Train Man

Front Cover
Little, Brown Book Group, Feb 7, 2013 - Fiction - 320 pages
This is a true story of love for the internet generation - the international bestseller that sold over a million copies. This wonderfully unique book from Japan derives from a series of postings over a three-month period to a particularly computer-geeky thread of 2 Channel, the world's largest anonymous Message Board. The events all took place in Tokyo. One day a shy otaku computer geek mentioned on the message forum how he had met a girl on a subway train. As things developed he continued to post updates to the message board. He gained the nickname 'Train Man'. With each update from bashful Train Man, his fellow correspondents throw in own colourful speculations, boyish encouragements, tongue-in-cheek warnings, and fabulously inventive ascii text drawings. Train Man tries to take on board their comments as events unfold. Eventually he finds love with the girl, Hermes, and reveals to her the entire history of the thread. The true identity of Train Man remains a closely guarded secret.

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About the author (2013)

Nakano Hitori was the pen name of the 2-Channeler who compiled the original posts into a website, which started the 'Densha Otoko' or Train Man phenomenon. Translator Bonnie Elliot is also the translator of bestselling Japanese writer Natsuo Kirino's next novel.

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