Toh, EnJoe

A surreal novella about the global pursuit of a mysterious writer who somehow writes in dozens of languages, perfect for fans of David Mitchell and the work of Hideaki Anno This dizzying, witty literary caper about books and translation is a delightful work that will captivate and surprise readers, and not just because it features Vladimir Nabokov as a character. An affluent entrepreneur named A.A. Abrams sinks seemingly infinite resources into the global pursuit of a writer about whom very little is known. Abrams’ target, known as “Tomoyuki Tomoyuki,” moves from one place to another, producing work in the local language before moving on to another part of the world. But how does Tomoyuki Tomoyuki move from one language to the next with such ease? Agents employed by the Abrams Institute attempt to make sense of the writer’s erratic movements and baffling writing habits, but come to find that within each puzzle is yet another puzzle, waiting to be unraveled. One puzzle leads to another in this delightful literary caper.

Harlequin Butterfly

lily lily 

What are the odds that I’ll find someone who isn’t me inside my own imagination?

Still, I ask—what about the one who knitted two-person patterns with me? We were almost like instruments to each other, weren’t we? If we were in fact devices and not people, then we would have ended up here eventually, either of our own volition or through the work of the agents. Then again, I don’t even remember who that person is anymore. If I saw them somewhere, I probably wouldn’t recognize them. Even if we met face to face, I doubt I’d know.

Harlequin Butterfly quotes

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