The Woman in the Dunes

This Japanese modern classic feels like claustrophobia personified, a Kafka-meets-Misery nightmare where an entomologist gets trapped in a sand pit after locals remove the ladder, held hostage in an ever-encroaching dune. I was on edge with him, sweating through his panic and existential dread as the sand threatens suffocation, building unbearable suspense you live step by step. It's tense and stressful, not a beach read despite the setting—I learned that the hard way while surrounded by sand myself. An AI summary like 'man stuck in hole' couldn't capture the immersive horror and freakout. I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity but found it far from relaxing.