Review of The Snow / A Neve by Justin Isis

An understated, precisely detailed story taking place in Japan, involving a household crowded with people and objects.

The serious tone complements the everyday subject matter. A current of existential awe seasons an otherwise light tale from a talented storyteller. A reminder that clogged toilets, old video games, a peculiar fascination with gloves and such like punctuate our otherwise futile existences. We must imbue our actions with intention. What goes unsaid is a poignant mixture of contentment and yearning, refreshingly presented in a cluttered literary landscape. This is a quiet and effective story told in a deliberately straight-faced style with an ending designed to inspire and mystify. Some connective tissue with his other works, like a snapshot or outtake from I Wonder What Human Flesh Tastes Like.
I remain in reverence of the author’s beguiling aesthetic.