Review: Bullet Train

Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Non-stop action, intricate (but in a great way) and satisfying ending.




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Review: My Annihilation

My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was interesting but very confusing and unreliable. It might have been a bit too much for me. There was hypnosis, brainwashing and some sort of inception going on.


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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: 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: The Human Chair

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

Excellent short story



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Review: The Third Love

The Third Love by Hiromi Kawakami
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After being let down by "Under the Eye of the Big Bird", this was a breath of fresh air, and more like the Kiromi Kawakami I remembered. Very insightful, slightly surrealistic and an interesting story.


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Review: Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories

Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent collection of interesting stories, almost all of them with a unique and/or whimsical twist or angle.

My favorites were "Rashomon", "The Story of a Head that Fell off" and "Green Onions". But this was purely personal taste.

The last one was haunting, although I'm not sure I understood it entirely.

He is now one of my favorite authors.

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Review: The Passengers on the Hankyu Line

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fun book with a very interesting premise: the comings and goings of people on a certain train line and their lives and interactions. I probably enjoyed this even more than the Traveling Cat Chronicles. 

There are many books of this genre these days (usually with bookstores or coffee shops). Especially out of Japan it seems. But Arikawa definitely is one of the better authors at carrying it out. 

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Review: Seventeen

Seventeen by Hideo Yokoyama
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I usually read the blurbs and comments before reading a book, at least to get an idea as to whether I'll enjoy it or not. Either way, I obviously didn't do so for this since I would have seen that it is not a thriller at all, but newsroom drama.

Having said that, I didn't really mind it too much. It was insightful and interesting in its own way. Still, not sure I'd recommend it.

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Review: Under the Eye of the Big Bird

Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Am I the only person who was surprised at the sci-fi aspect of this book? I've read quite a few of Hiromi Kawakami's books, and while they often veer into surrealism, this went full-on futuristic dystopian sci-fi. The short stories are interconnected, and seem to come together at the end. I confess they gave me much to think about, especially given the AI aspect, but it felt very different from her other novels. 

So, while I realize my disappointment might be a tad misplaced, I still feel like I was robbed from reading a Hiromi Kawakami novel, which I had been looking forward to. Hence the 3 stars. 

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Review: The Devil's Flute Murders

The Devil's Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another good locked room mystery, with the fall of nobility as the background.

I have to say, Kindaiichi always finds his culprit, but it always seems to take quite a few deaths before he does so.




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Review: Nails and Eyes

Nails and Eyes by Kaori Fujino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good collection. The last story, "Minute Fears" is the best and spookiest.


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Review: A True Novel

A True Novel by Minae Mizumura
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm sorry. The first thing you hear about this book is how it is a "remaking" of Wuthering Heights. I'm not overly pedantic, and I don't even remember every detail of Wuthering Heights. And even if I did, I fully understand that a Japanese author who lives in New York in the 20th century (and has original thoughts) would write a very different novel.

Still, the one thing that I remember (and that stuck with me) about Wuthering heights was that it was supernatural. There was a literal ghost knocking at Heathcliff's window.

I understand this novel may have many other elements, but couldn't we just as well say it's a "re-imagining" of The Great Gatsby? (Taro starts off poor, becomes a rich well-known man, then disappears from public life). Actually, in a way it was more reminiscent of À la recherche du temps perdu by Proust, since it discusses a changing Japan and the passage of time, like Proust discussed his personal memories and a changing France.

Anyway, again, not to be overly pedantic, but I guess I was looking forward to an equivalent.

I'd say this is a great story about changing Japan and a gravitation toward the US (and back). There is also a story of star-crossed love spanning the entirety of the novel. But mainly, the novel is divided into two: the "I" novel and the "True" novel.


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Review: The City and Its Uncertain Walls

The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If, like me, you read this book right after having read "Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world", you will be very confused at the beginning. I couldn't tell if this was a prequel, a sequel, or another story from the same universe, or a retelling of the same story.

Luckily Murakami provides an explanation at the very end, so I won't expound on it.

The story itself wasn't among my favorites. Based on his explanation, I tend to agree with another reviewer in that this was something Murakami felt he had to get out of him and do correctly. Let's hope he got it out of his system. I enjoy all of Murakami's worlds, but I've spent enough time in this particular one.


Still, a solid 4 stars.



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Review: The Navidad Incident: The Downfall of Matias Guili

The Navidad Incident: The Downfall of Matias Guili by Natsuki Ikezawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fascinating tale! I discovered this author in the issue of "Monkey", which had one of his short stories, and this made me curious about his novels. I'm really glad I followed up on this.

A tad of magical realism, and a lot of "island culture" and some history and, yes, a disappearing bus.



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Review: Strange Pictures

Strange Pictures by Uketsu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An excellent and original mystery/thriller. I have no idea why I had this in my wish list, but I'm really happy I did.

A multi-part mystery novel involving several crimes, where the clues are all in the pictures (be sure to consult them). This is how a detective novel should be. You have the clues, so how long will it take for you to figure everything out?

If you find this book, pick it up.



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Review: MONKEY New Writing from Japan: Volume 5: CREATURES

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

Another great collection of stories/poems/essays by some excellent authors.

The ones that stuck with me are:
Communications from a Wandering Planet, by Makoto Takayanagi, translated by Michael Emmerich.
Once again Sci-fi, a genre I don't usually enjoy, surprises me. This was excellent and thought provoking.

Cathedral, by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Ted Goosen.
All of Hiromi Kawakami's books feel like they are choc full of symbolism that I can spot, but don't recognize. This was no exception. Another example of the "reality-adjacent" style. I loved it.

Bearman, by Natsuki Ikezawa, translated by Chris Corker.
A new author for me who, apparently, is from Hokkaido. A great story. I'll be looking for more by this author.

To Abuse a Monster, by Kaori Fujino, Translated by Laurel Taylor.
Another new author for me. And quite a disturbing, but at the same time entertaining, story.

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Review: Three Assassins

Three Assassins by Kōtarō Isaka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fast-paced, intricate, interesting and satisfying. A good read if that's what you're looking for.




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Review: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you ever need a break from the world it is refreshing to enter one of Murakami's world, always slightly askew and astray in comparison. This book introduces two worlds, in fact. One is the normal askew one, while the other is in the mind. Well worth it.


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Review: Il fucile da caccia

Il fucile da caccia by Yasushi Inoue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is able to make a relatively simple idea (a story being fleshed out through letters) seem incredibly original. And the story itself is a journey through different points of view and the inability to know another's true feelings.



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