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Subduction
"Shimoda is a consummate storyteller" -- "Booklist""Shimoda skillfully weaves (these) tales into the narrative, revealing how past events "continue to affect the island, like aftershocks." Earthquakes are an apt metaphor for the social disruptions on the island, and Shimoda links modern earthquake science, ancient Japanese myths on the origin of earthquakes, and an unforgettable cast of characters to create a suspenseful, richly illustrated novel." -- "Publishers Weekly""Husband and wife team Todd and Linda Shimoda's skills blend seamlessly together to make "Subduction" a hauntingly beautiful and highly unique novel. The author's prose and illustrator's talent give the book a tone and quality that is both rare and memorable." - "ForeWord""Subduction" is a timely, electrifying thriller set on a tiny, earthquake-plagued island. Endo, a young physician unjustly charged with a patient's death, is banished to the island to care for the few remaining elderly residents. Determined to remain on their crumbling island and resuscitate their defunct fishing industry, the aging islanders plot against all outsiders.After a mysterious death and attacks on Endo and fellow newcomvers, he discovers why the islanders don't wish to years ago, jealousies, lust, and violence ripped apart their lives, and the wounds haven't healed. The aftershocks of the islanders' past, as well as Endo's own troubled history, replay violently in the present just as a massive earthquake strikes.Exquisitely designed with L.J.C. Shimoda's artwork throughout, "Subduction" also features a sixteen-page illustrated retelling of the myth of Kashima, the god who controls a giant, thrashing catfish that causes earthquakes. The myth offers clues to the mysterious motives of the island's denizens.Todd Shimoda won the 2010 Elliot Cades Award for Literature from the Hawai'i Literary Arts Council. His previous novel "Oh!" was an NPR Best Summer Read. "The Fourth Treasure" was translated into six languages and named a notable book by the Kiriyama Prize.L.J.C. Shimoda is an accomplished artist, illustrator, and book designer. Her artwork and illustrations have appeared in her husband Todd Shimoda's novels "365 Views of Mt. Fuji," "The Fourth Treasure," and "Oh!"
- GenresFiction
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 6, 2024
This novel begins promisingly, as a young doctor is exiled to a remote (in more ways than one) island full of creepy old people with dark secrets. There are two other non-native youngsters there and a classic love triangle quickly develops.
Shimoda's style is plain, quite subtle, with flashes of wit, and well fitted to the telling of a tale like this which seems to teeter on the edge of an abyss of weirdness without ever quite toppling in.
I suppose it's a story about boundaries, and conflict, and repercussions.
Various narratives are nested within the main one, and it's not always apparent what purpose they serve other than as distractions. The ending is marred, for me, by a couple of unlikely coincidences which undermine the suspension of disbelief.
The frequent illustrations are nice at first but they don't seem to bear on the story at all. Far better is the illustrated telling of the myth of Kasima, god of earthquake-protection, inserted 2/3 of the way through.
Shimoda's style is plain, quite subtle, with flashes of wit, and well fitted to the telling of a tale like this which seems to teeter on the edge of an abyss of weirdness without ever quite toppling in.
I suppose it's a story about boundaries, and conflict, and repercussions.
Various narratives are nested within the main one, and it's not always apparent what purpose they serve other than as distractions. The ending is marred, for me, by a couple of unlikely coincidences which undermine the suspension of disbelief.
The frequent illustrations are nice at first but they don't seem to bear on the story at all. Far better is the illustrated telling of the myth of Kasima, god of earthquake-protection, inserted 2/3 of the way through.
February 24, 2022
“Subduction is the flow of one of the earth’s tectonic plates under another.”
A strange and beautiful book, with many calligraphy-style illustrations by LJC Shimoda. I often re-read the Shimodas’ first book: The Fourth Treasure and so was keen to read this one. The many illustrations are emotive poems in brush-painted calligraphy.
It’s a detective mystery set in a declining Japanese community on Marui-Jima, a remote island subject to many earthquakes. Endo, a junior doctor, is blamed for the death of a patient and banished to the island. He finds the remaining residents to be old and suspicious of outsiders, whom they fear may be plotting to evacuate them for their own safety. They’d rather die on their island home. Dramatic events years ago still impact the aging population and their secret stories are gradually revealed. The other outsiders are Aki, a seismologist studying earthquake prediction and Mari, who says she’s making a film. All three have their own secret stories.
A strange and beautiful book, with many calligraphy-style illustrations by LJC Shimoda. I often re-read the Shimodas’ first book: The Fourth Treasure and so was keen to read this one. The many illustrations are emotive poems in brush-painted calligraphy.
