球形季節

by Riku Onda, 恩田陸, 羊恩媺 (Translator)

語言有力量，越多人談論一件事，就像重複唸著同一個咒語，事情會漸漸變成「真實」，願望會「成真」……

在某個位於東北、有四所高中的城鎮之中，流傳著一個奇怪的傳聞。「地歷研」的成員正在追查這個傳說的出處。
不久之後就如同傳聞一般，一名女學生失蹤了。城鎮裡吹起了金平糖咒術之風，學生們全都因為新的傳聞而感到畏懼……。某件事情發生了。
無聊的日常生活、受人管理的學校、沈睡的城鎮 ─ 打算制裁這一切的超能力，剛散佈出最後一個傳聞！

日本東北的地方都市「谷津」，自古失蹤人口眾多，富有鬼怪傳說。
二十世紀谷津如月山上，少年少女怨嘆自己生在無趣的時代，直到一個看似荒謬不稽的謠言成真：「5月17日，一個叫遠藤的學生會在如月山被外星人擄走。」

自此平靜的小鎮開始脫序，高中女生瘋狂搶購五彩金平糖，深信這是求愛的咒術；謠傳「摸黑將錄有願望的錄音帶放進如月山頂的榆樹樹洞裡，願望就會實現」，謠言四起耳語紛紛……

他們以為如此恐怖的事只要告訴大家就不怕了，萬萬沒想到話只要說出口，就會發生！

296 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1994

About the author

Riku Onda (Japanese name: 恩田 陸), born in 1964, is the professional name of Nanae Kumagai. She has been writing fiction since 1991 and has won the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers, the Japan Booksellers' Award, the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel for The Aosawa Murders, the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize, and the Naoki Prize. Her work has been adapted for film and television. The Aosawa Murders was her first crime novel and the first time she was translated into English. It was selected by The New York Times as a Notable Book of 2020.

Reviews

[CJ Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first foray into Onda Riku and I was super impressed. The idea of the “other” Tanitsu as this primal but calming (almost pre-cognitive in a way) place is such a good idea and explained really well and in an interesting way. There are so many characters, but they are used really well and I think some of the worries the characters have about their future ring really true without being trite.