জু

by Otsuichi, কৌশিক জামান (Translator)

প্রতিদিন সে চিঠির বাক্সে তার মৃত গার্লফ্রেন্ডের ছবি পায়। যাতে করে মেয়েটার দেহ প্রতিদিন কতটুকু করে পঁচলো তার হিসেব রাখা যায়!

একটা মৃত্যু ফাঁদ, যা পুরো এক সপ্তাহ ধরে শিকারকে তিলে তিলে খুন করে!

ঘুম থেকে উঠে এক ব্যক্তি দেখতে পেল সারা শরীর রক্তে মাখামাখি।

তার পরিবারের কেউ কি তাকে খুন করার চেষ্টা করছে?

মা যদি ওকে খুন করতে চায়, তাহলে সেটা কিভাবে করবে?

কেমন হবে যদি আপনি যা বলবেন, জীবিত সমস্ত কিছু তা শুনতে বাধ্য হয়?

এগারোটি ভিন্ন স্বাদের রোমহর্ষক গল্প নিয়ে ডার্ক ফ্যান্টাসির জাপানী মাস্টার অৎসুইশি-এর গল্প সংকলন “জু”।

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

272 pages, Hardcover

First published June 26, 2003

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

[Minh Nhân Nguyễn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sao

Biết cuốn này lâu rồi nhưng đọc các review đầu tiên không được tốt lắm nên mình cũng ngại mua. Dạo này đang lúc bận không thể ôm mấy cuốn truyện dài đọc được, tình cờ tìm được ebook (free :p) của nó, lại đúng thể loại truyện ngắn kiểu nội dung ly kỳ dễ đọc nên chép vào điện thoại để lúc nào rảnh thì lấy ra đọc vậy.

Và phải nói thật là may mắn khi mình đã không bỏ qua em nó. Những truyện đầu tiên nói thật có phần khiến mình cảm thấy chưa thỏa mãn lắm, vì diễn tiến truyện khá chậm so với cái không khí ly kỳ bên trong đó, kiểu kết thúc của nó gọi là mở cũng không đúng, đóng cũng không phải, cứ tạo cho mình cảm giác lửng lơ, "chưa tới". Nhưng càng đọc thì mình lại càng thấy hay dần, và về sau lại có nhiều mẩu truyện khiến mình thích thú. Có khi là do lúc đó đã quen với cách viết của tác giả, hay là do không quá kỳ vọng nên mới có thể thưởng thức được cái hay của nó chăng.

Cuốn này thật sự rất dễ đọc, bất cứ lúc nào mình cũng có thể lấy ra nhấm nháp một mẩu chuyện, truyện nào cũng ngon lành hấp dẫn như một món ăn vặt vậy. Nội dung sách xoay quanh các câu chuyện mang chất kỳ lạ, không hẳn truyện nào cũng kinh dị nhưng nó sẽ ít nhiều làm bạn sởn gai ốc hay thót tim khi đọc, dù một số truyện rõ là đặc sệt chất hài hước, châm biếm trong đó. Sự kinh hãi mà nó mang đến đôi khi đến dưới dạng xác thịt máu me, nhưng đa phần là từ tâm lý của nhân vật. Và ở mảng xây dựng tâm lý này thì tác giả là một bậc thầy.

Các sách văn học Nhật đặc biệt ở chỗ thường khai thác sâu về tâm lý nhân vật, nhưng nếu xoay chuyển tâm lý đó theo khía cạnh đen tối, bệnh hoạn thì kết quả thu được sẽ rất kinh khủng. Đọc sách rồi bạn sẽ thấy những cái gọi là tâm lý phức tạp ở những cuốn sách khác chẳng là gì so với cuốn này.

Đa nhân cách? Tâm thần phân liệt? Chỉ là chuyện nhỏ. Sẽ ra sao nếu một nhân vật cố tình biến mình thành một người với nhân cách như vậy trong khi bản thân anh ta thừa biết mình không phải như vậy nhưng cố tình phớt lờ điều đó?

Tự ti, nhút nhát? Chuyện thường. Nhưng hãy xem điều gì sẽ xảy ra khi nhân vật đó được ban cho quyền năng to lớn, lớn hơn nhiều so với cái tâm thần yếu đuối, bất ổn được ban cho "món quà" đó.

Bất hòa gia đình ảnh hưởng lên con cái? Hãy xem chuyện tưởng như diễn ra thường ngày ấy có thể gây ra một hậu quả không ngờ đến thế nào, để rồi đến lúc cuối ta sẽ phải băn khoăn không biết cậu bé ấy là người bị gia đình ảnh hưởng hay chính cậu mới là người thay đổi gia đình ấy.

Với nguyên liệu là một chút "siêu nhiên" đã cho phép tác giả chạm đến, phô bày ra những cái sâu thẳm bên trong tâm hồn con người, gây nên những cái rùng mình cũng nhen nhóm từ sâu bên trong khiến cho người đọc khó lòng rũ bỏ được.

Cũng thuộc chủ đề kỳ bí nhưng những đề tài cuốn sách này khai thác lại khá đa dạng. Từ tâm linh, tâm lý, máu me, sci-fi, trinh thám đều đủ cả. Cho nên đọc cuốn này khỏi lo bị ngán, mà mỗi lần đọc qua một truyện mới là thêm một lần háo hức không biết tác giả sẽ bày ra gì cho người đọc thưởng thức đây.

Nói chung thì đây đúng là món hợp khẩu vị cho những ai ưa thích những thứ huyền bí, kỳ dị, tăm tối. Ban đầu mình còn e dè với cuốn sách này nhưng đọc xong rồi cảm thấy rất thích thú, và sẽ ngóng đợi các cuốn tiếp theo của tác giả sắp được xuất bản ^_^.

[Marvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One or two more books like ZOO and I'm going to have a new fave author.

Otsuichi is one of the newer dark fiction authors out of Japan. He is hard to categorize as his short fiction spreads throughout many genres including horror, science fiction and mystery. His writing style is fairly straight forward, eschewing the flowery angst of many of today's Japanese writers. He is somewhere between the Kafkaesque absurdism favored by Harudi Murakami and Kobo Abe and the strangeness of American Bizarro. I would compare him most to Kyu Murakami due to his ability to take normal everyday events and lead them into the grotesque.

The ten stories in ZOO range from very good to Absolutely Batshit Wonderful. Those tales in the ABW category include...

ZOO - a dark psychological horror story about a young man who is getting snapshots delivered to him daily of his girl friend's decomposing body.

In a Falling Airplane - Maybe the most deceptive of the stories. Starts like a tale about a airline hijacker and turns into a look at three desperate losers. Clearly an socio-political satire about Japan's competitive culture.