It’s a detective mystery set in a declining Japanese community on Marui-Jima, a remote island subject to many earthquakes. Endo, a junior doctor, is blamed for the death of a patient and banished to the island. He finds the remaining residents to be old and suspicious of outsiders, whom they fear may be plotting to evacuate them for their own safety. They’d rather die on their island home. Dramatic events years ago still impact the aging population and their secret stories are gradually revealed. The other outsiders are Aki, a seismologist studying earthquake prediction and Mari, who says she’s making a film. All three have their own secret stories.
August 10, 2020
Really interesting Japanese novel. I don’t know if it is the writing or the translation but so much of it was really awkward language that I felt detracted from the story and made it seem less interesting. The ending also seemed a little too pat and unbelievable. Still, some really nice moments: especially all of the stories within the story.
July 9, 2012
I had a hard time getting into this book. It moved kind of slowly, and the illustrations were a distraction from the story.
Endo, a first-year resident in a hospital in Japan takes the fall for the head resident's mistake which resulted in a young woman's death. Endo's punishment is to move to a small island off Japan to be the only doctor to a small population of older people. The island used to be a thriving community before they started having earthquakes with much more frequency. The fishing industry fell off to almost nothing which was the occupation of most of the islanders so most of the people left. The older people refused to leave, hence the need for a medical person on the island. He has a difficult time getting the old people to trust him. The only other young people on the island is a young man studying earthquake activity and a young woman making a documentary. The story recounts events happening to this dying island.
Endo, a first-year resident in a hospital in Japan takes the fall for the head resident's mistake which resulted in a young woman's death. Endo's punishment is to move to a small island off Japan to be the only doctor to a small population of older people. The island used to be a thriving community before they started having earthquakes with much more frequency. The fishing industry fell off to almost nothing which was the occupation of most of the islanders so most of the people left. The older people refused to leave, hence the need for a medical person on the island. He has a difficult time getting the old people to trust him. The only other young people on the island is a young man studying earthquake activity and a young woman making a documentary. The story recounts events happening to this dying island.
July 15, 2012
Beautifully written, this starts promisingly with the protagonist being sent to a desolate and earthquake-prone island. At odds with the few, elderly locals, he strikes up friendships of a sort with the two other, younger, non-islanders. But what appears to be a developing mystery gets bogged down in individual personal histories of the islanders, only a few of which are of much interest. The ending is preposterous and feels like a slap in the face. The book is lovely to look at, with illustrations throughout and a full-length myth inserted in the centre.
April 1, 2013
Wow! This book is a great departure from the usual mystery story. For one thing, the text is interspersed with many pages of art and a myth about a giant catfish. However, the narrative pulled me safely past these potential distractions. The setting is a small Japanese island fraught with earthquakes, hence the name of the tectonic activity that causes quakes. The subduction acts as both the engine of the narrative and as metaphor for the abrasive relationships of the protagonist, a young male doctor, and his elderly patients, who neither like nor trust him. Very impressive tale.
April 20, 2012
This book began fairly slow and was initially hard to get into. The style was easy to read and the pictures and book itself are gorgeous.
This is the type of book that would interest people who like stories like Dante's Peak and thrillers of pretty much any nature. It's also definitely a light summer read (my definition of light), especially with all the drama and history of the small community's problems.
This is the type of book that would interest people who like stories like Dante's Peak and thrillers of pretty much any nature. It's also definitely a light summer read (my definition of light), especially with all the drama and history of the small community's problems.
December 3, 2012
Another wonderful novel by the author of Oh! A mystery of 'mono no aware' that takes the collision of modern and traditional Japan into the realm of an isolated Japanese island plagued by earthquakes. Fans of popular novelists like Murakami are highly advised to check out Shimoda's work. The books published by Chin Music Press, in which the text are paired with an artis's work, are also gorgeous works of art in themselves.
September 23, 2012
While the prose wasn't bad, the protagonist was aggravating (certainly unduly antagonistic, I felt, in some parts) and I felt no depth in his relationship with Mari. The various flashbacks could have been better inserted rather than just given one after another whenever Endo was bored. However, the myth and accompanying illustrations were wonderful.
November 3, 2012
Very pretty, an lovely tactile book to hold as well as read. Sadly I paid very little attention to the illustrations on the first go through as I tried to figure out what was going on in the story (Tiny claustrophobic island, exiled doctor, piles of lies, earthquakes!).
April 30, 2012
I won this book awhile ago and I love it so far...Its got me hooked I hate when I have to put it down, but my kids come first and I cant always read so I love every chance I get to read.
Want to Read
May 1, 2012I won this book from First Reads Giveaway. Waiting to read it when I receive it. Thanks.
June 30, 2013
This was a pretty good book. The pictures spliced throughout it didn't add anything. But the story was good, Japan is cool, the writing was decent, and I was satisfied with the ending.
March 24, 2014
Gorgeous artwork and book, but the story left quite a bit to be desired.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews