Considered one of the finest contemporary love stories in all of modern Japanese literature. The narrator, a young college student, has had two brothers disappear, two sisters lost to suicide and a third sister who is physically disabled. He is determined not only to survive, but to thrive, despite the tormenting thoughts his family's blood is cursed. Told as six interlocking stories the novel deepens and becomes infused with a tangible melancholic sadness. First published in Japan, this modern classic has sold over a million copies and is also a film directed by Obayashi Nobuhiko.