GOTH リストカット事件

GOTH リストカット事件 #1-2

by Otsuichi

「殺人事件や拷問の方法など　人の冷たくデリケートな側面を渇望する　私たちのような人間は時に“GOTH”と呼ばれる」。この「GOTH」である「僕」と森野夜のふたりが、遭遇する猟奇的な事件を描く連作短編集。乙一による6話で構成される同名小説のなかから4話を選んで漫画化したもの。

「『小説のイメージどおりだ』という声がいくつも寄せられた」と原作者の乙一があとがきで書いているように、黒髪の美しい少女、森野夜のキャラクターに引かれる人も多いだろう。だがもうひとりの主人公、「僕」のキャラクターはさらに印象深い。いつも事件を解決に導く「僕」であるが、彼は決してヒーローになりたいわけではない。暗がりを見たいというその思いだけが、彼を突き動かし核心へと連れて行くのだ。

あらゆるものの手を切断して冷蔵庫に保管する教師の話（「リストカット事件」）、人間を土の中に生きたまま埋めることに執着する男の話（「土」）など、苦手な人には耐え難い（好きな人にはたまらない）表現が続く。ビジュアルでは本書最大の見せ場ともいえる凄惨な死体の様子が描かれているのは、「暗黒系」。執拗なまでに丁寧に描かれたそれは、恐怖を忘れて見とれてしまうほどの完成度である。また、どの話にも必ず巧みな「裏切り」があって、謎解きのおもしろさも存分に与えてくれる。特に森野夜の過去の事件を描いた「記憶」には大きな裏切りが用意されていて、4話で完結するマンガ版の、最終話としてきれいに全体をまとめている。（門倉紫麻）

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Short Stories, Japanese Literature, Manga, Japan

332 pages, Tankōbon

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Otsuichi (乙一, Otsuichi?), also known as Eiichi Nakata and Asako Yamashiro, is the pen-name of Hirotaka Adachi (安達 寛高), born 1978.

He is a Japanese writer, mostly of horror short stories. He made his debut with Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse while still in high school.

Major works include the novel Goth, which was made into a manga, and the short story collection Zoo, which was made into a movie.

Tokyopop has released his short story collection Calling You, and will release Goth in November. His short story F-Sensei's Pocket appears in the English language edition of Faust.


Associated Names:
* Otsuichi
* 乙一 (Japanese Profile)
* โอตสึ อิจิ (Thai Profile)

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I was expecting more... more than just gore. I love reading gorey story provided the fact that there should be substance and characterization to the story.

2.25 stars

pre review :-
I decided to read this book for Halloween
Month and its Christmas now. Well at least I am here.

pre-pre review :-

Happy horrifying Halloween Day! October has arrived, and while I don't celebrate Halloween, it's all over bookstagram and Goodreads, so lets dive into bandwagon..

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you both simultaneously love and hate something? Such is my reaction to Goth. The prose is great, the narrative interesting...but this book is creepy. Effing creepy. And, to be fair, I know it says "A Novel of Horror" right on the cover, but really, it's published by Tokyopop. How bad could it possibly be?

Oh, silly, naive past me.

The thing that makes this book so page-turningly horrific is not a focus on fantasy, like many genre-specific Japanese stories that American audiences are familiar with, but rather exploring the depths of human cruelty and psychosis and the awful, *awful* things people can do to one another. There are no cursed wells, no supernatural beings, just plain ole people being downright gruesome.

This book is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. I cannot stress this enough. That said, if you can get past a bit of torture porn, you'll discover that the real gem of this book is the author's ability to craft a shocking, engaging mystery full of twists and turns guaranteed to leave you guessing and keep your adrenaline pumping. The stories are interesting and well-crafted, centered around (but not exclusive to) two main characters who are neither likable or empathetic, but keep you engaged from start to finish.

My only real complaint about this book, aside from the obvious gore (with still has me twitching in recollection), is the title itself. Having grown up with the "Goth" movement, having friends involved in the subculture, I was disappointed at how little the book actually had to do with Goths themselves. One character dresses primarily in black, and there's talk of death...and that's pretty much it. Love it or hate it, the Goth movement is so much more than that. The title is more of a selling point, a way for the author to reel in his audience with something flashy and familiar, a fact he readily admits and apologizes for in the author notes. If you're looking for a deeper exploration of the topic you're in for a rude (and rather grotesque) awakening. However, if you want to read a well-crafted collection of gut-churning horror stories, I'd recommend this book.

[Johann (jobis89) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She thought I wanted to pick her up. All I really wanted to do was kill her and take her picture.”

This short story collection is one for those of us who enjoy reading about serial killers (I had initially written “this one is for serial killer fans” and then I was like “no one is actually a FAN of serial killers, for heavens sake”) But yeah, this shit be DARK.

Goth is comprised of a series of connected stories focused on Morino, the strangest girl in school, and her classmate, both of whom have a fascination with serial killers. But they don’t want to stop these serial killers, they want to understand them.

If you’re like me, when you think of Japanese horror you think of Samara from The Ring - the genre is known for being disturbing as hell, mostly supernatural etc. This collection is a little different. Don’t worry, Goth is still pretty freakin’ unsettling, but it’s rooted in reality. There are no supernatural aspects, apart from the fact that this town - and one character in particular - just seems to attract serial killers!

It gets pretty grisly at times, there’s mutilation and some animal death, so beware if you like to avoid those kinds of stories! One story in particular, called Dog, really stood out for me. I was completely blindsided and thoroughly impressed by how Otsuichi executed that one!

