Erasable Strokes: Tales Brought by the Crows (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798301257360)

Erasable Strokes: Tales Brought by the Crows is a haunting and eclectic collection of interlinked short stories by Jez Levi-Tate, presented in the voice of the enigmatic fictional author Naoto 'Keshava' Karasuma. These surreal and unsettling stories explore themes of alienation, artistic obsession, and the elusive nature of truth, blending Eastern philosophy with Kafkaesque absurdity, avant-garde humour, and gothic horror. Drawing on influences from Dostoyevsky, Poe, and Murakami, the collection immerses readers in a world where the edges of reality and imagination dissolve.

Purportedly authored by Karasuma, a reclusive figure said to have vanished into monastic life in a remote Japanese temple, the tales arrive with a cryptic note:

"When the reader is ready, the story will appear! Please set fire to these words.
Or else translate and publish."

At once, the tone is set, and the line between fact and fiction begins to blur, drawing readers into Levi-Tate's immersive and layered storytelling.

Rich with haunting imagery and enigmatic twists, this is a world where a writer's words literally slide off the page, a man wakes up inexplicably trapped in a coffin, only to be freed without explanation, then trapped again, an artist unexpectedly wins a competition only to be accused of (impossibly) copying someone else's work, a painting mesmerises and haunts its viewer into a surprising chain of events, and characters reconsider what is real and reevaluate their lives.

The centrepiece, Finding the Plot, is a fragmented odyssey through a single day, following a narrator wandering contemporary Japan in search of a story and a sense of purpose. Moving between suburban temples, gaudy bars, remote forests and crowded cities, his alienation from reality mirrors Karasuma's short story themes, weaving a haunting meditation on creativity and disconnection.

Rich with foreshadowing, echoes and recurring motifs - crows, ghosts, and Japanese ink painting - this tapestry of eerie and beautiful reflections invites readers on a journey through ghostly landscapes, shifting realities, and the mysterious heart of storytelling.

Author: Jez Levi-Tate
ISBN-13: 9798301257360
Publisher: Independently Published
Language: English
Published: 11/25/2024
Pages: 194
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.64lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.45d