Of all the great Japanese novelists, Kobe Abe was indubitably the most versatile. With The Ruined Map, he crafted a mesmerizing literary crime novel that combines the narrative suspense of Chandler with the psychological depth of Dostoevsky.

Mr. Nemuro, a respected salesman, disappeared over half a year ago, but only now does his alluring yet alcoholic wife hire a private eye. The nameless detective has but two clues: a photo and a matchbook. With these he embarks upon an ever more puzzling pursuit that leads him into the depths of Tokyo's dangerous underworld, where he begins to lose the boundaries of his own identity. Surreal, fast-paced, and hauntingly dreamlike, Abe’s masterly novel delves into the unknowable mysteries of the human mind.

Translated from the Japanese by E. Dale Saunders.

安部公房（1924—1993），日本小说家、剧作家。生于东京，在中国沈阳读过小学和中学时代。1948年毕业于东京大学医科专业；50年代初即在文坛崭露头角。其处女作《赤茧》、《墙》分别获得战后文学奖和芥川文学奖，从而奠定了他在日本当代文学史的地位。其小说和剧本代表作多次荣获国内外大奖，并一再被提名为诺贝尔文学奖候选人。他与大江健三郎及三岛由纪夫鼎足而立，构成了当代日本先锋文学的独特风景。其作品在二十多个国家翻译出版，被誉为最受欢迎的日本作家和世界级文学大师。

《燃烧的地图》一书的主角是个追查失踪者的男子，在都市──那迷宫之中，这名男子渐渐地迷失了自我。小说表达了人在高度商业化、都市化和物质化的世界里生存的强烈不安感，以侦探小说的形式，一步步地将读者一起引入到一个精神的绝地里。