In the afterword, Otsuichi discusses his work. He’s surprisingly funny given how violent and disturbing his writing is, so that was a nice way to round off what was an overwhelmingly unsettling and grisly experience.

I would certainly recommend if you’re looking for some translated horror - I for one will be reading more from this author! 3.5 stars.

[inciminci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I myself was possibly something of a similar sort, but the two lead characters in Goth were so incredibly unlikeable and unrelatable that I have been rolling my eyes at them most of the time while reading. Both display a boring lack of emotions and while the girl Morino can only relate to her only one friend unnamed boy, he, on the other hand, is obsessed with the idea of seeing her die.

The stories usually don't provide much build-up, play with points of view, and have a twist. An annoying point was that because the stories were originally published separately, the male character explains in the beginning of each and every story a detailed description of Morino from the male gaze, her long black hair, how pretty and desirable she is but cannot feel etc, and that sucked, really. Those part could have been edited out.

So, if you feel like a simply written, not too complex, bad, but bloody and mildly shocking mysteries with unsurprizing twists, annoying teenage main characters included- then this is your call.

[Ms. Smartarse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goth is made up of a series of short stories, wherein two antisocial classmates share a disturbing hobby of investigating creepy and downright grisly crimes: a serial killer, a hand-fetishist, mysterious dog disappearances, a suicide from long ago, a grave digger, a dead sister's last message and a photographer.

While the crimes themselves are scary enough, the whole story gets an even creepier edge, when recounted from the two teenagers' dispassionate point of view. You see, their goal is merely that of getting a closer look at things, not that of reporting any of the crimes. Taking care not to interfere, even in cases where someone with more empathy definitely would have...



You may have heard me mention my inability to properly enjoy horror stories in written format, despite getting easily scared by horror movies. So this was yet another attempt to get me into the mood. And it succeeded... to a certain degree.

As a whole, I liked the premise of every single story, but some of them fell a bit flat in their execution:
- starting a complex thread that ends much too simplistically (Goth)
- playing around with narrative perspectives to the point of utter confusion (Voice)
- getting into a weird pissing contest (Morino's Souvenir Photo)



That being said, I'm a big fan of the unexpected perspective shift from Dog, where the final reveal ended up completely blindsiding me. And of course Memory/Twins totally nailed the mix of haunted and peaceful atmosphere in the country-side.

Score: 3.5/5 stars

I ended up liking most of the stories in the book, and would have probably found them right at home in one of those ghost story anime episodes.



As for my initial expectations, I didn't exactly jump out of my seat at any point, but I did get disgusted at some of the more graphic depictions of violence. Especially when animals were involved. So at least the book has fully earned its place on my horror shelf.

[Nhi Nguyễn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Không hiểu sao Nhã Nam lại gọi cuốn này là tiểu thuyết; mình thấy nó giống một tuyển tập truyện ngắn hơn, với hai nhân vật chính xuyên suốt các câu chuyện là nhân vật tôi (một nam sinh cấp 3 mà tên thật hình như được tiết lộ ở câu chuyện cuối cùng) và cô bạn thân của cậu ấy là Morino Yoru. Hai con người với những suy nghĩ kỳ lạ cùng niềm say mê như một căn bệnh mạn tính đối với những vụ giết người, những sự kiện kinh hoàng ở địa phương, đã cùng nhau kể nên những câu chuyện kinh dị đến phát bệnh nhưng cũng tràn đầy nghĩ suy về bản chất của con người.

Đúng là truyện kinh dị của Nhật có khác, có cái gì đó ớn ớn, kỳ cục và khó đoán mà mình không tài nào diễn tả được. Nói chung là đọc thì sẽ nhận ra. Cái sự kỳ dị trước hết đến từ hai nhân vật chính, đặc biệt là nhân vật tôi, với những suy nghĩ tăm tối như con thiêu thân bị hút vào phần xấu xa của con người, cùng thái độ bàng quan gây khó chịu, phát hiện ra thủ phạm của những vụ án là ai nhưng mà lại ém nhẹm, không báo cáo với chính quyền hay cố gắng ngăn chặn tội ác. Miêu tả ngắn gọn về nhân vật này có thể được đọc thấy ở câu chuyện thứ hai, "Vụ án cắt cổ tay":

"Nói cách khác, phần vô cảm và phi nhân tính bên trong mà tôi giấu mọi người bấy lâu nay đã được sự thờ ơ dễ chịu của Morino chấp thuận."

Những vụ án đa phần đều ghê rợn, nhưng ghê rợn hơn cả là những cú plot twists mà tác giả cố tình cài cắm vào câu chuyện ở những chỗ ít ngờ nhất để làm bất ngờ độc giả. Thực sự ban đầu đọc nhiều truyện mình chưa hiểu lắm thực hư câu chuyện là như thế nào, nhưng càng đọc về cuối thì đúng là càng khâm phục tác giả ở cái cách mà anh kể chuyện và sắp xếp những diễn biến câu chuyện kể đẩy đến nút thắt cuối cùng. Kiểu thơ ngây dễ bị lừa như mình là phải mắt chữ a, mồm chữ o khi từ từ thấm cái kết cùng những sự thật được phơi bày và những sự kiện được lý giải cặn kẽ. Chỉ tội vì là "những kẻ hắc ám", truyện nào cũng nhuốm màu u buồn tăm tối, khiến mình cũng u u minh minh, nên là chỉ cho được 4 sao thôi :))

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two high school students are obsessed with serial killers and their victims.  Both the male and the female teenagers are uncomfortable amongst normal people.  The girl, Morino, is completely unable to relate to anyone but the boy.  The boy, who remains nameless throughout most of the book, lacks emotions, yet is able to feign interest in those around him and provide suitable responses to everyday communications.