The White House in the Cold Forest -The best and most disturbing story in the collection about a murderer who builds his house from the corpses of his victims.

In a Park at Twilight, a Long Time Ago is the shortest tale at four pages and packs the biggest wallop. No description. Just read it.

Song of The Sunny Spot is the most mainstream of the bunch and easily the warmest. I would say it owes a lot to the writings of Ray Bradbury.

Seven Rooms is the most harrowing of the collection. It is a tale of abduction with a gruesome, yet emotionally moving end.

Otsuichi's matter-of-fact writing often heightens the sense of horror in his tales. It should also be noted that many of his tales involve young children and child abuse, so the squeamish may want to tread lightly. Having said that, Otsuichi packs a punch that you just do not see in many of the new writers who specialize in short fiction. A must read author for the lovers of grotesque fantasy and horror.

[Quân Khuê · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phải có đầu óc rất quái dị thì mới viết ra được những câu chuyện như thế này. Too dark for my liking.

SO far và Thơ của ánh dương có lẽ là hai truyện hay nhất tập.

[Rifat · Rating 3 out of 5]

জু বইটা আমি বেশ সময় নিয়ে পড়লাম। থ্রিলার জাতীয় জনরার বই আমি টানা পড়ে ফেলি। গথও বেশ দ্রুতই শেষ করেছিলাম। কিন্তু এটা পড়তে গিয়ে শুরুতেই কেমন একটা বিশ্রী অনুভূতি হলো! প্রথম গল্প সেভেন রুমস পড়তে গিয়েই আমার নার্ভের তেরোটা বেজে গেল। কেমন গা শিউরে ওঠার মতো ব্যাপার! মনে হচ্ছিল আমিই ওদের সাথে আটকা পড়ে আছি -_- সেভেন রুমস: বছর দশের এক ছেলে নিজেকে আর তার হাইস্কুল পড়ুয়া আপুকে আবিষ্কার করে এক কিউবাকৃতির ছোট্ট একটি রুমে। ওরা পাশাপাশি হেঁটে যাচ্ছিলো হঠাৎ করে কে যেন পেছন থেকে মাথায় আঘাত করে তারপর ওরা নিজেদেরকে এখানে পায়। রুমে একটি চিকন নালা ছাড়া আর কিছু নেই, দরজা বাইরে থেকে আটকানো। ছেলেটি আপুর কথা মতো নালাতে নেমে গিয়ে বুঝতে পারে এখানে মোট সাতটি রুম আছে, দিন গড়ালে ওরা আরও বুঝতে পারে ওরা কোনো এক সাইকোর পাল্লায় পড়েছে যে কিনা প্রতিটা রুমে কাউকে না কাউকে আটকে রেখেছে এবং এক সপ্তাহ হয়ে গেলে তাকে মেরে টুকরো করে ওই নালাতে ভাসিয়ে দেয়। ছেলেটি চিকন ছোট হওয়ায় খুব সহজেই নালা দিয়ে এক রুম থেকে আরেক রুমের সামনে যেতে পারতো আর সবার সাথে কিংবা নতুন কোনো ভিক্টিম এলে তার সাথে কথা বলতে পারতো। এইভাবে আস্তে আস্তে দিন যায় আর ওদের মৃত্যু দিন হাজির হয়। লোকটা শক্তিশালী এক করাত নিয়ে আসে তার সাথে পেরে ওঠা সম্ভব না, মরতেই হবে! ভাইবোন মিলে প্ল্যান করে। যখন ওদেরকে মারতে আসে ছেলেটি লুকিয়ে থাকে আর সুযোগ পেয়ে রুমের বাইরে গিয়ে ছিটকিনি লাগিয়ে দেয় আর রুমের বাকি মেয়েদের উদ্ধার করে। ওরা দু'ভাইবোন জানতো দুইজন কোনোভাবেই বেঁচে ফিরতে পারবে না। তাই নিজে মরে গিয়ে নিজের ভাই আর অন্যান্য মেয়েদেরকে বাঁচার সুযোগ তৈরি করে দেয় হাই স্কুল পড়ুয়া মেয়েটি।

দ্য হোয়াইট হাউজ ইন দ্যা কোল্ড ফরেস্ট গল্পটাও বেশ ক্রিপি ছিল, ভৌতিক ভৌতিক ভাইব দিচ্ছিলো। তাছাড়া কাজারি এন্ড ইয়োকা, সো-ফার বেশ থ্রিলিং ছিল, ভালো লেগেছে। ইন আ ফলিং এয়্যারপ্লেন আর নাম গল্প জু পড়ে বেশ বিরক্ত হয়েছি, বাকিগুলো মোটামুটি লেগেছে।

তবে সং অফ দ্য সানি স্পট গল্পটা ছিল সম্পূর্ণ ভিন্ন রকমের। অৎশুইশি এমন লিখবেন সেটা কল্পনাও করিনি। আমার তো মনে হতো উনার কলম ভর্তি খালি ডার্ক জিনিসপাতি -.- এটা খুবই চমৎকার লাগলো। একটা মানুষ যার মৃত্যু সম্পর্কে তেমন ধারণা নেই, ভালোবাসা ঠিক কী জিনিস তা সে জানে না.. অৎশুইশি তাকে এ ব্যাপারে জানিয়ে দিলেন।


অনুবাদ মন্দ লাগলো!

১৭ জুন, ২০২৩

[Phu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mình đọc xong quyển này lâu lắm rồi cơ, ban đầu mình cũng dự định sẽ viết review chi tiết từng truyện nhưng sau đó mình lười nên thôi :(( Mình nghĩ chắc nghĩ viết ngắn ngắn là ổn...

Zoo là Tập truyện ngắn bao gồm horror, mystery và cả science, nói thật là thể loại của Tập truyện này khiến mình liên tưởng tới Tập truyện 杀死玛丽苏 ("Killing Mary Sue") cũng do Otsuichi viết, nhưng độ kinh dị của Zoo thì nặng đô hơn cơ. Đọc xong cuốn sách thứ mà mình có thể dễ dàng liên tưởng là một "sở thú người" - nơi Otsuichi thể hiện hết sự kỳ dị, điên rồ và cả đồng cảm trong đó. Có những truyện khiến mình buồn như "Kazari và Yoko", "Ngôi Nhà Trắng Trong Rừng Sâu Giá Lạnh". Cái kinh dị của Otsuichi cũng toát ra từ những khoảnh khắc bạo lực, máu me - những thứ đó xuất hiện mà chẳng cần có lý do nào cả. Đến giờ nghĩ tới cuốn sách này là mình nhớ tới tiếng "máy cưa" của "Seven Rooms" đọc mà thấy ớn lạnh thiệt.

