Japanese Literature: Avoiding ABE Kobo?

ABE's work is not known to many, yet he is prolific in his ideas of people changing from people to objects, but never back again. My example is "Man who turned Into Staff" It describes elegantly, existentially perhaps, life around/in an enigmatic light a densely populated region. The man at a fair on top of a store is ABE's deceptive device: Plagued with a sense of failure he jumps from the edge only to become a staff of wood. The question is, is he useful or not? How would you determine that? ABE gives us no answers, so the reader is left empty. It is up to the reader to decide for himself. Few openly discuss ABE, which is a shame. I think if they did, the mystery of ABE would diminish and readers would be ENABLED to have an open say. Anyone any experience of this?

a reply to: Koban

Thank you friend.
When I was practicing Acupuncture in an AIDS clinic in Chicago, in the 90s. A frequent patient of mine left me his books by Basho (poetry) after he passed.

The Japanese are a fascinating people. I haven't read Abe, but I'll give it a look.

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Koban

Thank you friend.
When I was practicing Acupuncture in an AIDS clinic in Chicago, in the 90s. A frequent patient of mine left me his books by Basho (poetry) after he passed.

The Japanese are a fascinating people. I haven't read Abe, but I'll give it a look.

Not tried Basho before. I hear he's best linguistically and natively great. Once started they say you can get used to his rhythms. Thanks for the comment.