Examining cases of different serial killings in their area brings the pair closer to danger than a person would normally allow.  However, neither of the two experience fear or horror.  Rather, they are fascinated by the crimes occurring around them. 

Stories of different killers are uncovered, often with surprisingly unexpected twists.  In each case the pair of teens involve themselves without judging the wrongness of the killers' actions.  The boy especially is unmoved;  rather, he is deeply fascinated by that which repels others.

This novel won a prize, which is explained in detail in the author's Afterwards.  I was thoroughly engrossed in the different scenarios throughout the book, which I would recommend to anyone looking for some compelling and graphic psychological drama. 

[Ming Wei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, investingating murders for a different reason, to learn! Not quite Sherlock Holmes, but a fresh take on investing, really enjoyed it, very impressed, will look to read more books from the author, could not fault anyaspect of it, a very enjoyable book, high level of writing style and editorial.

[Afifa Habib · Rating 4 out of 5]

আমি নিজেই এখনো হতভম্ব হয়ে আছি। কি পড়লাম এটা!!!
এও সম্ভব!!!
গথিক ওয়ার্ল্ড নিয়ে এই প্রথম কিছু পড়লাম। পড়তে পড়তে যেন হারিয়ে যাচ্ছিলাম। তারপর যখনই পড়া থামাচ্ছিলাম তখনই মনে হচ্ছিল কি পড়ছি এটা? এতটা বিকৃতও কারও মানসিকতা হতে পারে! কোনো মানুষের ভিতরটা এতটা ডার্কও হতে পারে!😟
কিন্তু তাহলে আমি বইটাকে ঘৃণা কেন করতে পারছিনা! কেন এমন মন্ত্রমুগ্ধের মত পড়ে যাচ্ছি আর উপভোগ করছি!
হঠাৎ মনে হল তাহলে কি আমার মনের ভেতরটাও এমনই ডার্ক?😅
লেখক কিভাবে এত সুন্দর করে ডার্ক ফ্যান্টাসির মত একটা বিষয়কে উপস্থাপন করলেন কে জানে! জাপানিরা ট্যালেন্টেড হয় জানতাম কিন্তু তাই বলে এমন!
'গথ' সহ সবগুলো গল্পই ছিল অনবদ্য 😍 বিশেষ করে 'কাটা হাত', 'স্মৃতি/ যমজ', 'কণ্ঠ' গল্পগুলো যেন মনের মধ্যে একটা কালো ছায়া ফেলে গেছে।
এই ঘোর কাটতে সময় লাগবে।

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 (redondeado a 5 porque lo leí con mi mejor amiga y eso hizo la experiencia todavía más bella).
Una colección de episodios protagonizados por dos chicos de preparatoria que tienen una fascinación con la muerte, lo que los lleva a tener encuentros cercanos con asesinos. Cada una de las historias tiene unos giros inesperados que me encantaron. Quizá el lector pueda pensar: ¿Cuáles son las probabilidades de que todo ese le ocurra a unas mismas personas? Es una crítica válida pero el estilo de Otsuichi es tan fluido y entretenido que en lo personal me dejé ir como hilo de media y me divertí muchísimo. La verdad no vi venir ninguno de los plot twists e incluso tuve que volver a leer algunas partes para asegurarme de que estaba entendiendo lo que estaba pasando. Muy disfrutable.

[Nazrul Islam · Rating 4 out of 5]

একই সাথে কি একটা বইকে ভালো লাগা এবং ঘৃণা করা যায়? বইটা পড়ে সেই রকমই অনুভুত হচ্ছে। বইটা পড়ার পর কেমন যেন একটা ঘিন ঘিনে অনুভূতি হচ্ছে। এক কথায় কি বলবো? এই বইয়ের লেখক একজন মারাত্নক সাইকোপ্যাথ। অসুস্থ মানসিকতার লোক বলেই এমন অসুস্থ মানসিকতার বই লিখতে পেরেছেন ।আর এই বইও পুরষ্কার জিতে প্রমাণ করে দিয়েছে জাপানীজরা আসলে অসুস্থ মনের অধিকারী ।
***********
উপরের কথাগুলা আসলেই এই বইয়ের মূল কথা । কিন্তু এত কিছুর পরেও বইটা ভালো। কোন দিক দিয়ে ভালো? প্রশ্ন আসতেই পারে। বইয়ের মূল প্রটাগোসনিস্ট একটা সাইকোপ্যাথ?
আর এই সাইকোপ্যাথের জবানী দিয়েই মানুষের মনের গভীর অলিন্দ থেকে ঘুরিয়ে এনেছেন লেখক।
মানুষের মন সবচেয়ে জটিল। আমারা সাধারণত যে ভালো মানুষগুলোকে দেখি তারা কি আসলেই এত ভালো?
মনে হয় না। তা না হলে আমাদের আশপাশেই ভালো মানুষের মুখ করে এত রেপিস্ট থাকতে পারতো না।
এই কারনেই বইটা ভালো লাগছে। লেখক সেইসব ভালো মানুষরূপী হায়নাদের নিয়েই লিখেছেন।
বইটা পড়তে পড়তে মনে হচ্ছিল লেখক নিজেই সাইকোপ্যাথ কিনা? এখানেই লেখকের সার্থকতা
একটা পাররফেক্ট গথিক হরর বই

