Review: Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai

Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai by Katsu Kokichi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is enlightening and enjoyable. Any idea you had of a typical samurai is both shattered and confirmed in many ways. Kokichi is by no means an admirable person. Even when he states he's been a bad person all his life it sounds like a humble-brag of sorts.

Regardless, the book is extremely interesting and it's a journey into life of a Japanese Samurai during those times.

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Review: Un cielo blu genziana

Un cielo blu genziana by Mattia Cavadini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very nice short story about rural life on Monte Generoso. All centered around the quote:

"Sotto la nebbia sarà tutto cemento,
sopra vivranno gli animali e coloro che ad essi si adegueranno"
Tita Carloni


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Review: Hunger

Hunger by Choi Jin-young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Intense and bit depressing, but also just odd and disturbing. For some reason, however, it works, although it leaves you with a bit of a hopeless feeling.




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Review: Villain

Villain by Shūichi Yoshida
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a murder mystery but that wasn't the point of the book at all. However, I'm not really sure what the point was. It wasn't really a psychological thriller, and there were several parallel stories that didn't seem to tie up, although there were some odd coincidences (that seemed a bit of a stretch to me).

Also, it's weird that the cover showed a gun but there are no guns in the book at all.


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Review: Il fondo del sacco

Il fondo del sacco by Plinio Martini
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was looking forward to reading more about life in Valle Maggia, despite being a bit let down by his other book (Requiem per zia Domenica). This surpassed all expectations. Not only did it discuss, and really convey, life in the valley at the beginning of the last century, but it also talked about the Ticinese exodus to the US, which was very interesting, and it was all wrapped together in a nice story (the line "sei tornato lo stesso" was very poignant).


Martini is known as one of the top Ticino authors of all time, and I didn't really see why after his last book, but this one convinced me. I see he has some other books, as well as a diary, that have been published, and I look forward to reading them as well.


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Review: The Final Curtain

The Final Curtain by Keigo Higashino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was more than a murder mystery, but I'm not sure what it was. It tied in Detective Kaga's past, and in the end was a story of redemption and upbringing. Someone mentioned this is the final book in the Detective Kaga series, so that may be why.

Regardless, it definitely stands on its own as a murder mystery, with some interesting twists and turns, but in the end all of that becomes secondary. Still, a great novel.


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Review: Nowhere to Be Found

Nowhere to Be Found by Bae Suah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The interesting thing about this novel is that I kept waiting for more to happen, and I felt like there was alot of symbolism I didn't get, but as soon as I finished it I wanted to re-read it. It captures you without your realizing, much like "Highway with Green Apples".

4.5 stars


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Review: MONKEY New Writing from Japan: Volume 6: HORROR

MONKEY New Writing from Japan: Volume 6: HORROR by Ted Goossen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As always, a very interesting collection of writings.

My favorite stories were:
The Key , by Kaori Fujino
In-House Ghost photos, by Kikuko Tsumura
The Ghosts of Lexington, by Haruki Murakami

Possibly The Collector of Scents, by Yoko Ogawa (not sure if I liked it, but it was haunting).
The same goes for The Man from the Hansa Quarter, by Yuko Yamao
The same goes for Baseball Player Soup by Aoko Matsuda


My absolute favorite was: The Human Chair, by Ranpo Edogawa


And, having recently read The Third Love, by Hiromi Kawakami, it was interesting to read her journey and thought process when writing it.




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Review: The Human Chair

The Human Chair by Edogawa Rampo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent short story



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