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悲嘆之門
渴望，比其他任何力量都還強大，甚至比良心更強大。
因為渴望是一種飢餓，飢餓到把懷有渴望的本人吞噬殆盡仍不滿足。
距離相隔遙遠的北海道、秋田、靜岡發生了被害者都被取走部分肢體的殺人案，震驚日本社會。網路上更是不斷地討論著這三起案件可能均為同一名凶手所為，眾人為此案瘋狂的程度，宛如陷入集體歇斯底里。
三島孝太郎，一個對未來感到茫然，
也比一般人稍微多了一點點正義感的大學生。
都築茂典，一個對工作充滿熱情，卻不得不因病退休的老刑警。
原本應該是平行線的兩人，因為各自的理由，關注著這三起駭人聽聞的案件。
就在此時，一個關於「會動的滴水嘴獸像」的詭異傳聞傳入都築耳中，為了調查此事，都築前往滴水嘴獸像所在的廢棄大樓調查，卻和調查友人行蹤的孝太郎在大樓樓頂不期而遇。
更令他們感到困惑與恐懼的是，那座滴水嘴獸像真的會動。牠告訴都築與孝太郎牠是為了人類的渴望，特別穿越時空而來。因為人類內心的渴望是牠達成目的的最強武器……
究竟震撼世人的斷肢殺人案的真相是什麼？
那座自稱來自另一個世界的滴水嘴獸的目的又是什麼？
一場深入自我內心黑暗深處，絕無可能全身而退的旅程即將開始……
因為渴望是一種飢餓，飢餓到把懷有渴望的本人吞噬殆盡仍不滿足。
距離相隔遙遠的北海道、秋田、靜岡發生了被害者都被取走部分肢體的殺人案，震驚日本社會。網路上更是不斷地討論著這三起案件可能均為同一名凶手所為，眾人為此案瘋狂的程度，宛如陷入集體歇斯底里。
三島孝太郎，一個對未來感到茫然，
也比一般人稍微多了一點點正義感的大學生。
都築茂典，一個對工作充滿熱情，卻不得不因病退休的老刑警。
原本應該是平行線的兩人，因為各自的理由，關注著這三起駭人聽聞的案件。
就在此時，一個關於「會動的滴水嘴獸像」的詭異傳聞傳入都築耳中，為了調查此事，都築前往滴水嘴獸像所在的廢棄大樓調查，卻和調查友人行蹤的孝太郎在大樓樓頂不期而遇。
更令他們感到困惑與恐懼的是，那座滴水嘴獸像真的會動。牠告訴都築與孝太郎牠是為了人類的渴望，特別穿越時空而來。因為人類內心的渴望是牠達成目的的最強武器……
究竟震撼世人的斷肢殺人案的真相是什麼？
那座自稱來自另一個世界的滴水嘴獸的目的又是什麼？
一場深入自我內心黑暗深處，絕無可能全身而退的旅程即將開始……
764 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2015
17 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
About the author
Miyuki Miyabe
308 books552 followersSee also 宮部 みゆき (Japanese language profile) and 宮部美幸 (Chinese language profile).
Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき Miyabe Miyuki) is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres including science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction.
Miyabe started writing novels at the age of 23. She has been a prolific writer, publishing dozens of novels and winning many major literary prizes, including the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize in 1993 for Kasha and the Naoki Prize in 1998 for Riyū [The Reason] (理由). A Japanese film adaptation of Riyû, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, was released in 2004.
Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき Miyabe Miyuki) is a popular contemporary Japanese author active in a number of genres including science fiction, mystery fiction, historical fiction, social commentary, and juvenile fiction.
Miyabe started writing novels at the age of 23. She has been a prolific writer, publishing dozens of novels and winning many major literary prizes, including the Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize in 1993 for Kasha and the Naoki Prize in 1998 for Riyū [The Reason] (理由). A Japanese film adaptation of Riyû, directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, was released in 2004.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 29, 2017
Words we use, spoken, typed, thought, stay with us throughout our lives and become our karma. Good or bad the words are ours to bear.
