An astonishing book. Essentially an urban epic about losing your cat and your wife and your grip on reality, the plot moves dreamily through the mundane world of a man living an aimless, blameless life as he experiences erotic phone-calls, the philosophical musings of a teenage neighbour, horrifying stories from Japan's military campaign in China, a fascination with an abandoned well, two sisters named after islands and their strange vocation, and, frankly, a whole lot of other stuff. The writing is plain but addictive, and though the plot is full of ambiguities, complexities and perplexing enigmas, many of which are left for the reader to resolve, it is nonetheless a supremely satisfying read.