SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2019 AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER When Gilbert wakes one day from a dream that his wife has cheated on him, he flees - immediately and inexplicably - for Tokyo, where he meets a fellow lost soul: Yosa, a young Japanese student clutching a copy of The Complete Manual of Suicide. Together, Gilbert and Yosa set off on a pilgrimage to see the pine islands of Matsushima, one looking for the perfect end to his life, the other for a fresh start. Playful and profound, The Pine Islands is a beautiful tale of friendship, transformation and acceptance in modern Japan.

Shortlisted for The Man Booker International Prize 2019 - a charming, playful, profound tale of lost souls in search of transformation in modern Japan

About the Author
Marion Poschmann was born in Essen in 1969. A prize-winning poet and novelist, she has won both of Germany's premier poetry prizes and the Berlin Prize for Literature. Poschmann has been shortlisted for the German Book Prize on three occasions and won the 2013 Wilhelm Raabe Literature Prize.

Reviews
Miraculous ... Poschmann has all the air of uncovered greatness -- John Self * Guardian *
A remarkably tender exploration of modern life ... Poschmann reveals the still beauty to be found in life beneath a mask of black humour. -- Mia Colleran * Irish Times *
A blackly funny novel, in which the rhythms of modern life slowly give way to the restorative poetry of the natural world. -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail *
If you've ever wondered how a writer of imagination and wit might blend Murakami-style mysticism with black-humoured realism, this diverting novel will tell you everything you need to know. * Big Issue *
Funny, strange and sad ... a refreshing book for the curious reader * Herald *
Really fascinating ... on the face of it a simple story with a sort of surreality to it, a playfulness as well ... interesting, left-field ... we absolutely loved it ... a comic confrontation with mortality -- Bettany Hughes, chair of the 2019 Man Booker International Prize judges
Absurdly delightful * Straits Times *
A masterpiece * Die Zeit *
Clever, poetic, funny * Tagesspiegel *
A dazzling little novel * Suddeutsche Zeitung *
Profoundly serene, flawlessly beautiful * TAZ *
Ravishingly funny * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *
Simply wonderful * Stern *


Awards
Short-listed for International Man Booker Prize 2019 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781788160926
Author Marion Poschmann
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Serpent's Tail
Publisher Profile Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 166g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 11mm