His name is romanized as Kobo Abe in Vintage International's English-language editions of his book, while Columbia University Press's edition of Three Plays by Kōbō Abe romanizes his name as Kōbō Abe.
Biography
Abe was born in Kita, Tokyo, grew up in then Mukden, (now Shen-yang) in Manchuria. His father was a physician who taught at the medical college. Abe went back to Japan in 1941 and began studies at Tokyo Imperial University in 1943. He graduated in 1948 with a medical degree, on the condition that he would not practice. He was first published as a poet with Mumei Shishu ("Poems of an unknown poet") in 1947. The next year he published his first novel, Owarishi michi no shirube ni (“The Road Sign at the End of the Street”) which established his reputation. He worked as an avant-garde novelist and playwright, but it was not until he published The Woman in the Dunes in 1962 that he won widespread international acclaim.
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Abe Kobo - Novelist and playwright. Includes bibliographies of translated and critical works, a brief biography and synopses of some of his earlier works.
Abe, Kobo - Entry for Abe at Encyclopedia.com.
Meta Description: [ ABE, KOBO [Abe, Kobo] , pseud. of Kimifusa Abe, 1924-93, Japanese novelist and dramatist. Although Abe trained as a doctor, he never practiced med ]
Kobo Abe Bibliography - A bibliography of Kobo Abe's books and short stories, with book covers.
Meta Description: [ A bibliography of Kobo Abe's books, with the latest releases, covers, descriptions and availability. ]