With this newly translated version of The Running Boy, the fiction of Megumu Sagisawa makes its long-overdue first appearance in English. Lovingly rendered with a critical introduction by the translator, this collection of three stories, written in 1989, sits on the thinnest part of Japan's economic bubble and provides and cautionary glimpse into the malaise of its impending collapse. From the aging regulars of a shabby snack bar in "Galactic City" to the mental breakdowns of "A Slender Back," and the family secrets lurking within the title story between them, Sagisawa offers a trilogy of laser-focused character studies. Exploring dichotomies of past versus present, young versus old, life versus death, and countless shades of meaning beyond, she elicits vibrant commonalities of the human condition from some of its most ennui-laden examples. A curious form of affirmation awaits her readers, who may just come out of her monochromatic word paintings with more colorful realizations about themselves and the world at large. Such insight is rare in a writer so young, and this book is a fitting testament to her premature death, the legacy of which is sure to inspire a new generation of readers in the post-truth era.

Yi Ch'ōng-Jun was born in 1939 and graduated from the department of German language and literature at Seoul National University in 1966. He has long been recognized as one of Korea's most prolific and demanding authors. Since his debut in 1965, he has enjoyed consistent critical and commercial success. His characters are ordinary people--writers, farmers, photographers and artisans--all struggling to survive in an increasingly materialistic and complicated society. They search for life's significance in the whirlwind change of modern Korea only to discover that the answers to their questions run deep beneath the surface of reality. This collection provides a cross-section of Yi's work, beginning with the haunting novella, The Falconer (1968) and ending with The Fire Worshipers, which won the National Literary Award from the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation in 1986.

DIV DIVDIVTwelve stories of women caught in the emotional turbulence of romance in Manhattan/divDIV /div/divDIVFor the twelve narrators of Susan Minot’s breathtaking collection—artists and lawyers, teenagers and thirty-somethings—love in New York doesn’t come easy. And as they struggle to reconcile their yearnings for romance with their needs for independence, they face resistance to emotional commitment at every turn. /divDIV /divDIVIn intense snapshots of these women’s most intimate moments, Minot brings to life their dreams and disappointments, hopes and heartbreaks, and highlights the emotional fissures that divide women and men./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features a new illustrated biography of Susan Minot, including artwork by the author and rare documents and photos from her personal collection./div /div

In this collection of sixteen stories, Gordimer brings unforgettable characters from every corner of society to life: a child refugee fleeing civil war in Mozambique; a black activist's deserted wife longing for better times; a rich safari party indulging themselves while lionesses circle their lodge. Jump is a vivid, disturbing and rewarding portrait of life in South Africa under apartheid.

This colorfully illustrated multicultural children's book presents several Japanese fairy tales and other folk stories--providing insight into a rich oral culture. Welcome to a fantastic world populated by magical teakettles, long-nosed goblins, brave warriors, and a host of other beloved characters who have lived on for centuries in the traditional tales of Japan. Drawn from Japanese folklore that has been passed down from generation to generation, the nine enchanting stories collected in this volume have been lovingly retold just for today's readers. They make perfect new additions for story time or bedtime reading. Vibrantly illustrated and full of thrilling adventures, funny discoveries and important lessons, they're sure to become story time favorites. Included are some of Japan's best-loving children stories: Peach Boy The Magic Teakettle Monkey-Dance and Sparrow-Dance The Long-Nosed Goblins The Rabbit in the Moon The Rabbit in the Moon The Tongue-Cut Sparrow Sill Saburo The Toothpick Warriors The Sticky-Sticky Pine

Six Hundred Incisions is a collection of contemporary African short stories which make vivid satirical statements especially on the individual, social and religious lives of the people, young and old, as characterised by desperation, deception, fear of retributive justice, human failings and marital infidelity. Woven in simple everyday language, sometimes serious and at other times hilarious, the narratives are easy to grasp, the actions depict the reality of lives of the people, the characters are commonplace and the setting is familiar.

Collected in a single volume for the first time—an unforgettable book of short stories from the Booker Prize-winning author of Possession that explores the fragile ties between generations, the dizzying abyss of loss, and the elaborate memories we construct against it. In this book of short fictions, A.S. Byatt compels us to inhabit other lives and returns us to our own with new knowledge, compassion, and a sense of wonder. "Byatt's stories display all her talents as a novelist, but spiced with an additional friskiness." —Evening Standard