and even a vinyl curtain and a plastic shutter for when it rains。 I almost wanted to experience the box man life myself。An absurd and creepy， eccentric and engaging， wholly original and clever piece of fiction。 It really got under my skin。 For me， it's even better than The Woman in the Dunes。Maybe this could be Tokyo's answer to L。A's Skid Row - Box Row。 。。。more
Kirstie
，
what
Trish Strong
，
This is perhaps one of the weirdest books I have ever read。 Very surreal quality to it。
Robert Veszteg
，
There are very few books I hate。 This is definitely one of them。 It lacks mystery， lacks magic， even lacks nonsense。 The prose just doesn’t flow。 Sentences are awkward and mostly disconnected。 Abe’s obsession with erection and his almost childish admiration of women are sad。 Don’t bother。 Read Kafka instead。
Mojde Jayez
，
سورئالحکایت یه مرد بیخانمانشاید همه ی اینها یک رویا باشداما این رویا خیلی طولانیستانقدر طولانی که فرد شروعش را بخاطر نمیاورد。
Usaid Yousaf
，
Honestly had no idea what was going on 40% of the time but still enjoyed the ride
Christopher
，
I wanted to like this more。 The premise and the opening are great， setting up this weird Beckett / Calvino / Ohle world of the box man。 But then things get very fragmented， rambling， & solipsistic。 Kind of a disappointment。
Star Sloth
，
Hallucinatory and weird， at times brilliant， but it doesn't really go anywhere。 Hallucinatory and weird， at times brilliant， but it doesn't really go anywhere。 。。。more
kai flynn
，
strange but excellent
Nick Barker
，
I couldn’t give it 1 star， yes it does deserve 2。 But look at the dates - it took me 2 months， and it’s short of 200pages。It didn’t engage me; I got bored。 I’d be happy to admit that I wasn’t intellectually up to the task。 Or maybe it’s because I kept stopping and starting。 Every time I picked it up， I couldn’t wait to put it down。 “When will this end？”。It put me off reading for a while。I pretty much didn’t know what was going on。 Some man in a box。 I thought he hated box men。 Fatuation with a n I couldn’t give it 1 star， yes it does deserve 2。 But look at the dates - it took me 2 months， and it’s short of 200pages。It didn’t engage me; I got bored。 I’d be happy to admit that I wasn’t intellectually up to the task。 Or maybe it’s because I kept stopping and starting。 Every time I picked it up， I couldn’t wait to put it down。 “When will this end？”。It put me off reading for a while。I pretty much didn’t know what was going on。 Some man in a box。 I thought he hated box men。 Fatuation with a nurse。 There’s a doctor。 I think it’s supposed to be suspenseful， but it wasn’t for me。But it has good reviews， and is lauded in Japan。Quirky ， yes。 But quirky for the sake of it， is not good enough。I just missed the beat。 It’s not you， it’s me。 。。。more
Kevin
，
Ever wanted to live with a box on your head？ In Kobo Abe’s novel you will learn how select and construct your box， providing a practical arrangement for moving around in while still leaving room for plenty of accessories。 This is probably the best novel I’ve ever read about how to become a box man。 The book also provides insight as to whether you have the mental makeup for a true box man， because let’s face it， nobody wants to become a fake box man。This is a delightful novel that is every bit pr Ever wanted to live with a box on your head？ In Kobo Abe’s novel you will learn how select and construct your box， providing a practical arrangement for moving around in while still leaving room for plenty of accessories。 This is probably the best novel I’ve ever read about how to become a box man。 The book also provides insight as to whether you have the mental makeup for a true box man， because let’s face it， nobody wants to become a fake box man。This is a delightful novel that is every bit practical is it is a funky look at existentialism。 This being my second Kobo Abe novel really helped me appreciate this one from the outset。 That and I’ve often wanted to wear a box but just never knew if I had what it takes。 。。。more
Emma
，