That's the message in The Gate of Sorrows, a followup novel to Book of Heroes (recurring characters, but works as a standalone as well).
The message is profound and well presented throughout the body of the novel. In Miyabe's usual style you're in for a slow burning read that picks up at just the right times, and then eases off again to let you think, to make you feel.
tGoS is a favorite for sure. The translator did a fine job with the work and maintained individual voices, which are also present in the original Japanese novel. So, if you want a story that makes you evaluate your own, The Gate of Sorrows is for you.
(A handful of typos were found in the hardcover; 1st edition and all reported to the publisher, who said they'd be fixed in later editions.)
That's the message in The Gate of Sorrows, a followup novel to Book of Heroes (recurring characters, but works as a standalone as well).
The message is profound and well presented throughout the body of the novel. In Miyabe's usual style you're in for a slow burning read that picks up at just the right times, and then eases off again to let you think, to make you feel.
tGoS is a favorite for sure. The translator did a fine job with the work and maintained individual voices, which are also present in the original Japanese novel. So, if you want a story that makes you evaluate your own, The Gate of Sorrows is for you.
(A handful of typos were found in the hardcover; 1st edition and all reported to the publisher, who said they'd be fixed in later editions.)
February 19, 2017
This is definitely Young Adult fiction - but it has a distinct lack of romance (let alone a love triangle featuring the protagonist) and a refreshingly low angst quotient. And at 600 pages or so, it's about twice as long as your typical YA novel. I found myself wondering whether this book was unusual, or whether that's just the way Japanese YA writers write. If the latter, Japanese Young Adults are very fortunate.
The Translation
I found the translation pretty good: there was only one instance in which an obviously wrong word was used (people don't 'audit' a lecture unless they're doing some kind of quality control, despite the fact that the root of 'audit' means 'to listen'). Furthermore, the translation seemed to me to have kept the 'Japaneseness' of the setting and the people.
The Characters
Once again, this story is different from the general run because our hero (Kotaro) is just an ordinary 19-year-old student who gets involved in paranormal goings on. He's not some kind of superhuman 'chosen', and he doesn't have amazing powers. Nor is he the only one who can save the world. This means that the scope of the story is somewhat smaller, but it's more realistic. Kotaro is dealing with issues that ordinary people deal with - although most people don't get the paranormal angle.
Another interesting difference between this and many other YA books is that in this one, the adults aren't all stupid and/or oblivious. People are people: they have their own concerns; they make decisions - good and bad; they live with the consequences. Kotaro is the main character, but he moves in a web of associations - friends, family, colleagues. It all felt refreshingly normal.
The Plot
There were at least two intertwining plot strands - the murders, and the school troubles of Kotaro's younger sister's friend. Both of these were very much in service to the book's overall message: the power of words and communication, for good or for evil. There were definitely times that the author seemed to be speaking directly to the reader - which is one reason this is definitely pegged as Young Adult, in addition to the age and situation of the protagonist. That said, the author did put together an interesting plot - and I found that the pace definitely picked up in the last 25% of the book, as things start to come together. This is a long, slow read - but rewarding.
The Conclusion
Definitely a Young Adult book, rather than 'adult' as it's labelled on Goodreads. However, refreshingly free from angst, and rather more thoughtful and less dramatic than most.
Am I glad I read it? Yes, definitely - although YA isn't a genre I enjoy as a rule. Would I read anything by this author again? Yes, if I can find an adult book translated into English.
Definitely several hours well-spent. :-)
The Translation
I found the translation pretty good: there was only one instance in which an obviously wrong word was used (people don't 'audit' a lecture unless they're doing some kind of quality control, despite the fact that the root of 'audit' means 'to listen'). Furthermore, the translation seemed to me to have kept the 'Japaneseness' of the setting and the people.
