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），日本小說傢、劇作傢。生於東京，在中國瀋陽讀過小學和中學時代。1948年畢業於東京大學醫科專業；50年代初即在文壇嶄露頭角。其處女作《赤繭》、《牆》分彆獲得戰後文學奬和芥川文學奬，從而奠定瞭他在日本當代文學史的地位。其小說和劇本代錶作多次榮獲國內外大奬，並一再被提名為諾貝爾文學奬候選人。他與大江健三郎及三島由紀夫鼎足而立，構成瞭當代日本先鋒文學的獨特風景。其作品在二十多個國傢翻譯齣版，被譽為最受歡迎的日本作傢和世界級文學大師。

《燃燒的地圖》一書的主角是個追查失蹤者的男子，在都市──那迷宮之中，這名男子漸漸地迷失瞭自我。小說錶達瞭人在高度商業化、都市化和物質化的世界裏生存的強烈不安感，以偵探小說的形式，一步步地將讀者一起引入到一個精神的絕地裏。