Strangers

Outline

Strangers (1987) is a haunting novel about Harada, a lonely, recently divorced television scriptwriter in Tokyo. One evening he meets a couple who look exactly like his parents, who died when he was twelve, and he begins visiting them regularly even as his health mysteriously declines. The novel explores grief, loneliness, memory, and the longing to reconnect with loved ones.

• Harada, a lonely and recently divorced scriptwriter in Tokyo, is the character through whom the novel explores isolation.
• He meets a couple who look exactly like his parents, who died when he was twelve.
• Harada keeps visiting the couple regularly, even while his health declines for reasons that stay mysterious.
• Grief does not fade with time; the novel shows how the longing for lost loved ones can shape a life.
• Memory and reality begin to blur, so the reader is left unsure which of Harada's experiences can be trusted.

Taichi Yamada (1934–2023) was a Japanese screenwriter and novelist, best known for his influential television dramas. Strangers is his best-known novel in English and has been adapted for the screen.