The Characters
Once again, this story is different from the general run because our hero (Kotaro) is just an ordinary 19-year-old student who gets involved in paranormal goings on. He's not some kind of superhuman 'chosen', and he doesn't have amazing powers. Nor is he the only one who can save the world. This means that the scope of the story is somewhat smaller, but it's more realistic. Kotaro is dealing with issues that ordinary people deal with - although most people don't get the paranormal angle.
Another interesting difference between this and many other YA books is that in this one, the adults aren't all stupid and/or oblivious. People are people: they have their own concerns; they make decisions - good and bad; they live with the consequences. Kotaro is the main character, but he moves in a web of associations - friends, family, colleagues. It all felt refreshingly normal.
The Plot
There were at least two intertwining plot strands - the murders, and the school troubles of Kotaro's younger sister's friend. Both of these were very much in service to the book's overall message: the power of words and communication, for good or for evil. There were definitely times that the author seemed to be speaking directly to the reader - which is one reason this is definitely pegged as Young Adult, in addition to the age and situation of the protagonist. That said, the author did put together an interesting plot - and I found that the pace definitely picked up in the last 25% of the book, as things start to come together. This is a long, slow read - but rewarding.
The Conclusion
Definitely a Young Adult book, rather than 'adult' as it's labelled on Goodreads. However, refreshingly free from angst, and rather more thoughtful and less dramatic than most.
Am I glad I read it? Yes, definitely - although YA isn't a genre I enjoy as a rule. Would I read anything by this author again? Yes, if I can find an adult book translated into English.
Definitely several hours well-spent. :-)
May 25, 2020
I read Brave Stories years ago and really enjoyed it, but as is quite usual for me, never really bothered to check if Miyuki Miyabe wrote anything else. So imagine my surprise when I found out that she’s got tons of other books, including The Gate of Sorrows.
The Gate of Sorrows stars university student Kotaro. He works part-time at a cyber security firm, and when a colleague of his disappears after looking into a string of disappearances in Tokyo, he gets pulled into a strange world where stories have power and otherwordly creatures exist.
The blurb also mentions Shigenori, a retired policeman who’s a really interesting character but don’t be fooled because the bulk of the book is focused on Kotaro. In fact, Shigenori doesn’t even appear for a few chapters after he’s been ‘cleansed’. When he’s in action, however, he serves as a good foil to Kotaro because he’s a veteran of the police force and hence knows more about how murder investigations work than Kotaro.
I basically loved everything in this book, especially the world. It’s based on Tokyo, with all the grit and bleakness that exists in the city, but the fantasy bit is built on stories. As the book says:
Because stories are so powerful, there is a world where they come from, and that world contains guardians who are dedicated to keeping the wrong stories out and for stories in general to keep going. Hence you get the nameless devout, or as the book explains:
The meaning of stories is the backbone for the magic in this world, and in turn reflects the reality of our world: we also make meaning of our lives through stories. There is also the idea that being cleansed of your cravings if the goal (hence the nameless devout being punished for the sin of stories), which reminds me of Buddhist thought in the sense that the ultimate goal in Buddhism is to free yourself from attachment. But as Shigenori says about the reason he is seeking “more suffering”:
Apart from the world and how Miyuki uses that to explore the importance of story and from there, desire, I also really enjoyed the plot. It starts off with a serial killer and I will not spoil the book, but I really liked how Kotaro, and later Shigenori, looked into the cases and how those cases reflected current sentiment and the idea that we see what we want to see. While not completely similar, the part where the media and society affect how the serial killer case is seen reminds me of how media affected the murder case is seen in the movie, Snow White Murder Case.
Characters are also very interesting. There is a strong supporting cast of characters, starting from Shigenori, who isn’t quite human, to Kotaro’s colleagues at the cyber-security firm (they are basically the internet police) and the inhuman Galla, guardian of the Third Pillar.
I’m highly tempted to get a copy of this book as well as the Book of Heroes, which takes place in the same universe. And some of her other books, since I might be on a roll. As you can tell, I really enjoyed The Gate of Sorrows and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys both fantasy and mystery stories.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
The Gate of Sorrows stars university student Kotaro. He works part-time at a cyber security firm, and when a colleague of his disappears after looking into a string of disappearances in Tokyo, he gets pulled into a strange world where stories have power and otherwordly creatures exist.
