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 Amélie Nothomb

Tokyo Fiancée 2008 Amélie Nothomb writes about the same period in her life as when she was working for a corporation in Japan, which she describes in 'Fear and Trembling'. In this story, however, she describes her life in Japan outside of work, namely with a young Japanese boy who is learning French from her. She describes what Japan was like when she lived there, and what aspects of it she loves, which really gives a taste of the culture and country.

Sulphuric Acid 2007 "Sulphuric Acid" tells the story of a reality TV death camp, which has become the nation's obsession - an amoral spectacle played out through the media. It is a blackly funny and shocking satire on the modern predilection for reality television and celebrity, in which the audience at home develops a taste for blood.

The Life of Hunger 2006 The daughter of a Belgian diplomat, Amelie had an itinerant childhood, ranging from Tokyo to Peking and Paris to New York by way of Bangladesh. Recounting these formative journeys right up to her return to Japan in 1989, and the Kobe earthquake, "The Life of Hunger" is an extraordinary examination of the self, and perhaps Amelie's most mature and moving work to date.

Human Rites 2005 Another winter of war and survival demands sacrifices... Food is in short supply and the cold is unbearable. In a tantalising menage-a-trois between a Professor, his assistant, and a student, only the books bear witness to their plight. "Human Rites" is a provocative play that questions our natural instincts and asks how far we are prepared to go in order to survive.

Antichrista 2004 When Blanche's mother, who finds her own daughter rather colourless, bookish and dull, is also dazzled by Christa, she soon invites her to stay at the family house. Suddenly Christa can do no wrong and, as Blanche's parents scour their address books for long-lost friends to invite to dinner to meet the newcomer, their friendship sours and Blanche's already negligible self-confidence goes into a steep decline. With all the characteristics of Amelie Nothomb's unique fictional landscapes, Antechrista is a funny, dark and revealing journey through female friendship and rivalry.

The Book of Proper Names 2004 Plectrude is an orphan with a gift for dance. She is looked after by her aunt who falls obsessively in love with her. This is a tale of lost mothers, haunted adolescence and fate.

The Character of Rain 2003 The Japanese believe that until the age of three, children are gods, each one a 'Lord Child'. On their third birthday they fall from grace and join the rest of humanity. Narrated by a child - from the age of two and a half up until her third birthday - this novel reveals that the move from deity to ordinary member of the human race can be a very difficult thing indeed from which to recover.

Fear and Trembling 2002 Amelie, a well-intentioned and eager young westerner, goes to Japan to spend a year working at the Yumimoto Corporation. Returning to the land where she was born is the fulfilment of a dream for Amelie, but working there turns into a comic nightmare of terror and self-abasement. Disturbing, hilarious and totally convincing Fear and Trembling displays an elegant and shrewd understanding of the intricate ways Japanese relationships are made and spoiled.

Loving Sabotage 2000 ‘Stunningly original … The portrayal of ensuing loss of childhood innocence is both fiercely comic and painfully cruel.’

The Stranger Next Door 1996 When Emile and Juliette Hazel move into their new, secluded home to enjoy retirement, their peace is interrupted by the daily visits of the bizarre man who is their only neighbor.