[Rafia Rahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

"গথ" পড়ে শেষ করার আগেই ঠিক করে ফেলেছিলাম "জু"-ও পড়বো কিন্তু গথ যতটা ভালো লেগেছে জু সেক্ষেত্রে হতাশই করেছে। বইয়ে মোট গল্প ১১টা। "সেভেন রুমস", প্রথম গল্পটাই আমার কাছে সেরা। প্লট, ডিটেলিং... এককথায় অসাধারণ! পড়ার পর অনেকক্ষণ তো ঘোরের মধ্যে ছিলাম। "ইন আ ফলিং এয়ারপ্লেন", "দ্য হোয়াইট হাউজ ইন দ্যা কোল্ড ফরেস্ট", "ফাইন্ড দ্যা ব্লাড!", "ইন আ পার্ক অ্যাট টোয়ালাইট, আ লং টাইম এগো", "ওয়ারড্রব", "সং অফ দ্যা সানি স্পট", "সো-ফার", "জু" গল্পগুলো মোটামুটি, আবার পড়তে যেয়ে কখনও বিরক্তিকরও মনে হয়েছে। "কাজারি অ্যান্ড ইয়োকো", "ওয়ার্ডস অফ গভ" বাকিগুলোর থেকে ভালো লেগেছে। প্রতিটা গল্পই মোটামুটি ডার্ক ও ক্রিপি। অনুবাদের কিছু জায়গায় খাপছাড়া লেগেছে। এছাড়া ওভারঅল ভালোই।

বই: জু
লেখক: অৎসুইশি
অনুবাদক: কৌশিক জামান
জনরা: ডার্ক হরর থ্রিলার
প্রকাশনী: বাতিঘর প্রকাশনী
প্রথম প্রকাশ: ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০১৯
পৃষ্ঠা সংখ্যা: ২৭১
মুদ্রিত মূল্য: ৩০০/-

[Nhi Nguyễn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Đúng là chỉ có mấy bạn Nhật mới viết được những câu chuyện như thế này :)) 11 truyện ngắn kỳ lạ, nếu gọi là kinh dị truyền thống thì không phải, mà nói chung là cũng gây ám ảnh không kém truyện trinh thám kinh dị của mấy ông bà phương Tây ^^ Sau Ayatsuji Yukito (tác giả của light novel "Another") thì có lẽ Otsuichi là tác giả kinh dị Nhật Bản mà mình thích thứ nhì :))

Những truyện mà mình thích nhất trong tập truyện này (toàn là có giết người không gớm tay với kết thúc rùng rợn gây ám ảnh :D) là "Seven Rooms", "Đi tìm máu đi", "Ngôi nhà trắng trong rừng sâu giá lạnh", "Closet" và "Trong công viên buổi chiều tà hôm ấy".

[Marko Veljković · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moj prvi susret sa japanskim autorima je jedna zbirka horor priča koja je objavljena pre nekoliko meseci, ali danas ću govoriti o knjizi ’’Zoo i druge mračne priče’’ koja mi je ostavila malo snažniji utisak. Pre ove zbirke priča, objavljen je i Ocuićijev roman ’’Gotika’’ koji još uvek nisam pročitao, ali svakako ga imam u planu.

Hirotaka Adaći, koji koristi pseudonim Ocuići, pisac je horor priča u kojima nema duhova, veštica, demona i drugih nečistih sila. Njegovi monstrumi se kriju u ljudima, u glavnim protagonistima većine ovih priča. Dopada mi se što svako od njih dobija kraj kakav zaslužuje.

Za neke je smrt nagrada, pa ih je pisac ostavio u životu, kako bi što duže vremena proveli u začaranom krugu koji se neprekidno ponavlja, dok ih osećaj krivice potpuno ne uništi. Tako na primer imate momka koji je ubio svoju devojku (nije spojler, jer čete to saznati na samom početku priče), ali pokušava da sakrije tragove poput glavnog lika u filmu ’’Memento’’ kako nikad ne bi saznao da je on ubica. Međutim, on ipak dolazi do saznanja o ubistvu tokom dana, pa mu se svaki naredni dan neprekidno ponavlja, kao da tokom noći restartuje pamćenje. Jedna od omiljenih priča iz zbirke koja se odlično završava.

Većina priča je ispričana u prvom licu što je prava stvar za potpuni doživljaj, ali ima i priča koje su ispričane u trećem licu, pa taman kad pomislite zbog čega je to tako, na kraju shvatite da je sve imalo smisla i da je još jedna genijalno osmišljena ideja. Takva je priča ’’Garderober’’ koju sam pročitao dva puta kako bih obratio pažnju na način pripovedanja, jer je to jako bitan detalj za razumevanje ove priče koja mi je takođe jedna od omiljenih.

Sve priče su na granici između psiho trilera i horora, ali imate jednu koja se posebno izdvaja kao horor i nosi noziv ’’Bela kuća u hladnoj šumi’’. U ovoj priči je glavni protagonista dečak koji živi u štali svoje tetke i neprestano trpi nasilje i ponižavanje od strane svoje braće i tetke. Sticajem okolnosti, posle nekoliko godina napušta njihovo imanje i odlučuje da u šumi sagradi svoju kuću. Saznajte na koji način će sagraditi kuću i nemojte pre toga da konzumirate hranu. :D

Ima i jednu priču koja me je podsetila na romane Agate Kristi i na film ’’Knives out’’ koji je izašao pre dve godine. Čovek se budi umazan krvlju i pokušava da utvrdi odakle tolika količina krvi na njegovom telu. Ubrzo saznaje da je uboden u leđa, ali zbog nesreće iz mladosti koja mu je umrtvila osećaj za bol, nije osetio ubod, pa tako ne može ni da zna ko je pokušao da ga ubije. Jedini način da preživi je da mu porodični lekar preko tansfuzije ubrizga krv koju nosi u velikoj crnoj torbi kad odlaze negde sa strane. Međutim, torba je ovog puta nestala i niko ne može da se seti gde se nalazi krv, a vremena je sve manje da se glavni junak izvuče iz kandži smrti.

Svaka priča je jedinstvena i to je ono što ovu knjigu čini posebnom i postoje velike šanse da se nađe među deset mojih omiljenih knjiga koje sam pročitao ove godine.

[Vivian Trương · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,75 / 5 sao
Bộ này lúc mới đọc hai câu truyện đầu làm mình thấy rờn rợn phấn khích cực. Nhưng sau khi đọc hết 11 mẩu truyện thì thích nhất có lẽ chỉ có "Seven rooms", "So far" và "Zoo" thôi. Càng về sau cảm giác các câu truyện giảm dần độ kinh dị va độ hay. Nhiều câu truyện cảm giác thiệt biến thái, chết tới nơi mà còn cười đùa được... Nói chung phục tác giả đầu óc cỡ nào mới viết được mấy truyện này.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This collection had some wonderful dark and twisted horror stories with science fiction blended into a few of the narratives. '

As always with short fiction, there were some hits and misses in this collection. I did not care for several of the stories, but there were three standouts that made the book worth reading.

