Snakes and Earrings

The Prize-Winning Cult Classic and International Bestseller with Over 1 Million Copies Sold Describing a world as amoral and fascinating as the landscapes of "Less Than Zero" and "Trainspotting," this novel about a young woman living in the violent world of Japans underground youth culture is both shocking and strangely beautiful. Enchanted by the snakelike forked tongue of a stranger called Ama, nineteen- year-old Lui takes a walk on another side of life. Following Ama home the night she meets him, Lui straightaway moves in with him and begins making plans to have her own tongue pierced. Determined to push her boundaries further, she asks Amas strange friend Shiba to design an exquisite dragon tattoo for her back. But when Lui and Shiba begin an affair, Amas jealousy is stirred and the situation becomes explosive. BACKCOVER: Shocking, brutal, riveting, and best of all, well written. "Marie Claire" As unsettling and poetic as a fever dream. "Elle" A powerful portrait of [the] post-bubble generation. "The New York Times" Ever get the longing to conceal a video camera in a zone youd never get a peek into otherwise? Hitomi Kanehara fearlessly takes us into the labyrinthine realm that makes up renegade Japanese youth culture. J.T. Leroy, author of "Sarah"Kanehara, Hitomi is the author of 'Snakes and Earrings', published 2006 under ISBN 9780452287310 and ISBN 0452287316.