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192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
Yōko Tawada (born 1960) lives in Berlin, writes in both Japanese and German, and has gained attention and recognition for her work, which is characterized by playing on the boundaries of language and imagination.Although the description says that this is a "novel", the book actually consists of 13 short stories that are only tied together due to their taking place on night trains to different cities. I did not notice that any characters crossed over between the tales, although several do say that the protagonist is a dancer. In other stories though, the lead character is described as a pianist or a writer. The main tie-in is that they have a job that requires them to attend different performances or readings in various cities.
The short 2nd-person-viewpoint novel "Suspicious Characters on a Night Train" combines everyday observations with dreamlike experiences. On her journey by train through the cities of Europe and Asia, "you" comes into contact with a number of special characters: conductors and performers, professors and prostitutes, actors and gods. These unintended meetings force the protagonist to constantly re-evaluate her relationships with those around her and even with herself.