[Phu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Những kẻ giết người thật sự tồn tại. Họ thích giết người mà chẳng cần lý do gì. Tôi không biết là do quá trình trưởng thành khiến họ trở nên như vậy hay bẩm sinh họ đã vậy. Vấn đề là ở chỗ những kẻ này che giấu tinh cách đó đi và sống như những người khác. Họ hòa vào thế giới này, nhìn bên ngoài thì chẳng khác gì người bình thường. Thế nhưng sẽ có lúc họ đột nhiên cảm thấy phải giết người. Họ rời xa cuộc sống ngày thường và đi săn.Tôi cũng là một kẻ như vậy.

Thời gian gần đây bắt đầu đi làm nên mình bị reading slump, hầu như phải mất gần 1 tuần mới hoàn thành một cuốn sách. Nhưng may làm sao, lần nào đọc sách của Otsuichi mình đều hoàn thành rất nhanh. GOTH - Những kẻ hắc ám u ám, lạnh lùng, và rất thân thuộc.

GOTH - Những kẻ hắc ám xoay quanh hai cô cậu học sinh trung học, "tôi" - người kể chuyện, và cô bạn Morino Yoru. Ở ngay Phần mở đầu, Otsuichi đã khiến mình thích thú với cách suy nghĩ của hai cô cậu học sinh này. Họ thích thú với cái chết, giết chóc, khiến mình liên tưởng đến những kẻ sùng bái những tên sát nhân hàng loạt có thật.

Giết người rồi chặt xác. Những nạn nhân và những kẻ thực hiện việc đó thật sự tồn tại. Morino và tôi đặc biệt quan tâm đến mấy chuyện kinh khủng như vậy. Chúng tôi luôn tìm kiếm những sự kiện bi thảm khiến người ta muốn treo cổ ngay khi nghe xong. Tính cách lập dị này chẳng thể nói rõ ra,
nhưng cả hai đều cảm nhận được điều đó ở đối phương mà không cần lời lẽ.

Càng dõi theo những gì diễn ra qua "tôi", mình ớn lạnh bởi cái cách kể chuyện lạnh lùng, những ham muốn giết chóc của cậu ta; trong khi mình đã nghĩ người đáng sợ ở đây phải là Morino, nhưng không phải!
Với những câu chuyện ngắn khác về: các vụ giết hại chó mèo, cặp sinh đôi treo cổ, cuốn băng ghi âm giọng người chết..., là những câu chuyện kinh dị, máu me và biến thái.

Chúng tôi không có ý định nộp cuốn sổ này cho cảnh sát. Dù chúng tôi không làm thế thì sớm muộn hung thủ cũng sẽ bị bắt thôi. Nếu chúng tôi giao cuốn sổ cho cảnh sát, có thể hắn sẽ bị bắt sớm hơn và sẽ có ít nạn nhân hơn. Đúng ra chúng tôi phải có nghĩa vụ đưa cuốn sổ cho họ. Đáng tiếc rằng cả hai chúng tôi đều không cảm thấy cắn rứt lương tâm khi giữ nó lại và không khai báo, chúng tôi là những đứa học sinh tồi tệ như rắn rết.

Ở GOTH - Những kẻ hắc ám có điều tra đấy, nhưng thật ghê sợ khi việc "điều tra" của nhân vật không phải để ngăn chặn cái ác, mà họ muốn được ngắm nhìn cái chết, muốn nhìn thấy hung thủ. Cùng với những cú plot-twist làm mình ngạc nhiên!!!

Dù có kinh dị, biến thái. Nhưng thú thật là Otsuichi biết cách khiến mình đồng cảm với những cuốn sách của ông ấy, và GOTH - Những kẻ hắc ám cũng vậy. Qua một vài câu chuyện, nỗi buồn, nỗi ấm ức khiến mình chạnh lòng; bởi có một vài con người chịu đựng rất nhiều thứ, mà họ đã tìm cách để trút giận, để bảo vệ bản thân và bảo vệ cho người họ "yêu". Bên cạnh đó, những suy nghĩ của một vài "kẻ biến thái" khác được diễn tả khiến mình mâu thuẫn giữa "thương hại" và "ghê sợ" họ. Đặc biệt là mình không sợ hãi cách suy nghĩ của "tôi" hay tính cách của Morino, thậm chí mình rất "thân thuộc" với nó, bởi mình đã từng có vài suy nghĩ "biến thái" như vậy - cuộc sống quá mệt mọi và áp lực khiến mình chẳng muốn quan tâm tới gì nữa.
Nhìn chung GOTH - Những kẻ hắc ám có đáng sợ, có bất ngờ, có buồn. Dù ở gần cuối truyện mình hơi đuối chút chút, nhưng mình vẫn chắc chắn đây là cuốn sách hay! Otsuichi xứng đáng là một trong những tác giả yêu thích trong năm 2022 của mình ♡

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Maybe it's the type of Japanese translated fiction I've been reading this week, but they've all been very intense. Goth was no exception. A collection of short stories, each tale follows schoolgirl Morino who has an affinity for attracting murderers and her equally strange school friend who seems to know how killers think. The two are obsessed with all things macabre and coincidentally live in a town that has a very high death rate.