The blurb also mentions Shigenori, a retired policeman who’s a really interesting character but don’t be fooled because the bulk of the book is focused on Kotaro. In fact, Shigenori doesn’t even appear for a few chapters after he’s been ‘cleansed’. When he’s in action, however, he serves as a good foil to Kotaro because he’s a veteran of the police force and hence knows more about how murder investigations work than Kotaro.
I basically loved everything in this book, especially the world. It’s based on Tokyo, with all the grit and bleakness that exists in the city, but the fantasy bit is built on stories. As the book says:
“In stories, people sometimes encounter a power so strong that it changes them completely. Whether it changes them for the better or the worse depends on time and circumstance.”
Because stories are so powerful, there is a world where they come from, and that world contains guardians who are dedicated to keeping the wrong stories out and for stories in general to keep going. Hence you get the nameless devout, or as the book explains:
“The nameless devout do penance for the sin of stories. Each was once a person who tried to live a story that obsessed him, instead of weaving a story for himself.”
The meaning of stories is the backbone for the magic in this world, and in turn reflects the reality of our world: we also make meaning of our lives through stories. There is also the idea that being cleansed of your cravings if the goal (hence the nameless devout being punished for the sin of stories), which reminds me of Buddhist thought in the sense that the ultimate goal in Buddhism is to free yourself from attachment. But as Shigenori says about the reason he is seeking “more suffering”:
“Because it makes us human! No matter how hard they are to bear, we guard our feelings and our memories and cling to them and live with them. That’s what it means to be a person.”
Apart from the world and how Miyuki uses that to explore the importance of story and from there, desire, I also really enjoyed the plot. It starts off with a serial killer and I will not spoil the book, but I really liked how Kotaro, and later Shigenori, looked into the cases and how those cases reflected current sentiment and the idea that we see what we want to see. While not completely similar, the part where the media and society affect how the serial killer case is seen reminds me of how media affected the murder case is seen in the movie, Snow White Murder Case.
Characters are also very interesting. There is a strong supporting cast of characters, starting from Shigenori, who isn’t quite human, to Kotaro’s colleagues at the cyber-security firm (they are basically the internet police) and the inhuman Galla, guardian of the Third Pillar.
I’m highly tempted to get a copy of this book as well as the Book of Heroes, which takes place in the same universe. And some of her other books, since I might be on a roll. As you can tell, I really enjoyed The Gate of Sorrows and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys both fantasy and mystery stories.
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
November 9, 2016
It's hard to classify this novel, it's not your typical urban fantasy, it's more like a coming of age novel (minus large helpings of teen angst) mixed in with a detective novel along with a classic heroic journey. College student Kotaro is drifting a bit when a mentor recommends becoming a cyber patroller, he starts investigating various internet crimes, murders occur and a friend goes missing. A retired detective makes an appearance and together they meet a beasty with its own agenda. It was a fun page turner that managed to avoid the typical fantasy cliches and could be read by adults and teens.
May 20, 2018
I love Asian horror because it is not as moralistic as its Western counterpart. No black-and-white good and evil; no innocent victims and monstrous victimizers; no Puritanical punishment of sexy women in the name of “family values”. Asian horror is quietly creepy rather than physically shocking. And it is also wildly imaginative. This novel is a perfect example. It is not even horror, exactly, but a wild mix of detective story, allegory, fantasy and metafiction, with monsters, demons, gargoyles and karma thrown in for a good measure. The amazing thing is that works better than any Stephen King lookalike.
October 8, 2016
A beautiful kick to the gut with words. I loved every single page of this book- the characters, the setting, the world, the philosophy... I can't wait to delve into more of Miyabe's work!
October 23, 2019
What a mess.
