High positions in creativity for Kobo Abe were possible thanks to his acquaintance with world literature. He respected the Russian classics very much, knew the work of Gogol and Dostoevsky perfectly. And he even considered himself their student. The interweaving of fiction and true reality, characteristic of the works of Gogol, was reflected in the works of the Japanese writer.
From the biography of Kobo Abe
Kobo Abe was born on March 7, 1924. The future writer spent his childhood in Manchuria. His father worked there as a doctor. In 1943, in the midst of the war, Abe travels to Tokyo to enroll in the university's medical faculty. This was the will of his father. But after a while, Abe returns to Mukden, where the events that led to the defeat of Japan unfold before his eyes.
In 1946, Abe again went to the capital to continue his studies at the university. Money for life is sorely lacking. And Abe has no particular desire to make a career as a doctor. And yet he gets his diploma. However, Abe did not work for a day in his specialty, having embarked on the path of literary creativity.
In the first post-war years, the early works of the writer appear. Among them is "A road sign at the end of the street" (1948), which reflects the author's childhood impressions.
Back in his student years, Abe got married. His wife was a designer and artist by profession. She has created a number of illustrations for Abe's works.
At one time, Abe became interested in politics and even became a member of the Japanese Communist Party. However, the writer broke with the Communist Party in protest against the introduction of Warsaw Pact troops into rebellious Hungary. Moving away from politics, Abe focused entirely on literary creativity.
Kobo Abe's creativity
Abe's fame came after the publication of his story "The Wall". In subsequent years, the author deepened and expanded the work, adding two more parts to it. For this book, Abe was awarded Japan's highest literary prize. The main theme of the story is the loneliness of the individual.
Abe's position in literature was strengthened after the publication in 1958 of his book "The Fourth Ice Age". This work combines science fiction, detective and intellectual novel. However, the fame of the writer stepped outside Japan only after the appearance of his novels "The Woman in the Sands", "Alien Face" and "The Burnt Map", published in the period from 1962 to 1967.
Abe's talents were not limited to literature. He was well versed in music, was fond of foreign languages and photography. Abe is also known as a screenwriter. Many of his plays have been translated into other languages. For more than a decade, Abe ran his own studio, where he staged performances based on his plays.
Abe's biographers have repeatedly noted the difficulties when working on the description of his life. There were no bright and memorable events in it. The world famous writer was closed, did not strive for wide contacts, carefully converged with people. Abe had no close friends; in fact, he led the life of a recluse. Kobo Abe died suddenly in January 1993 in Tokyo.