I highly recommend:
Zoo
Song of the Sunny Spot
Kazari & Yoko

[Farzana Raisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

অনুবাদটা এত বিশ্রি কেন? 🙄

[Chontiwat Udomsiripat · Rating 4 out of 5]

ZOO - รวมเรื่องสั้น 10 เรื่องของโอตสึอิจิที่ขาดตลาดไปนานมากแล้ว เล่มที่ผมอ่านอยู่นี่ก็ต้องยืมมาจากห้องสมุดของมหาวิทยาลัยเอา อีกทั้งในท้องตลาดก็ขายอัพราคาแพงกันมากเลย เรายังคงรอให้มีการพิมพ์ครั้งที่ 2 อยู่นะ

สำหรับ ZOO นี้เปรียบเสมือนการให้ผู้อ่านเข้าไปเที่ยวในสวนสัตว์ที่มีทั้งประเภทที่น่ารักและดุร้าย เราสามารถเจอเรื่องตลกร้ายได้เหมือนเจอ "หมูเด้ง" ลูกฮิปโปโปเตมัสที่กำลังเป็นไวรัล เราสนุกที่ได้ดูมันในคลิปวีดิโอ หรือเราอาจเจอความดุร้ายของงูมีพิษในโซนสัตว์เลื้อยคลาน เปรียบเสมือนการอ่านเรื่องฆาตกรรมชวนหดหู่ หรือเราอาจไปเจอเพนกวิ้นแสนน่ารักที่เดินเตาะเเตะไปมา เสมือนกับเจอเรื่องธรรมดาในความรู้สึกของเรา

ใน 10 เรื่องสั้นมีเรื่องที่ผมชอบทั้งหมด 3 เรื่อง ได้แก่
1) คาซาริกับโยโกะ ความรุนแรงนำมาสู่การแก้แค้น
2) SO-far ไกลแค่ไหนคือใกล้ เมื่อโซฟาที่ให้ความรู้สึกกับคนในบ้านแบบ "ใกล้ชิด" แต่ดันเป็น "ไกลชิด" สุดยอดทั้งการเล่าเรื่อง การตีแผ่สังคมครอบครัว
3) ZOO การย้ำคิดย้ำทำแบบหลอก ๆ ก็อาจช่วยเราได้ในบางเรื่อง แต่การยอมรับความจริงแล้วเดินหน้าต่อ น่าจะเป็นหนทางที่ดีที่สุด

ส่วนเรื่องที่เหลือไม่ใช่ไม่สนุกนะ สำหรับผมคืออ่านได้สบาย มีเศร้า เหงา โหดร้าย เป็นธรรมดาสำหรับงานของโอตสึอิจิที่เราคุ้นเคยกันดี

[Justin Sấm (Huy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ban đầu tôi cứ tưởng cuốn này là tập hợp những câu chuyện kinh dị vì cái bìa sách đầy máu me, nhưng tôi đã nhầm vì nó chẳng hề kinh dị chút nào, tác giả có vẻ thiên về tâm lý của nhân vật nhiều hơn và đây đúng là những câu chuyện kỳ lạ như bìa sau của cuốn sách đã giới thiệu.
Tôi có ấn tượng mạnh với ý tưởng của câu chuyện "Ngôi nhà trắng trong rừng sâu giá lạnh", cực kỳ thích cái kết của "Lời nguyên của chúa tể" và cảm thấy gợn người nhất khi đọc "Seven Rooms". Theo tôi "Seven Rooms" đúng là kinh dị nhất trong cả mười một câu chuyện của sách, chắc vì lẽ đó mà nó được vẽ minh họa trên bìa thay cho "Zoo".
Tóm lại đây là một tập sách dễ đọc, không kinh dị lắm, rất thực tế, đọc để thấy con người chính là loài đáng sợ nhất trên trái đất này.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a unique voice in this writer.

[MD Mostafijur Rahaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

অৎসুইশি’ এর আসল নাম ‘হিরোতাকা আদাশি’। হরর/ফ্যান্টাসী লেখক এবং চলচিত্র নির্মাতা অৎসুইশি ১৯৭৮ সালে জাপানে জন্মগ্রহণ করেন। ১৬ বছর বয়স��� ‘সামার, ফায়ারওয়ার্কস অ্যান্ড মাই করপ্স’ দিয়ে অৎসুইশির লেখালেখির ক্যারিয়ার শুরু। এই বইটির জন্য তিনি ‘সিক্সথ অ্যানুয়াল জাম্প নভেল অ্যান্ড নন-ফিকশন প্রাইজ’ জিতে নেন। তিনি মূলত ‘গথ’ এবং ‘জু’ দিয়েই পাঠক মহলে জনপ্রিয় হয়ে ওঠেন। এই বইগুলোর ছোট গল্পগুলি নিয়ে ‘মাংগা কমিকস’ এবং ফিচার ফিল্মও তৈরী করা হয়েছে। ২০০৩ সালে ‘গথ’ জাপানের সম্মানজনক ‘হনকাকু মিস্ট্রি অ্যাওয়ার্ড’ জিতে নেয়। লেখকের অন্যান্য বইয়ের মধ্যে আছে ‘কলিং ইউ’, ‘সিসোউ হলিডে’ ইত্যাদি।

জু" বইটির সূচিপত্র:
১. সেভেন রুমস
২. ইন আ ফলিং এয়ারপ্লেন
৩. দ্য হােয়াইট হাউজ ইন দ্যা কোল্ড ফরেস্ট
৪. ফাইন্ড দ্যা ব্লাড!
৫. ইন আ পার্ক অ্যাট টোয়ালাইট, আ লং টাইম এগাে
৬. ওয়ারড্রব
৭. সং অফ দ্যা সানি স্পট
৮. কাজারি অ্যান্ড ইয়ােকো
৯. সােফার
১০. ওয়ার্ডস অফ গড
১১. জু

আমার মতামত

"গথ" পড়ে যেমন লেগেছিল "জু" পড়ে আমার তেমন ভালো লাগেনি, চারটে গল্প ভালো লেগেছে বাকি গুলো ভালো লাগলনা। অনুবাদ আমি ৫/৫ দেব

বই: জু
লেখক : অৎসুইশি
অনুবাদক : কৌশিক জামান

[Priyanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

আশা করছি "সেভেন রুমস" গল্পটা অনেকদিন মনে থাকবে। "সো-ফার" এবং "কাজারি এ্যান্ড ইয়াকো" গল্প দুইটাও অনেকক্ষণ থামিয়ে রেখেছিল। "গথ" আর এইটা একসাথে পড়া হচ্ছে, এবং ইহা আগে শেষ হয়ে গেলো। রাইটারের মস্তিষ্ক আর তাঁর স্টোরিটেলিংয়ের প্রতি রীতিমতো আমার ঈর্ষা হচ্ছে।

এতো অদ্ভুত সুন্দর ব্যাপার এই শর্ট স্টোরির বইটায়—এবং মানসিক চাপ সমেত; ভীষণ অন্যরকম সব গল্প। আসলে এইটা শেষ হয়ে যাওয়াটাই একটা বিশাল দুঃখজনক ব্যাপার, যার পরিমাণ মাত্র ১১টা গল্প।

(সাইকোলজিকাল হরর অথবা ডার্ক ফ্যান্টাসিতে ঢুকানো যায় এগুলোকে, আর লেখকের টেস্ট সম্ভবত খারাপ লাগবেনা, বিশেষত যারা grotesque fantasy পছন্দ করে। হ্যাপি রিডিং!)



~March 10, 2022

[Mohammed Sheikh · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews at---https://mohammedsreview.wordpress.com


Zoo is the collection of eleven short stories written by Japanese author otsuichi.

1.Seven rooms: Siblings were abducted from the street, and placed in one of the seven square shaped room. Sibling found that the killer uses a mystery circle to kill the abductors. Rating: 3.3/5

2.In a falling airplane: A young frustrated man hijacks a airplane, were a bunch of passenger were boarding with different kind of intentions, finishing was good. Rating: 3.2/5

3.The white house in the cold forest: if a man is tortured for years and never have the chance to interact with other humans what will they become? Find out here. Rating: 3/5

4.Found the blood: A man who have lost the feel of pain a long ago, surrounded by the family members in a remote cabin were knifed, but who wants to kill him? Rating: 2.8/5

5.In a park at twilight, a long time ago: hardly 3-4 page short story,so nothing say about this one. Rating: 3/5

6.Wardrobe: Man killed in his own house, but the family members were thinking he was lost, there is something inside the wardrobe, Is it the man himself or the killer? Rating : 3.3/5

7.Song of the sunny spot: A is robot(not clarified tough) invented by a man who will die soon and wants that the robot will fulfill his last wish. What is death and what is meaning of death? find a new perception here. Rating : 3/5

8.Kajari and Yuko: Twin sisters but different as night and day. One adored by her mother, another disliked. Best story of this collection. Rating :4.2/5

9.So-far: Story of kid whose father and mother is living in a two different dimensions. He have to choose one to live the rest of his life. Whom he will choose? Rating : 3.5/5

10.Words of god: What he says becomes reality. A boy with this find of power can do the to world, was extremely devastating. Rating : 2/5

11.Zoo: The book is named after this story, but this is the worst story of this collection. Rating : 1/5

Overall Rating : 2.5 /5

[Valkyrie Vu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinh dị thì kinh dị , máu me thì máu me nhưng ko hiểu sao mình chả thấy sợ . Buồn có , xúc động có và buồn cười cũng có luôn . :)) . Vấn đề là nó máu me , kinh dị và điên rồ đến mức buồn cười í . Hay tại cái giọng văn cứ đêù đều thản nhiên và có phần tưng tửng . " Đi tìm máu đi" và "trên máy bay sắp rơi là hai truyện mang chất mỉa mai trào phúng và buồn cười nhất . :)) . Seven rooms và SO far thì ý nghĩa và xúc động , thơ của ánh dương thì đẹp nên thơ và nhẹ nhàng nhưng ảo tung hết cả chảo . :)) . Ngôi nhà trắng trong rừng sâu giá lạnh có lẽ là truyện disturbing nhất trong cả tập nhưng không hiểu sao mình đọc vẫn thấy buồn cười , nhất là đoạn thằng bé đi thu thập "gạch" để xây nhà , giết người mà như kiểu giết bọ ngựa châu chấu gì đó ấy . :)) .

Nghiêm túc mà nói thì đọc xong cuốn này thấy thương người Nhật . Họ có lẽ phải sống trong một môi trường có quá nhiều áp lực nên mới nảy sinh ra nhiều ý tưởng điên rồ như thế , do nhiều người bị social anxiety . Hic . Rốt cuộc thì giống như bao cuốn sách Nhật khác , cái bóng bao trùm vẫn là sự cô đơn . Haizz.

[Khue Dinh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tập truyện hơi nhẹ đô. Mình mong một triển lãm những thứ kinh khủng hơn thế này. Nếu chỉ được bằng này thì mình thích đọc manga của Junji Ito, Hino Hideshi hay Kazuo Umezu, thậm chí kinh tởm như của Kago Shintaro hơn.

Tuy thế, giọng văn của bác này có vẻ tỉnh :D. Trong truyện "Trên máy bay sắp rơi" hay "Đi tìm máu đi", giọng văn còn có phần hài hước, mỉa mai. Tiếc là kiểu hài hước này có vẻ không được khai thác nhiều.

Truyện yêu thích của mình trong tập này là "Ngôi nhà trắng trong rừng sâu giá lạnh" và "Lời nguyền của chúa tể'. Hai truyện này đều có nhiều người chết. Truyện "Đi tìm máu đi" thì có vẻ "trưởng thành" nhất. Hai truyện đầu và cuối rất đáng chú ý. Song chắc chỉ vì chúng ở đầu, và cuối =))

Chốt lại: Thà đi đọc manga. Hehe !

[Chuột Thổ cẩm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vì đúng thể loại mình thích nên chấm điểm thoải mái tí hehe. "Zoo" gồm nhiều truyện ngắn với nội dung khá kỳ quặc: một đứa bé anti-social nên nguyền rủa cả thế giới rơi đầu (có bao cách giết người khác mà hổng hiểu sao chọn cách này..), hoặc là cậu bé xây nhà bằng xác chết, hoặc là tên sát nhân cứ mỗi ngày giết một người trong phòng kín. Nghe thì rất kinh nhưng vấn đề không nằm ở đó. Mà ở tính nhân văn. Thậm chí dù nội dung có phần kinh khủng hơn so với văn của R.Murakami nhưng tác giả Otsuichi làm mình có cảm giác không máu lạnh bằng, mà ngược lại, thể hiện rõ ràng nỗi buồn, nỗi cô đơn và tình thương gia đình, thương đồng loại. Mà lại còn rất dí dỏm haha mình vừa đọc "Đi tìm máu đi" vừa cười hô hố.

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like reading Japanese literature: the works I've read (including some manga) tend to be poetic - with a perfect blend of subtlety. I think that plays a hand in my written works too - I tend to be subtle, and I suppose that is why I appreciate Zoo.
In fact, I celebrated the subtle use of colour motifs - blue, red, and white crop up in every story (I think, not sure though, unless Otsuichi injected it very subtley?). It's interesting not because they're the colours of the American flag, but because:
White: While it represents innocence and purity, in a few stories Otsuichi uses it ironically. It also represents the colour of death which (interestingly) hangs over the head of every character.
Blue: My English teacher claims it is the most paradoxical colour because it represents hope and sorrow. That's true; I'll explain its uses later on.
Red: Carries too many meanings. I mean, it's the name of Taylor Swifts recent album. But unlike hers which can mean seduction, red is impulsive, lively, and hot/warm/heated. (Notice I fail to mention that blue is cool). As well, red is a violent colour and the colour of blood (which is involved in the tales of murder). Speaking of tales, one of the stories has a character compare the other to Little Red Riding Hood - so red is perhaps another symbol of fallen innocence or naivety headed for disaster (depending how you look at it). However, I find it intriguing Otsuichi has a thing for red-haired women which I will explain:
Zoo A man receives photographs of his decaying girlfriend everyday in his mailbox. This is psychological drama. At first it was unclear where the story is headed as all the answers where given from the start (takes place during an unknown time period, though it's clear it started from November - FALL. You know what that means!). Then it started to make sense when the protagonist (also his own antagonist) compares himself to the primate he once saw with his girlfriend. He's a caged animal going around in circles - finding no means of escape. He knows what he has done is wrong and has come to terms with reality and accepts it to an extent, but he's stuck in the past which prevents him from "driving" on. Liiiike, when he drives home from the cabin (there's a lot of that in the short story, I think "Zoo" is a prelude for what's to come) he comes across the sign that reminds him of that day in the Zoo which causes him break down and cry. In the end, he discovers the sign is no longer there where he finds himself at peace because now he is ready to confess his crimes. How can I explain it clearly? With the sign always saying "200 m ahead" it implies that this man has a long way to go before reaching his destination. Now that the sign isn't there, it means the man has arrived, & is freed from a never-ending road. He has reached the end & cannot keep going the direction he was in (circles). The cycle (circle!) or spell, has been broken & the man admits to himself it's time to turn himself in to the police. With the zoo gone (no doubt it would happen, as fromthe freakin' girlfriend once said it'd go out of business) the man is no longer a caged animal. IRONIC, because when he turns himself in, he'd either be caged physically (behind bars) or put down (executed) for his crimes. But well, the story doesn't go there. As for the colour motif, I forgot if it was applied to the story. Oh yeah, the dead girl is buried (that pops up in another story) in a hole & she has a hole in her face due to the insects eating her up (holes-in-face & disgusting insects come up again in other stories. Otsuichi knows how to recycle his material & use it in other ways).

In a Falling Airplane: is interesting. It reminds me of this short story I once wrote for an English assignment. Obviously something is off, as two strangers discuss death so casually. Then it's revealed that the plane has been hijacked. The characters involved, man, woman, & hijacker, are interesting. The hijacker is a complete wack & knows it - he gains some sympathy from the hostages when he tells them how his mother & relatives expected him to get into Tokyo University (extremely tough school to get into. Not just anyone can get admitted, you have to be the cream of the corn of the crop.) He failed five times, & is obsessed with making pickles (I wonder what that is supposed to mean. Pickles mean preservation, right? But here is this guy dragging others into his suicide plot). Anyways, the man is an unsuccesful salesman. (Reminds me of .Death of a Salesman.) He's described as a typical-looking guy whose sole aim in life was to be a salesman. He sells euthanasia to the woman who is pretty interesting herself. Turns out this woman has a tramautic past with some man where the details aren't even mentioned, though judging by the reactions of the man & hijacker, it's a pretty terrible past. Anyways they all have a calm conversation about death (so weird) & the woman decides to buy the euthanasia. She dies, & the hijacker then asks the living people to sit at the front so that he can keep a better eye on them. (The nutjob is a decent guy.) Anyways the woman wakes up as a ghost & decides to stroke the cowlick on the hijacker. She picks up the gun & plays around, only to discover she didn't die at all; the euthanasia was a placebo. Anyways the woman doesn't take chances & doesn't gamble like the salesman - when the hijacker pulled something out of his pocket, she shot him regardless - her life over his. Turns out, he was only bluffing about having another gun & pulled out a fountain pen which is VERY significant. Anyways later the woman goes to extract her revenge on the man that ruined her life (what is this? .Tess of the d'Urbervilles?). She is waiting at his house with his daughter on her lap & he comes home & begs her not to kill his child as she holds a knife (comes up in another story) to the child's throat. She cooly says "I cannot kill two people in one day" & leaves. She remembers that the hijacker said he'll miss sunrises & she runs to the sunrise itself. My thoughts: she's running for her life because her will to live is revived. She didn't kill the child because she didn't want to throw her life away - before she didn't care about living, but in the end she realizes she was wrong. Colour? The hijacker was wearing a white coat (comes up in Sunny).

The White House in the Cold Forest is one of my favourites. So it begins with a boy being abused by his aunt & her family. The only one to show him kindness & treat him human is the little red-haired girl (Charlie Brown!?). He's an intelligent being - he memorizes everything he reads, but that doesn't impress his aunt (the whole child-abuse & taking-away-book thing comes up again in another story). Anyways one time the bad cousins tie him up to a horse which causes his facial deformity. :(
Anyways, this guy keeps talking about how the stones on the wall of the stable he sleeps in looks like human faces, which comforts him. Yeahhhh, this is a disturbing story. The little red-haired girl is sent to study abroad & the aunt chases the boy-now-man out. He wanders around & gets mugged, figuring out he isn't safe around people (he's also deformed, so people are scared of him). He decides to build himself a house, & he wants to make it out of people because the walls of the stable looked like it was made from body parts. (The walls were a security blanket, so he wants to rebuild that sense of security). Anyways, he kills a bunch of people, strips them & makes a box house. It's white because the bodies are all white, & cold. This takes place during the winter I think. (Snow? More white!) The use of white is totally freaky; the house reeks of death, & the man who cannot be among the living finds comfort among the dead. Anyways a little girl (in blue!!! Not red) comes & begs the man to return her brother's body to her family. Turns out her mother is abroad, & she's abused by her father. She loves her brother & since he is more loved by her father she wants to return him home. She takes her brother's place among the bodies, too, because she is that desperate. (Sibling sacrifice comes up later on!) Anyways the man drags the brother outside & waits for the little girl to leave, but she doesn't. She keeps her word. He leaves the body outside & goes back in. He is surprised to find out how friendly & chatty the girl is, she even has compassion for the wound on her face (she totally reminds me of the little-red-haired girl). Anyways, she is the one colour on the whole white house. I don't know if it's just me, but this story makes me think about that movie, One Hour Photo (with the whole white themes going on). Anyways the girl dies, so the man who was once happy to be alone finds no meaning in it. He takes her out of the wall knowing the house he built will collapse, but in his heart it doesn't matter because she is no longer alive to hold it up for him. He places the girl & her brother into the box he used to transport the dead bodies, & places it in front of the house (she gave him her address to return her brother's body). Anyways, he was about to leave when a woman comes & hugs him saying something like "I'm glad you're still alive. You're welcome to work here again." Turns out the absent mother is the little red-haired girl. Before she can open the box, the man stops her & buries the children. Thus the story ends - the man has a chance to rebuild a life with the little-red-haired girl (who is the mother of the kind blue-coated girl). Annnnnd, well, just like how the little girl took her brother's place to hold up the white cabin, the man took the children's place to live with the red-haired girl. That probably is what should have been from the start, if they weren't separated. It's a happy sad ending, one that leaves me conflicted. I'm happy for him, but the way it all came about is totally wrong.

Find the Blood! gives the feel of a detective/mystery story. But even though it appears to be one where the old business man is trying to figure out where the bag of replacement blood is, underneath the surface he is trying to figure out who attempted to murder him. You see, this wealthy man, like many old asian wealthy men in those asian dramas, is surrounded by a family he cannot trust: a second wife one third of his age who is only after his money, & two good-for-nothing sons. Anyways, he wakes up covered in blood, & calls out for help - because he cannot feel pain he doesn't know where he is injured. His second son finds a knife in him, which turns out to be the same knife that was used to cut the cake the previous night - as it has traces of (white) frosting on the handle. How [un]sweet. Anyways, in his final moments he figures out who killed him & dies reassured that the company he built up over the years will fall to the smarter son (who he thought was both cowardy & idiotic).
In a Park at Twilight, a Long Time Ago is cliché. It's also the shortest story. Whether Otsuichi ran out of creative juice at this point & scrambled to meet some novelist deadline, I'm not sure, but this might be an intentional story too. It fits the novel, I guess, because it's definitely a ghost story. Basically the main character gets spooked by a dead girl (as it is implied). It's such a Japanese cliché, what is its purpose!?
Wardrobe was one of my favourites. It is very clever & well-written! I even saw the clues leading to the surprising end :D Also, the characters have names (straight up too, unlike Find the Blood! which leads to it) so nothing is confusing. It's like, another mystery story, except the characters aren't stereotypical & as easy to see through. No, they're all so very interesting. A must read.
Song of the Sunny Sport is my most favourite. It's that good - it's so well-written & so sweet & touching. Even though we know what the ending is, the journey, or process, or middle renders the story unforgettable. It's quite poetic... ALSO it's geniusly written because it's totally alluding to the bible (unlike that White Cabin story where the main guy recites a verse which proves he's a human being: this story IS the allusion). Okay, so the female wakes up to the last man in the world who tells her (first words) "I am your creator" (!!!) & tells her he made her so that when he dies from "the germ" she'll bury him by his uncle on the hill. This female is given no name & doesn't understand death. She develops emotions & attachments & soon has all these epiphanies (see, the quotes I like from this novel). Anyways as a robot, she cannot "create" music or art, only replicate it. She cries over this, but this fact is IMPORTANT. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS. I kid you not, it's so awesome. Anyways I figured: The man is Adam (not God, because their God is in that hill - or in death, or somewhere better) & he created her, his Eve to be his companion until death do them part. They were born from the ground/earth, & to the earth they shall return when they die. They live in a small house surrounded by a garden they cultivate... & well, everything sort of falls into place. Like, when the female tried saving a rabbit & she fell off the cliff when the man told her not to go there in the first place: see? Temptation, then the fall of innocence. Plus, the white rabbit dies because it couldn't survive the impact, & she cried: broken innocence. That was the moment she truly understood death & joined the man on the same page. Just... it's so beautifully written I cannot recreate the experience here... you'll figure out what the title means (it's very significant).
Kazari and Yoko I don't like the title. The story is good. In the opening, Yoko wonders how her mother will kill her... Ummm you see, it's about these twins, except Yoko is abused & Kazari is spoiled. Quite exaggerated & dramatic too, but Yoko meets an old woman & learns about love & cherishing another person. Kazari, on the other hand, though she's sweet, thinks it's normal to mistreat Yoko. Ultimately, it's clear at the climax that Yoko will be killed. Yoko, by luck, runs into Kazari & convinces her to switch spots because Kazari was the one who should be punished for her crime (Kazari is a good person, so this makes sense to her, but she doesn't want to fall in their mother's esteem so she pretends to be Yoko because then their mother wouldn't hate "Kazari" & would just punish "Yoko" like she always does). Though, before the real Yoko gets inside the house, Kazari is thrown out the window & Yoko (who their mom believes to be Kazari) is told to write a fake suicide letter. Yoko, knowing she cannot stay under the same roof as her own mother, runs away to the house of the old woman who she grew attached too. Sadly, the woman is dead, & her cold relatives took over her property but neglect the dog so Yoko took it. With the fall/death of "Yoko" (or Kazari: who is the brighter twin/other half if you believe in that stuff) Yoko is rebirthed into someone who will find her way. (Ends like Falling Airplane: where she'll go, no one knows).

