Yoko Tawada 
Bridegroom Was a Dog 

Mitsuko, a schoolteacher at the Kitamura school, inspires both rumour and curiosity in the parents of her students because of her unconventional manner – not least when she tells the children the fable of a princess whose hand in marriage is promised to a dog she is intimate with. And when a young man with sharp canine teeth turns up at the schoolteacher’s home and declares he’s ‘here to stay’, the romantic – and sexual – relationship that develops intrigues the community, some of whom have suspicions about the man’s identity and motives.Masterfully turning the rules of folklore and fable on their head, The Bridegroom Was a Dog is a disarming and unforgettable modern classic.