This book is trying to be part crime drama, part fantasy, and part philosophy and social commentary at the same time. And all those elements don't mess well at all. People who want crime drama won't be satisfied. People who want fantasy won't be satisfied. And people who want philosophy and social commentary certainly won't be satisfied either with how shallow it was.
All I want is another Brave Story, goddammit.
Not to mention how the author doesn't seem to understand the internet that well. I mean, who uses a dark web site just to do middle school gossip?
The ending just leaves you with the feeling of "Wait, that's it?" There's not really a satisfying conclusion to the story, which, in itself isn't told in a well-structured manner either. We waste 50% of the books without the actual main plot kicking in for God's sake. Like one Japanese review said, you can cut the book in half and not lose anything.
I wonder if the story's message is good as well. It can be seen as a simple tale of "Don't be so obsessed with one single thing!" but it can also be read as "Don't try to be a hero and help society!". That kind of Japanese conformism is honestly somewhat disgusting to read about, especially if you're a Westerner.
Ironic how the story talks about the MC's playing vigilante being bad when it's only thanks to Galla's power that the murderers could get caught in the first place. I'm surprised though that the Japanese police doesn't just blame some guy and then force a fake confession out of him, like they usually do in real life. Gotta upheld that 99% conviction rate after all.
Not to mention that without him taking that power, turning into a monster with it, going to the Nameless Land, and getting a Deus Ex Machina that turned back time, his sister's bullied friend would've been dead. Dead in a ditch thanks to a dark web hitman (is that even a thing in real life? All those dark web hitman sites are just scams that take your money without actually doing the deed).
The appearance of the two characters from the previous book didn't really do anything for me since I never liked them that much in the first place. And with how heroine is now, I'm even less interested. They barely contribute to the plot either. They're just there mostly for exposition.
Sometimes the novel could feel quite preachy. It would feel much better if the prose isn't just generic and straightforward about delivering its message, like how Charles Dickens did it.
All and all, it's a meh experience. Wouldn't recommend it.
Now, back to waiting for the next Twelve Kingdoms novel to be translated. Now that could give out its morals and lessons without taking you out of the story.
PS: Still hates the whole "real, but does not exist" thing the novel keeps throwing at you. What a load of Zen bullshit.
Oh, and I remember a phrase basically saying how crimes and general social unrest in Japan are caused by foreigners on the Internet infecting the Japanese minds with their societal filth. Like, what?
This book is trying to be part crime drama, part fantasy, and part philosophy and social commentary at the same time. And all those elements don't mess well at all. People who want crime drama won't be satisfied. People who want fantasy won't be satisfied. And people who want philosophy and social commentary certainly won't be satisfied either with how shallow it was.
All I want is another Brave Story, goddammit.
Not to mention how the author doesn't seem to understand the internet that well. I mean, who uses a dark web site just to do middle school gossip?
The ending just leaves you with the feeling of "Wait, that's it?" There's not really a satisfying conclusion to the story, which, in itself isn't told in a well-structured manner either. We waste 50% of the books without the actual main plot kicking in for God's sake. Like one Japanese review said, you can cut the book in half and not lose anything.
I wonder if the story's message is good as well. It can be seen as a simple tale of "Don't be so obsessed with one single thing!" but it can also be read as "Don't try to be a hero and help society!". That kind of Japanese conformism is honestly somewhat disgusting to read about, especially if you're a Westerner.
Ironic how the story talks about the MC's playing vigilante being bad when it's only thanks to Galla's power that the murderers could get caught in the first place. I'm surprised though that the Japanese police doesn't just blame some guy and then force a fake confession out of him, like they usually do in real life. Gotta upheld that 99% conviction rate after all.
Not to mention that without him taking that power, turning into a monster with it, going to the Nameless Land, and getting a Deus Ex Machina that turned back time, his sister's bullied friend would've been dead. Dead in a ditch thanks to a dark web hitman (is that even a thing in real life? All those dark web hitman sites are just scams that take your money without actually doing the deed).
