Drawing on recent research on affect and emotion, the book focuses on entanglements of various kinds, exploring ways in which we are embedded in intersubjective networks of relational forces beyond our control. After introducing the overall theoretical framework, I will discuss the last chapter on Ishimure Michiko’s The Sea of Sorrow trilogy to tie together different strands of ethical concerns informing the book, from queer ethics, ecocriticism to Buddhist compassion.

Reiko Abe Auestad is Professor of Japanese Literature at the University of Oslo. She has published widely on Natsume Sôseki (monograph, journal articles and edited volumes), and diverse other modern Japanese authors such as Kawakami Mieko, Tsuhima Yûko, and Ôe Kenzaburô. She is currently working on a monograph titled Affect, Emotion and Sensibility in Modern Japanese Literature which is forthcoming from Routledge in 2024.