Although the stories follow the same protagonists, I did find them quite incohesive at times. I think this is largely down to the fact that we get multiple perspectives throughout the collection, jumping from the minds of the killers to Morino, to victims and beyond without ever really knowing who is telling us the story. Sometimes we don't know who's perspective we get until right near the end, changing the entire tone of the story and flipping it on its head. At times this worked, and other times it didn't. I will say that some of the perspectives were an interesting choice.

I also found the main characters difficult to connect with. Morino is purposefully very closed off with her emotions, and completely oblivious to the multiple dangerous experiences she gets herself into. Although we get some backstory, I felt that this only really touched the surface into how messed up she really was. The same could be said for her one and only friend, and amplified. We know even less about his life and reasonings behind his obsession. He's a tricky character to define and relate to, and I sometimes struggled to find any redeeming characteristics between the pair. I will say that this improved as the stories progressedz and I found it almost comical to find Morino in yet another dangerous predicament without her knowing.

Dark, intense and foreboding. I highly recommend reading the author's note at the end to gain further insight into his mindset when writing these stories, particularly the references he makes to the killers being yokai. It makes their lack of reasoning behind the killings, and Morino's unearthly connection to them easier to understand.

[Huy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Đừng đọc cuốn sách này khi chuẩn bị đi học, đi làm, đi chơi, đi hẹn hò... vì chắc chắn nó sẽ khiến bạn bị trễ giờ. Biến thái vừa đủ để không ta tin vào câu chuyện và bất giác cảm thấy ớn lạnh, bệnh hoạn mà không cảm giác khó chịu hay quá đà, hấp dẫn vừa đủ, tăm tối vừa đủ, kinh dị vừa đủ và bất ngờ vừa đủ. Hãy thưởng thức cuốn sách máu me này với những cú rùng mình.

[Thị Lệ Gạo Đen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuốn này là kinh dị Nhật, hơi biến thái 1 chút, kể về 5 vụ án kinh khủng. Nhân vật chính là một nam học sinh (có thể là cả 1 nữ học sinh tên Morino nữa). Ngoài kinh dị thì cuốn này còn twist và hack não ghê gớm. Cực hay. Đoạn cuối suýt nữa thì thất vọng về nhân vật chính nhưng rất may là không. Quá tuyệt vờiiiii
Đọc cuốn này làm mình hiểu hơn về tâm lý tội phạm cũng như sự cô đơn, sợ hãi và cùng quẫn của con người. Mỗi tội phạm đều có những vấn đề riêng, nhưng 5 tội phạm trong cuốn này thì ai cũng đáng trách cả. Hầy.

[Nina The Wandering Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Morino and I found strange cases – and the people involved in them – darkly fascinating. Tragic human death ought to have torn our hearts in two – deaths so unfair that they made people want to scream. But we cut those articles out of newspapers, looking down the deep, dark well at the hearts of the people involved. Most people wouldn’t understand such interests – but it bewitched us like magic.”

Holy cheese balls I loved this twisted book!!!!

GOTH is a collection of connected short stories following an unnamed narrator and his high school classmate, Morino, a strange girl who is drawn to death and labeled "goth" by her peers due to her outwardly appearance--hair black as night, skin pale as the moon. Both characters have an unusual fascination with the macabre and in each short story, readers follow the two as they investigate serial murders and find themselves in dicey situations. However, our protagonists never report evidence or foul play to the police. Why? Because their intentions are never to help the victims but to understand the killers.

While author Otsuichi’s multi-perspective storytelling makes for a unique reading experience, the premise is a bit misleading! We are led to believe the book focuses on a teenage girl obsessed with serial killers, but the true star of the show is her classmate, the unnamed narrator– a talented puzzle solver and sociopath who enjoys visiting locations where people have died. The two characters make an enthrallingly dark pair, but readers will find themselves drawn more to the sharp-witted narrator and his unemotional reactions to the most gruesome crimes in the book. (And good god there are some gruesome crimes.)

As one makes their way through one story at a time, horror readers will love the book for its blunt morbidity and upsetting imagery while mystery fiction readers will enjoy the characters’ keen observations on crime and death. Definitely give this a read if you enjoy books with morally neutral characters, grisly scenes, and dark subjects handled in pragmatic ways. Also if Japanese horror/mystery fiction tickles your fancy or if you enjoy books like Revenge by Yoko Ogawa or The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, you’ll also enjoy this collection quite a bit.

**TRIGGER WARNINGS: animal cruelty/death, suicide

[Sean O'Hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not normally a fan of the Agatha Christie school of detective fiction; I cannot stand mysteries that blithely disregard Knox's Decalogue through narrative cheats. I'm an adherent to the Chandler and Hammett school that says the author must play fair with the audience.

And yet I have to admit that Otsuichi's Goth is a brilliant mystery novel, despite cheats all over the place. This is more than just an unreliable narrator -- the story is written in first person, but the point-of-view will shift without clearly establishing who's perspective you're reading -- not the character's name, nor their gender, nor even their species. But the difference between this book and, say, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is that Otsuichi doesn't make you think you're working with the detective to solve the mystery. Instead he establishes early on that you the reader are on your own to figure things out. The clues are all present for you if only you can recognize them.

Plus, I have a soft spot for any story in which the heroine is explicitly described as looking like Winona Ryder's character from Beetlejuice.