uau m'ha agradat moltíssim！ quina manera més xula de narrar！ quines coses més xules q diu！ molt interessant el tema de mirar i ser mirat， i mirar i no ser mirat etc。 si de cas li criticaria la posició on situa a la dona， m'ha incomodat massa potser （q se qés la intenció però potser s'ha passat una mica mm nose， m'ha grinyolat una micona）。 però en general molt xulu xulissim q fort！！ massa verosímil per deixar-te indiferent！！！jiji merci jun per deixar-me'l， q bé haver-lo llegit！ petonets a totes < uau m'ha agradat moltíssim！ quina manera més xula de narrar！ quines coses més xules q diu！ molt interessant el tema de mirar i ser mirat， i mirar i no ser mirat etc。 si de cas li criticaria la posició on situa a la dona， m'ha incomodat massa potser （q se qés la intenció però potser s'ha passat una mica mm nose， m'ha grinyolat una micona）。 però en general molt xulu xulissim q fort！！ massa verosímil per deixar-te indiferent！！！jiji merci jun per deixar-me'l， q bé haver-lo llegit！ petonets a totes <3 。。。more
Curtis Bergen
，
Very strange， I honestly don’t recommend though parts had me very uncomfortable， other parts made up for with insight and beauty。 Not sure on who anyone in the story was or whether it was 1 story or many stories。 But it kept me on my toes 🤷🏻♂️
Suzy Forman
，
This book is confusing， but it's confusing on purpose， and you shouldn't waste time trying too hard to figure it out。 The writing is incredible: beautiful， funny， disturbing—often all in the same sentence or two。 It felt like reading a descent into madness while catching glimmers of clarity along the way （and sometimes losing them shortly afterward）。 A short book， but not a quick read。 Sometimes I got frustrated with how hard it was to keep up， but that's the style。 This book is confusing， but it's confusing on purpose， and you shouldn't waste time trying too hard to figure it out。 The writing is incredible: beautiful， funny， disturbing—often all in the same sentence or two。 It felt like reading a descent into madness while catching glimmers of clarity along the way （and sometimes losing them shortly afterward）。 A short book， but not a quick read。 Sometimes I got frustrated with how hard it was to keep up， but that's the style。 。。。more
Damian Gomes
，
Oh this is a funky lil freaky book
Ariel_Carraro
，
Había leído buenas críticas sobre este libro。 Después de dudar un poco decidí leerlo。 Voy a volver a leer cualquier libro de este autor😃
Nick Peeters
，
6*
Gurhan
，
Bu kitap ne anlatıyor hiçbirşey anlamadım bomboş bir kitap
Mirzokhid Ganiev
，
An amazing book with a clear underlining of psychological and moral grounds in which we discuses and understand human behavior。
Jack
，
There are doubtless some interesting ideas eddying around within this novel: ruminations on the acts of seeing and being seen， the mutability of the self and the other， the malaise of modernity in postwar Japan， etc。 But all of this seems concealed behind a surreal veil that I wasn't quite able to break through， especially in the second half。 A handful of mysterious characters make strange decisions for inscrutable reasons; sometimes it is unclear who is speaking。The closest analogue I can think There are doubtless some interesting ideas eddying around within this novel: ruminations on the acts of seeing and being seen， the mutability of the self and the other， the malaise of modernity in postwar Japan， etc。 But all of this seems concealed behind a surreal veil that I wasn't quite able to break through， especially in the second half。 A handful of mysterious characters make strange decisions for inscrutable reasons; sometimes it is unclear who is speaking。The closest analogue I can think of to the experience of reading this book is watching Persona （the Bergman film）， which shares some of the same themes and general vibes。 Even though I didn't feel like I understood much of what was going on in Persona， I still understood and enjoyed more than what I got out of this odd little book。 The Chicago Tribune blurb on the back of my copy praises "a style so deceptive that only the most attentive reader will be aware of the existential abyss opening beneath the seemingly spare surface。" Perhaps if you are a more attentive reader than I am， you will get more out of it。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Box Man
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Box Man&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Box Man&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0