The appearance of the two characters from the previous book didn't really do anything for me since I never liked them that much in the first place. And with how heroine is now, I'm even less interested. They barely contribute to the plot either. They're just there mostly for exposition.
Sometimes the novel could feel quite preachy. It would feel much better if the prose isn't just generic and straightforward about delivering its message, like how Charles Dickens did it.
All and all, it's a meh experience. Wouldn't recommend it.
Now, back to waiting for the next Twelve Kingdoms novel to be translated. Now that could give out its morals and lessons without taking you out of the story.
PS: Still hates the whole "real, but does not exist" thing the novel keeps throwing at you. What a load of Zen bullshit.
Oh, and I remember a phrase basically saying how crimes and general social unrest in Japan are caused by foreigners on the Internet infecting the Japanese minds with their societal filth. Like, what?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2017
This was pretty different, I'm not a huge fan of urban fantasy, but I'm trying to pick up new things this year, and a translated book from a female Japanese fantasy author sounded too good to pass up, and I was not left unsatisfied.
It does sort of lean YA, but not glaringly so, and that's because this is actually the second book set in this world, bUT a stand alone - the first book was YA, and this one was supposed to be more adult in tone.
It does sort of lean YA, but not glaringly so, and that's because this is actually the second book set in this world, bUT a stand alone - the first book was YA, and this one was supposed to be more adult in tone.
December 19, 2019
An excellent reality-based crime novel with an expertly done layer of magical realism on top.
Note: The Book of Heroes should be read BEFORE this one as this book will completely spoil that one.
Note: The Book of Heroes should be read BEFORE this one as this book will completely spoil that one.
January 9, 2017
A great murder mystery thriller with a splash of fantasy. It was a spellbinding read from start to finish, kept turning the pages.
July 14, 2017
I'd give this 4.5 stars. Japanese author Miyuki Miyabe writes a lot of mysteries, but this one is different because it blends fantasy fiction into a whodunnit. Normally I would shy away from such books, but Miyabe (with excellent translation by Jim Hubbert) does it very well indeed. Someone murders the popular founder/CEO of a web monitoring company. Is it the apparent serial killer who has been murdering others and chopping off body parts? Meanwhile, an elderly woman dies after reporting seeing a decorative gargoyle on a building move. Kotaro, a college student who works part-time at the web monitoring firm, joins forces with retired detective Shigenori to solve these mysteries.
November 28, 2021
An excellent example of Japanese fantasy storytelling, mixing the supernatural with a detective story, mixing college and high school heroes with supernatural anemies and allies. This is an awesome read if you love dark fantasy, vibrant characters, and tons of positive themes.
April 22, 2020
I didnt finish. Literally cant with the sexist undertone and dumb narrative. idk maybe bc its the translation
January 16, 2025
it was smth
Read
June 6, 2025What a giant waste of time...Only the part about how words leave a trace that accumulate into physical shapes is kind of interesting. But all the supernatural nonsense lost me.
October 9, 2016
The danger of obsessions.
I did not read The Book of Heroes before this book, which did not hinder me from understanding the plot of The Gate of Sorrows, but might have made the sudden appearance of a certain character or two more understandable. This is the story about college student Kotaro who investigates after a coworker investigating the disappearance of several homeless people disappears himself. Along the way he meets a retired detective investigating a gargoyle that moves and a little girl that won't talk and gets involved in a middle school bullying situation, a string of murders, and with a creature that is real but doesn't exist. I enjoyed the book as a whole--it dragged a bit around midway but then kicked up again. (About 3.75 goodreads stars).
I did not read The Book of Heroes before this book, which did not hinder me from understanding the plot of The Gate of Sorrows, but might have made the sudden appearance of a certain character or two more understandable. This is the story about college student Kotaro who investigates after a coworker investigating the disappearance of several homeless people disappears himself. Along the way he meets a retired detective investigating a gargoyle that moves and a little girl that won't talk and gets involved in a middle school bullying situation, a string of murders, and with a creature that is real but doesn't exist. I enjoyed the book as a whole--it dragged a bit around midway but then kicked up again. (About 3.75 goodreads stars).
