Oe begins The Changeling, as in a number of his novels, from insoluble, deeply personal events – here from his friend’s suicide – and turns it through sets of fictional tests, dialogues, memories and perverse events. And here, as in those other novels, Oe edges his readers toward the sublime through his restrained distortions of reality.

The Changeling begins with Kogito, an aging Oe-like writer, wearing oversized headphones, listening to a cassette-tape recording that his brother-in-law, Goro, has prepared for him. Goro’s voice speaks: “I’m going to head over to the Other Side now. … But don’t worry, I’m not going to stop communicating with you.” After slipping into an unpleasant doze, Kogito opens his eyes to find his wife before him, telling him of Goro’s suicide.