"The Woman In The Dunes" by Kobo Abe. ****

• Japanese author
• Originally published in 1964
• Review:   For me, this novel is a mix of the "Myth of Sisyphus" and "Waiting For Godot".  An entomologist becomes ensnared in a Japanese village in sand dunes.  A life of pointless repetitions drive him nearly mad as he plots many escapes.  I found myself rooting for him and then wishing he would just accept his fate.  This is a well-written, profoundly thought provoking existential tale.  Not a light, summer beach read by any stretch of the imagination.