September 22, 2021
The Gate of Sorrows by Miyuki Miyabe, is as good as the first book, The Book of Heroes. The Gate of Sorrows followed different characters, with an appearance of characters from the first book. The two books are very different from each other, but both are good. The Gate of Sorrows is a good mystery. It’s much darker than the first book. An adult book rather than young adult. The book was long, but didn’t drag. The story kept moving and both points of view were good. As with the first book, all of the characters were well written and had a strong voice. Both main characters added something to the plot. Though I did like Shigenori more than Kotaro.
December 28, 2023
圖書館分上、下冊的書預約，結果，先到的是下冊，然後又隔了一個星期，上冊才送到。但兩本都是「熱門書籍」，借閱的時間只有兩個星期，還不准續借。對新書沒有抵抗力的我，決定以最快的速度看完，以最神速的方法寫心得，因為明天就到期，得還書的。
一開始是連續殺人的案件一個接著一個出現，之後時興的網路霸凌，包藏禍心的網站犯案也同時登場。不過沒多久，開始科幻場面──專門收集人類「渴望」的另世界的怪獸「加拉」，以帶著大翅膀的女人形體出現，和書中想要執行正義，為不公復仇的主角生合作，剷除了被邪惡的渴望充斥而不惜殺人的凶手，然後還到異次元的世界，打鬥了一場、冒險了一番。
在穿過語言迷障，進入人心黯黑底層，經歷過「輪」、「無名之地」、「悲嘆之門」……，大一新生的男主角三島孝太郎，最後終究回到現實世界，只想好好活下去。
越讀越覺得像是在看奇幻小說，在圖書館或逛誠品時，通常都是直接走過放這類書籍的櫃子。可惜花了幾個日夜，翻完700多頁的書，口味仍然無法翻轉。所以，關於此書的心得，除了讚嘆一下它的新奇外，還是覺得「這不是我的菜」。
一開始是連續殺人的案件一個接著一個出現，之後時興的網路霸凌，包藏禍心的網站犯案也同時登場。不過沒多久，開始科幻場面──專門收集人類「渴望」的另世界的怪獸「加拉」，以帶著大翅膀的女人形體出現，和書中想要執行正義，為不公復仇的主角生合作，剷除了被邪惡的渴望充斥而不惜殺人的凶手，然後還到異次元的世界，打鬥了一場、冒險了一番。
在穿過語言迷障，進入人心黯黑底層，經歷過「輪」、「無名之地」、「悲嘆之門」……，大一新生的男主角三島孝太郎，最後終究回到現實世界，只想好好活下去。
越讀越覺得像是在看奇幻小說，在圖書館或逛誠品時，通常都是直接走過放這類書籍的櫃子。可惜花了幾個日夜，翻完700多頁的書，口味仍然無法翻轉。所以，關於此書的心得，除了讚嘆一下它的新奇外，還是覺得「這不是我的菜」。
October 19, 2019
2.5 ⭐️’s.
Not sure if it’s because I took so long to read it or it wasn’t as ~fantasy~ as I would like it, but overall I thought the Gate of Sorrows was just okay.
The characters were basic, the concept was cool but laid more in the contemporary setting, however the translation was great and not as clunky as I thought it my be.
Not sure if it’s because I took so long to read it or it wasn’t as ~fantasy~ as I would like it, but overall I thought the Gate of Sorrows was just okay.
The characters were basic, the concept was cool but laid more in the contemporary setting, however the translation was great and not as clunky as I thought it my be.
October 4, 2016
Miyabe follows up her YA story 'The Book of Heroes' with an adult sort-of sequel. It's a much darker and more sinister affair, but just as mindbending and gripping. [Note: Yuriko from the first book does make an appearance here as a secondary character.]
October 3, 2016
Really original plot; Miyabe weaves the ordinary with fantasy to lure unsuspecting readers
March 8, 2018
I thought this novel was good but not as good as the first one was
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews