{"title":"Hiroko Oyamada","description":"\u003cp\u003eHiroko Oyamada’s work blurs the boundaries between reality and the surreal, weaving everyday settings with subtle, unsettling twists. Her stories, such as \u003cem\u003eThe Factory\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Hole\u003c\/em\u003e, invite readers into worlds where the mundane reveals deeper mysteries, often exploring themes of isolation and identity through a uniquely imaginative lens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eStraddling general fiction and speculative elements, Oyamada’s narratives evoke a quiet tension that lingers beyond the page. Expect richly atmospheric prose that casts a reflective light on the ordinary, transforming it into something quietly extraordinary.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-hole-by-hiroko-oyamada-9781803510606","title":"The Hole","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Asa's husband is offered a new job away from the city, the couple end up relocating. And since his new office is very close to his family's home, it makes sense to move in next door to his parents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough the long hot summer, Asa does her best to adjust to their new rural lives, to the constant presence of her in-laws, to the emptiness of her existence and the incessant buzz of cicadas. Then one day, while running an errand for her mother-in-law, she comes across a strange creature, follows it to the embankment of a river, and ends up falling into a hole—a hole that seems to have been made specifically for her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThus begins a series of bizarre experiences that drive Asa deeper into the mysteries of this rural landscape and the family she has married into, leading her to question her role in this world and, eventually, who she even is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Hole\u003c\/em\u003e delves into the surreal and introspective, captivating readers with its exploration of identity and transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46533106532588,"sku":"9781803510606","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3120363482830.jpg?v=1749369796"},{"product_id":"the-hole-by-hiroko-oyamada-9781803510620","title":"The Hole","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Asa's husband is offered a new job away from the city, the couple end up relocating. Since his new office is very close to his family's home, it makes sense to move in next door to his parents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough the long hot summer, Asa does her best to adjust to their new rural lives, to the constant presence of her in-laws, to the emptiness of her existence and the incessant buzz of cicadas. Then, one day, while running an errand for her mother-in-law, she comes across a strange creature, follows it to the embankment of a river, and ends up falling into a hole—a hole that seems to have been made specifically for her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThus begins a series of bizarre experiences that drive Asa deeper into the mysteries of this rural landscape and the family she has married into, leading her to question her role in this world and, eventually, who she even is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Hole\u003c\/em\u003e by Hiroko Oyamada is a thought-provoking tale that questions identity and reality, set amidst the eerie allure of the countryside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Gardners Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46708330004716,"sku":"9781803510620","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/72f6a594752040c0b718175ac8de8c76.jpg?v=1754127283"},{"product_id":"the-factory-by-hiroko-oyamada-9781803510590","title":"The Factory","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond the town, there is the factory. Beyond the factory, there is nothing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the sprawling industrial complex, three employees are assigned to different departments. There, each must focus on a specific task: one shreds paper, one proofreads documents, and another studies the moss growing all over the expansive grounds. As they grow accustomed to the routine and co-workers, their lives become governed by their work. Days take on a strange logic and momentum, and little by little, the margins of reality seem to be dissolving: Where does the factory end and the rest of the world begin? What's going on with the strange animals here? And after a while—it could be weeks or years—the three workers struggle to answer the most basic question: what am I doing here?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith hints of Kafka and Beckett and unexpected moments of creeping humour, \u003cem\u003eThe Factory\u003c\/em\u003e is a vivid, and sometimes surreal, portrait of the absurdity and meaninglessness of the modern workplace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072729825516,"sku":"9781803510590","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3120203482830.jpg?v=1765128179"},{"product_id":"weasels-in-the-attic-by-hiroko-oyamada-9781783789757","title":"Weasels in the Attic","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo friends meet across three dinners. In the back room of a pet shop, they snack on dried shrimps and discuss fish-breeding. In a remote new home in the mountains, they look for a solution to a weasel infestation. During a dinner party in a blizzard, a mounting claustrophobia makes way for uneasy dreams. Their conversations often take them in surprising directions, but when one of the men becomes a father, more and more is left unsaid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith emotional acuity and a wry humour, \u003cem\u003eWeasels in the Attic\u003c\/em\u003e is an uncanny and striking reflection on fertility, masculinity, and marriage in contemporary Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487757484268,"sku":"9781783789757","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/77cd59e15cfda0a904c24afe1b1d4884.jpg?v=1775787787"},{"product_id":"weasels-in-the-attic-by-hiroko-oyamada-9781783789764","title":"Weasels in the Attic","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA UK debut from a fresh, prize-winning talent, this quietly surreal novel is perfect for fans of Sayaka Murata and Mieko Kawakami.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTwo friends meet across three dinners. In the back room of a pet shop, they snack on dried shrimps and discuss fish-breeding. In a remote new home in the mountains, they look for a solution to a weasel infestation. During a dinner party in a blizzard, a mounting claustrophobia makes way for uneasy dreams. Their conversations often take them in surprising directions, but when one of the men becomes a father, more and more is left unsaid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith emotional acuity and a wry humour, \u003cem\u003eWeasels in the Attic\u003c\/em\u003e is an uncanny and striking reflection on fertility, masculinity, and marriage in contemporary Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48334495777004,"sku":"9781783789764","price":22.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781783789764-weasels-in-the-attic-1.jpg?v=1788917096"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/hiroko-oyamada.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}