The Summer House

“Locked in this story of quiet observations and fleeting romances is a tale of creation, destruction, and grandeur.” —Electric Literature, Best Novels of the Year

“The Summer House may be a debut novel, but it’s as substantial as the best works of Haruki Murakami and Yoko Ogawa…in a lean, propulsive English rendered by translator Margaret Mitsutani…Through his quiet, pensive, and clear prose, Matsuie elevates this story to an elegant structure founded on the nature of architecture, the architecture of nature, and affections both platonic and romantic…stunning.” —Asymptote Journal

“Elegantly understated…Matsuie, renowned as an editor (of Haruki Murakami, among other writers) before becoming an author, delivers a simple but graceful tale that’s full of intriguing asides on architecture…A novel packed with ideas about art, life, and love.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Matsuie’s Yomiuri Prize for Literature–winning debut examines the influence of Western culture on postwar Japan and the clash of modernity and tradition.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“The more I read, the more I fell in love with this beautiful novel…Its foremost charm is the fluent, clean-cut use of words. Nothing in Matsuie’s descriptions is superfluous, nor is anything missing, and the refreshing vitality of his prose is impressive…The birth of such a writer is cause for celebration.” —Hiromi Kawakami, author of Strange Weather in Tokyo and The Nakano Thrift Shop