野性の証明

by Seiichi Morimura, 森村 誠一

<고층의 사각지대>로 제15회 에도가와 란포상을 수상하며 본격추리 작가의 길을 걷던 모리무라 세이이치의 본격 추리소설 '증명 시리즈 3부작'. 증명 시리즈에서 모리무라 세이이치가 주목하는 것은 인간의 내제된 욕구, 본성 그 자체이다. 무엇이 인간을 인간답게 하는지, 인간의 내면에 감추어진 어두운 본성은 무엇인지, 묵직한 질문을 던진다.

<야성의 증명>은 영화와 드라마, 만화로 제작되어 증명 시리즈의 붐을 이어갔다. 증명 시리즈의 연이은 성공으로 작가 모리무라 세이이치는 국세청 발표 고액 소득자 작가 부문 최고에 오르기도 했다.

231 pages, Paperback Bunko

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess it's a 3. 75 read, it's fast paced, the story is interesting and the murder mystery is well developed enough to keep you entertained. Plus underdog-strikes-back theme is always a favorite of mine. And I really like how the author, Seiichi Morimura, expresses his distaste toward the large enterprises and their exploitative nature through his writing. (Oh, the guy expressed exploitation so well without having to utter one Marx-related word)

However, I think the author had idolized his underdog male lead too much. Although I can admire the guy for snapping out of his role as an 'enterprise slave' and recovering his instinct for survival and then fight back, and I like the description of how the guy ends up blackmailing his former boss for his own reasons, still I can't overlook how cliched and wish fulfilling it is for the male lead to capture the fancy of not one, but two beautiful young women. *sighs*

[Zenoliu · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's easy to break down, and it's not failure that really shapes the breakdown, it's false hope. The choices that Aizawa didn't make wrong are blurred by Yoriko's blood ties, and does the Elvinia fungus really exist? Whether it exists or not may not even change the ending.