[Rifat · Rating 5 out of 5]

মোরিনো আর মোরিনোর বন্ধু, এই দুজন হাইস্কুল পড়ুয়া ছেলেমেয়ে হচ্ছে বইখানার মূল চরিত্র। বাপরে! কি চরিত্রায়ন! মোরিনোর গায়ের রঙ ফর্সা হলে কি হবে, এই ক্লাসমেটদ্বয় বড় ডার্ক মার্কা🐸

১ম তিনটা গল্প পড়ার পর আমি:

এই বই পড়ে যদি কেউ হেসে ফেলে সেটা ভাবনার বিষয় :/
চিন্তায় পরে গেলাম :/
কারণ ১ম তিনটা গল্প পড়ে আমি হাইস্যা ফেলছি :/
এই ছেলে মেয়ে দুইটা হচ্ছে হাসির উৎস। মানে এই দুইটা কি-ইই!? একজন আরেকজনের থ্যিকা দুই কাঠি উপরে🤣 একজন চিন্তা করে মরার জন্য কোন দড়ি নায়েস হবে তো তার দেখাদেখি আরেকজন ভাবে কোন দড়ি মার্ডারে সুবিধা করবে!🐸 আর কি লেভেলের অনুভূতিলেস! আহারে আদর্শ রোবট রে🐸

শেষ তিনটা গল্প পড়ার পর আমি:

ডার্ক, খুব ডার্ক। তাই নিম্নে লিখিত গল্পের নাম বোল্ড করে ডার্ক করে দিলাম -_-
১. গথ
২. কাটা হাত
৩. সারমেয়
৪. স্মৃতি/যমজ
৫. সমাধি
৬. কন্ঠ
আর কি টুইস্ট রে বাবা!
আর এই মোরিনোর কি কপাল! সব ঝড়-ঝাপটা এর উপর দিয়েই যায়। গথ গল্পে কেমনে কিডনাপড হইল। কাটা হাতে তো টার্গেট হইল, তাও আবার ঐ বন্ধুটার🤭🐸
সমাধিতেও আইডি কার্ড নিয়ে একটা প্যারা গেছে। কণ্ঠতেও টার্গেটেড হইছিল। বেচারি!!!

আমি আরও লেখকের নাম দেখে ভৌতিক/হরর জনরার বই মনে করে এর আশেপাশেও যাই নাই। পরে আফিফা আপুর রিভিউতে দেখি অন্য জনরা, গথিক! ইহাকে লোকে হরর কেন বলে:/
গথিক টাইপের বই আগে একটা পড়া ছিল- ফ্রাঙ্কেনস্টাইন। আজকে এটা পড়লাম। ফ্রাঙ্কেনস্টাইনকে গথের তুলনায় মোটামুটি ফর্সাই বলা চলে :।

ফুল মার্ক্স! ৫/৫

~১৮ মে, ২০২১

[Lottie Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories that are twisted and depict the darker side of humans have always simultaneously disturbed and fascinated me. I find it interesting to read about how sociopaths, psychopaths, and the like think. So, when I began reading Goth, I was absolutely captivated.

Otsuichi didn't flinch at all when he wrote this dark, twisted tale of mystery and murder. The killers he created are dangerous, unstable, and, at times, ruthless. Goth's atmosphere is dark and foreboding. The two leads are very interesting characters. And Otsuichi's mysteries are skillfully crafted with surprising twists. Really, Goth kicks a heck of a lot of butt.

If you don't already know, Goth is somewhat of an anthology. There are different stories, each featuring a different mystery and killer, but still containing the same two leads, Morino and the narrator, whose name is unknown until the last story in the book. As the stories go by, you will start feeling like you are grasping onto the two leads and how their relationship works.

This way of telling a story might not work for everyone, but boy, did it work for me. Learning more about the two mysterious leads by finding bits and pieces to hold onto throughout each story was fun and the different mysteries that come with the different stories are hard to figure out and will sometimes even pack quite a punch. And when I think about it, Goth really couldn't be told in any other way...

Morino and the narrator are two of the most intriguing characters I have ever encountered in fiction. These these two characters begin as enigmas and, for me, uncovering more about them was the best part of reading Goth. These two characters, both of them obsessed with death, are characters that, while I couldn't completely love them because of how cruel they could be, I genuinely loved learning about them.

Otsuichi did a fantastic job at writing from the point of view of a sociopath. I could really fell how detached from the world and how isolated the narrator was. I could feel how merciless and unfeeling he was. There were also times when a story would be told through the eyes of the killer, which were also very well done.

Goth is a story that I was completely taken in by. This book is mysterious, twisted, and unsettling. Otsuichi really did succeed at sending chills down my spine. Goth is a fantastic read. Highly recommended!

[Rachel Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories is incredibly disturbing. All the stories center on an unnamed narrator and his friend, Morino, who both share an obsession with murder and death. The stories somewhat tie into each other and they're all a bit bizarre and definitely grotesque. There are also neat twists and reveals, so not only is the horror element here but also mystery. The writing/translation is fantastic. I made my way through the collection in an afternoon because I simply couldn't put it down. Would love to read more stories about these characters.

[Haiiro · Rating 2 out of 5]

#2018ReadingChallenge #PopSugar
21. A book with characters who are twins

Tôi chả thích GOTH! Tự thấy ngạc nhiên luôn, vì GOTH dường như đã có đủ mọi chất liệu mà tôi khoái. Nhưng cuối cùng chốt lại vẫn là tôi chả thích GOTH.

Nếu để chọn, thì có lẽ với tôi Voice là phần hay nhất, không phải vì sự lắt léo khó ngờ của nó, mà vì giọng văn đỡ khấp khểnh nhất. Chẳng rõ là vì người dịch hay do văn phong của chính Otsuichi mà đọc cuốn này thỉnh thoảng tôi lại thấy vấp váp tối nghĩa. Nhưng mà phải thừa nhận là cách đặt tên cho các truyện ngắn của Otsuichi rất gây ấn tượng với tôi.

Ờ, nói sao nhỉ? Tôi không thể nào bắt được từ GOTH cái "nỗi buồn và những chiêm nghiệm về cuộc sống, về bản chất con người và sự giác ngộ". Sau khi sóng não tôi thấm tháp được tất cả những gì có thể thì cái đọng sau cùng chỉ còn là sự rùng mình trước những tội ác khó hiểu của những kẻ ác độc không vì một lí do đáng kể nào cả. Trống rỗng và vô nghĩa. Giống y như khi xem Tag của Sion Sono vậy, chẳng thấy được gì ngoài máu xay thịt bào. Giống như thể thế giới này đã méo mó biến dạng đến cùng cực rồi.

[Magdelina Ann ElvaRosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goth is a novel told through six connected short stories that follows two high-schoolers, the narrator, a boy who believes he's not a human and a girl name Morino that believes she's broken and inhuman due to past trauma. These two are brought together through their shared interest on death.

DARKER THAN BLACK
Goth by Otsuichi is a fine piece of dark fiction that made me turn around to look and check whether I am truly alone frequently while reading this at night in my room. The nameless narrator and his friend are the school's social outcast and their troubled fascination on death not only brought them together but leads them into a rabbit hole involving serial killers or budding serial killers? The stories are chockful of graphic violence of both human and animals but gets truly terrifying when it focuses on the two main protagonist. Primary example: the narrator having recollection of a violent attacker that cuts random bystander's hands after watching Morino's wrist while she was writing on the blackboard.

"If he had determined that Morino was the thief, causing him to cut off her hands and kill her, my plan would’ve been complete. I would’ve had to wait until her severed hands were in his fridge, and then I could’ve gone to steal them. Of course there were a number of holes in this plan: There was no guarantee he would have taken her hands home, even if he had killed her…but there was a good chance he would’ve.

The only I hands I had wanted were Morino’s pale, beautiful hands."

PRACTICING MY PATIENCE
The stories are made out of six connected short stories but at the same time, it seem to lack the care to immediately made it connected beside having the narrator present to tie in that this is in continuity. They hardly lead up or continues the story prior and it can get jarring especially if you don't know that it's actually a short story collection going in with spares continuity that would form a stealthy novel or vise versa.

Take for example, the first story - Goth, sees the two main protagonist meet up for the first time and Morino showing the narrator the diary of a serial killer who they suspect has been abducting women in their town and ends with Morino texting the narrator sometimes after the event of the two finding a bag containing the clothes of the serial killer's victim and her trying out the clothes of the serial killer's victim. The next story however doesn't address the ending of the first story but from the narrator remembering Morino's wrist that triggers his recollection of wrist attacker from the past sort of imply that Morino is dead at the hands of the serial killer from the previous story. This would continue to be an element moving onto the next story and the next one after.

SHE TOLD ME SHE GOT HEAT SO I FROZE
If there's one knock I can give to this really riveting piece of dark fiction is that despite how much Otsuichi play around with the narrative structure and boy do I love 'em, he sticks with a first person narration for the most part and yes, the twist and shocks are more impactful, it does become a repetitive read the way things or moments are describe. I am in now way blaming Andrew Cunningham's work on translation but if he did a great job on it then the fault is on the material.

WILHELM'S SCREAM
Goth by Otsuichi is a direct descendent of Edogawa Ranpo's macabre side of fiction and ultimately Edgar Allan Poe's type of horror. It's vicious and relentless, dazzling the reader (me) with the dark and suffocating atmosphere that eventually leads to moments of graphic violence.

[Harsimar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goth has a pretty sweet concept: interconnected stories following two high-school students who are obsessed with murders and murderers. Sounds like my jam!

While Otsuichi's ideas for these stories were brilliant, something about how they were executed left a lot more to be desired. The writing, while atmospheric at times, was pretty dry and sort of cold, so it failed to hold my interest at a lot of points. I was bored quite often while reading Goth.

But at times, I did enjoy reading it. The 'Dog' story was my favorite out of the bunch followed by 'Grave'. These two definitely lived up to what I was expecting. 'Dog' especially had some good twists and was also sort of sad while being creepy. 'Grave' was predictable but I still enjoyed it a lot. 'Wristcut', 'Twins' and 'Goth' were moderately good. 'Voice' for the most part was quite interesting but I didn't understand the ending at all which made the whole thing a little unsatisfactory. I skipped the bonus story, just wasn't feeling like spending more time on this book.

Not sure whether I'd recommend Goth as a whole, but if you're really interested in it, you could give it a read.

(3 stars)

"I couldn't believe that the conversations my family had or the friendly attitudes of the people I knew were genuine. I was certain there had to be a script somewhere – and once, when I was very young, I searched the house for it. I wanted to read the same words everyone else was saying. But there was no script. The only thing that ever felt real to me was death."

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most clever little horror novels I have read. Loved every dark and disturbing minute of it.

5 brilliant stars!!!!

[Alyssa Janine Busia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbingly dark and blood-curdling.

This is the first time I’ve read a Japanese book, and this was recommended to me by one of my friends. I am always fascinated by stories that talk about the darker side of humanity. I hadn’t found a book like this before because most of it was just lame horror-trying-to-be-creepy story and that’s the reason why I stopped reading some horrors for a while.

Goth is told from the point-of-view of one of the main characters – his name wasn’t revealed from the start, but I’m happy to know it (finally!) on the last chapter – and sometimes a POV from the killer or someone involved in the story was also included on that particular chapter. The story is about two high school students who became friends because of having the same weird interest in something scary and gruesome murders that mostly happen in their place or near their place. Each chapter features a collection of stories about Morino and her friend’s adventure on investigating (or most likely observing) how the killers/murderers do their ghastly and frightening works.

I love the writing of the author. Otsuichi could write some chilling and twisted tale. He was able to unveil the darkness that surrounds some people and how they viewed the world they live on. I could feel how the two students feel, how the killer feels no pity for their victim, and also the contentment or satisfaction that the killers get after doing it.

My favorite stories are the “dog” and “memory/twins.” I like how the dog story was executed and how it was very touching too. To be honest, this is the story where the killer really has a reasonable explanation for his/her actions – which I liked. While on the memory/twins, it really shocked me to find out the secrets that Morino has been hiding from everyone since that accident or is it really an accident?

Overall, I really love this novel! I was able to explore the darker side of the world. Some of it might be unrealistic, but still, I was able to get a peek on the killer/murderer’s mind. If you also like a dark, twisted, and disturbing story, then you should try this one.

BLOG POST LINK: https://wp.me/p7AwHZ-4Bq

[thaodocsachchovui · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5🌟

Quyển này đc gắn mác 18+ có lẽ vì nội dung đầy "biến thái" của nó nhưng đối với mình nó cũng k 18+ lắm )))
Lôi cuốn, u tối, méo mó, biến thái. Cuốn sách này giống như tổng hợp những câu chuyện ngắn hơn là tiểu thuyết. Một xã hội Nhật Bản tối tăm, đầy những con người nhưng k giống con người, nhân cách bị hủy hoại và đầy sự ám ảnh. Nói thật là mình chẳng thích nổi 1 nhân vật nào hết, vì chẳng ai tốt đẹp cả :))

À, twist truyện này cũng bất ngờ phết :))) mỗi một câu chuyện ngắn đều có những cú lật kèo khá okela.

Nói chung bạn nào k sợ mấy cảnh máu me giết người thì đọc cuốn lắm :))

[Rachels_booknook_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is there to say about this one?

Not for the faint of heart, but well-written. Some very imaginative serial killers we have up in here…

TW: some animal abuse, torture, graphic murder (obviously)

[Hoang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rate: 4.5/5

Nếu như Zoo là tập hợp những chuyện chả liên quan gì đến nhau, thì từng câu chuyện trong Goth như từng viên gạch xây dựng nên hai nhân vật chính. Phần Voice đọc vô cùng lôi cuốn vì tôi muốn biết mình đoán đúng không, dù trong thâm tâm tôi thích anh chàng nam chính và mong mọi chuyện không như mình nghĩ. Điều tài tình nhất của tác giả là cố tình dẫn dụ người đọc đi sai đường. Thứ nữa là những điều bất ngờ. Với tôi thì Goth ăn đứt Zoo về mọi mặt.

Điểm trừ duy nhất có lẽ là đôi chỗ, cách mọi thứ diễn ra hơi không hợp lý lắm. Cũng có thể tác giả cố tình như thế, dù sao ông cũng để sẵn mấy quả lừa trong đó rồi mà.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

you can't tell me this book wasn't inspired by Tomie by Junji Ito to some extent 👀

super strong start, but dragged around the halfway point and never really picked back up for me again, but overall a fun spooky time

[Katherine (DarlingBibliophile) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Goth is a collection of short horror stories that tie together, but at the same time don't. They can be read out of order, but I wouldn't advise it because there are teeny tiny details that will slip.

I feel really harsh giving 2.5 stars, but I really didn't quite enjoy reading this. I loved the idea of it, and I loved the content of the stories that were told. On the other hand, I hated the narrative. I hated how it was written and the voice. It was boring. The writing was too simple and to the point. I believe it boils down to two reasons.

1, the translation. Some things are lost in translation and that might have been the case here.
2, the stories were always told from the point of view of psychopaths, murderers, and serial killers. The author mentions in his afterword that he intended to write these characters as less than humans, as monsters. So I can understand why the narrative was so detached. It was really effective, but just not for me.

I read a few other reviews on this book before buying it because I knew literally nothing about it, and I was really excited because people raved about how scary and disturbing it was. Maybe I'm extremely desensitized to this kind of literature after my years and years of watching horror films and other spooky medias, but it wasn't that scary/disturbing. There was one story I was a little disturbed by because there was a few scenes where animals were harmed and I'm really sensitive to animals, but that's about it. I was never scared, never on the edge of my seat. Disappointing.

One thing I REALLY liked about this book was the way that Otsuichi would tell the story but add a twist to every single one of them. He would be writing as if something completely predictable was going to happen, almost getting right to the climax then...BAM. Plot twist. I loved it and it always had me second guessing what the hell I was reading.

Despite my reaction to this one, I am interested in reading more Japanese horror novels in the future. It wasn't so bad that it turned me away for good. So stay tuned!