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The Last Children of Tokyo

By Yoko Tawada
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Check link for latest rating. ( 13,298 ratings, 1,983 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Last Children of Tokyo by Yoko Tawada, we encounter a dystopian world where Japan is isolated and struggling with the aftereffects of environmental and societal collapse. The story follows an elderly man, Yoshiro, and his sickly grandson, Mumei, exploring their tender relationship against a backdrop of impending doom. As the younger generation weakens, the book reflects on themes of resilience, hope, and the uncertain future of humanity.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate a thought-provoking narrative that explores themes of environmental change and its impact on future generations. Set in a dystopian world, the story invites readers to contemplate human resilience, generational differences, and the deep connections between people as society grapples with a shifting landscape.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A dreamlike story of filial love and glimmering hope, set in a future where the old live almost-forever and children's lives are all too brief.

In a near-future where the old live almost-forever and the rest die young, an elderly man fights to keep his beloved great-grandson alive

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Yoshiro celebrated his hundredth birthday many years ago, but every morning before work he still goes running in the park with his rent-a-dog. He is one of the many aged-elderly in Japan, and he might, he thinks, live forever.

Life for Yoshiro isn't as simple as it used to be. Pollution and natural disasters have scarred the face of the Earth, and even common foods are hard to come by. Still, Yoshiro's only real worry is the future of his great-grandson Mumei, who, like other children of his generation, was born frail and grey-haired, old before he was ever young.

As daily life in Tokyo grows harder, a secretive organisation embarks on an audacious plan to find a cure for the children of Japanβ€”might Yoshiro's great-grandson, Mumei, be the key?

A dreamlike story of filial love and glimmering hope, The Last Children of Tokyo is a delicate glimpse of our future from one of Japan's most celebrated writers.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

i>The Last Children of Tokyo by Yoko Tawada is lauded as a unique blend of eco-terror, family drama, and speculative fiction, combining humour with a stark portrayal of a neo-isolationist Japan. It is celebrated for its beauty and nuanced language that exquisitely balances gentle and sharp themes while exploring humanity's core amidst imminent disaster. The book navigates through a world that mixes ancient beliefs with modern politics and is praised for its poetic, melancholic, and tender prose, creating a convincing, imaginative narrative.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781846276705

Publisher: Granta Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 June 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Granta Books

Contributors:

  • Translated by Margaret Mitsutani

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 122g

Pages: 144

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction Yoko Tawada

About the Author

Yoko Tawada was born in Tokyo in 1960 and moved to Germany in 1982. She writes in Japanese and German, and her work has been awarded the most prestigious literary prizes in both countries, including the Akutagawa Prize, the Kleist Prize, the Adelbert von Chamisso Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, and the Goethe Medal. She is the author of stories, poems, plays, essays, and novels, including Memoirs of a Polar Bear, published by Portobello Books in 2017.

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