SO-Far made me cry because it touches on family & the divide between some members, & the intamacy shared with others. So it's about a family of three: mom, dad, & boy, & how the boy exists in the intersection of both the mom & dad's parallel universe. (Reminds me of that show that got cancelled, Awake). This kid can see both parents who cannot see or hear each other. Eventually the parents have some dispute when they believe their child can see them both, & it throws both worlds far apart because from then on, he can only see one without the other. Eventually he & his father fight, so he chooses to live in his mother's world, without his father (such an impulsive decision! How Freudian... Oedipus complex!). The turn-out is that he can only see his mother not his father, but his father exists as far as others can see. The mother's story is that both parents pretended the other is dead, which tore their child apart to believe that one is really dead. In the boy's mind, he sacrificed his relationship with his father (as in, he forfeited being the connection between his parents) so that his parents can be close again... so he accepts not being able to sense his father's presence, because now his parents are together again. It's very well-written. Has heavy emotional drama: a must read. No horror, just supernatural + psychological drama. Can't remember how colour was used.
Words of God is very interesting. It's about a sociopath boy with the power to control living things with his words. It gets all Incepion-y too, which I really like. See, he knows he is twisted + insecure & he's paranoid others will know, so he creates a fake charming self, except he knows he isn't authentic like his little brother & rots internally. This is a crazy clever written piece, like bravo Otsuichi. Good job in creating a nutjob that kills everyone in the world, then hypnotises himself to believing everything is normal, & when he has the urge to kill again he'll listen to a tape which will erase his memory of his terrible deed, except the only reminder is the desk "which reeks of death" & has carvings which represents the days that went by since he caused the end of the world. It's... amazing. Like, I wrote something like this once, so I'm amazed Otsuichi came up with the same concept - someone who hates living with people, but cannot live alone either. He kills everyone in the world, but because he cannot bear existing alone he creates a false world in his mind to live in. It becomes a never-ending loop because he always presses restart when he learns the truth. He created this cycle for himself too; thus relives the same day over & over again. It's like Zoo, except there's no way this boy can escape the fate he created for himself.
Seven Rooms was likely based on those creepy "Escape the Room" games. So this brother & sister wake up in a box, with one metal door & a trench leading from one side to another. They quickly figure out the boy can swin through the trench & he finds other rooms filled with other woman. Eventually the siblings figure out they've all been kidnapped by some serial killer who puts them in rooms & each day he'll go to one room to kill the woman inside: her body parts is chopped up & flows through the trench at 6:00 O'clock. The sister plans the ending that is very tragic: the sister sacrifices herself for the sake of the brother to escape & free the other captured woman. We hear her laughter because her plan worked, though ironic because she'll be brutally slaughtered like the others before her. The sister's sacrifice was not in vain (which distinguishes her death from the other woman)... she dies for the sake of her brother's life. It's... though kind of cliché (I read something like this once), still wonderfully executed. Obviously this killer is playing God because he controls when they die (each woman lives for a week before dying - biblical much, after six days comes the "rest day"). Interesting, because in Words of God, the boy plays God too. Wow!

As for the title, Zoo, I find it completely fitting. Each story is like an exhibit. They're all depressing & different - some I've read before, others I am amazed. But, the bottom line is, it's all very morbid.

[Armand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoo is a collection of macabre and chilling stories with a generous serving of the fantastic. Some of the elements here are just so out there as to be unbelievable - like a rolling can that trips everyone who tries to tackle a hijacker or a structurally sound house that is made out of stacked corpses. These are actually what make the tales with feasible plots even more horrifying, as they heighten the fact that the latter, with all their attendant blood and terror, can happen to just about anybody.

There's enough abuse, murder, cruelty, insanity, and yes, weirdness here to satisfy any fan of horror. One could tell that there's some brains behind these stories; delicious but empty fare these are not. They read very much like mysteries in that one scarcely has qny idea as to how they would conclude. A few of them actually are whodunits that have neat twists in the end.

The pieces that struck a chord in me are:

In A Falling Airplane - three people plotting sundry deaths (of the self, and of others as a form of revenge) are offered a shot at redemption from the misfortunes of their past

The White House in the Cold Forest - shades of The House That Jack Built here

Seven Rooms - two abducted siblings must use every ounce of their ingenuity to survive their chainsaw-wielding captor

It's so easy to read too, and I recommend Beamer for the competent translation. The prose isn't literary by any stretch but it does the job.

I'm rating this 7/10 or 4 stars out of 5.

[Hà Phương · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio.
Mình cực thích truyện đầu.
Biến thái thực sự🥲🥲

[Trung Rwo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Có chất lượng từ kém tới trung bình, 11 mẩu truyện ngắn trong ZOO đưa tới những lời văn bệnh hoạn tới không tưởng nhưng không thể chứng minh mức độ đáng tin của nó để độc giả có thể sợ hãi. Các truyện có thể đều có tính "điện ảnh" rất cao, dễ chuyển thể thành phim, nhưng điều đó đã giết chết tính văn học của nó. Mình cố gắng đọc hết 342 trang sách, thì đều có cảm giác đây chỉ là những phần tóm tắt dài của các phim ngắn mà thôi, chứ không hề được thể hiện với cách viết của truyện.

Các chi tiết phi logic, cách dùng từ đơn giản tới mức lười biếng, các twist cuối áp đặt vào, các nhân vật không có tính cách, chỉ viết sao cho càng kỳ quặc càng tốt... đã khiến ZOO trở thành một tập truyện thảm họa. Trong cả tác phẩm này, truyện ổn nhất là "Thơ của ánh dương" vì idea thú vị nó, cùng với nửa đầu của "Trên máy bay đang rơi" vì tính black comedy độc đáo. Còn lại, các truyện kia thiên về yếu tố "khiêu dâm máu me" để gây sốc là chính và nhảm nhí tới quá đáng.

[NaYeeM · Rating 2 out of 5]

১. Expectation অনেক বেশি ছিল এই বই থেকে... 'জু' একদমই ভাল লাগে নাই...
আজাইরা লাগছে গল্পগুলো সব... অর্ধেক পড়ার পরই বিরক্ত লাগছিল বইটা
২. কৌশিক জামানের অনুবাদ আগেও পড়েছি, বেশ ভাল অনুবাদক উনি!! কিন্তু এই বইয়ে অনুবাদ খুব একটা ভাল লাগে নাই... পড়তে সমস্যা হচ্ছিল... তাড়াহুড়ো লক্ষ্য করা গেছে তার এই কাজে
৩. বাতিঘর এত জনপ্রিয় একটি প্রকাশনী হয়েও এত এত বানান ভুল!! এসব ব্যাপারে তাদের আরো সতর্ক হওয়া উচিত

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Không phải thể loại mình thích đọc, nhưng nó điên rồ và làm mình vui. Càng về sau càng vui.
Ước cái bìa trong được cho ra ngoài. Trời ơi cái bìa rời trông vô duyên hết biết :"d

[✮ osanna aoki ✮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otsuichi is truly a brilliant mind. Utterly dark and ridiculously inventive.

I’m consistently baffled by his ability to produce macabre and uncanny tales while remaining quizzical and witty all the same.

Zoo is a collection of eleven short stories that highlight not only Otsuichi’s prodigious skill in horror writing, but his extreme versatility.

I am in constant adoration of his blind-sided plot twists, coupled with the capacity to take a common horror trope and spin it completely on its head. And while every story may not have been perfect— they all catch your attention for their pure creativity.

Maybe I am a bit of an Otsuichi fangirl.

East Asian horror has easily surpassed Western horror in my honest opinion. There is a difference to the writing style, the storytelling, and the overall approach. I often feel as though I am truly immersed in the story, in a way that I am not with writers of the West. Dare I say that Otsuichi is one of the leading modern horror writers in Japan? Maybe overall? I believe that he is.

If you are a lover of the dark side of Japanese literature— I highly recommend deep-diving into all of this author’s works. I was absolutely hooked since reading Goth. His straightforward and clever approach to dark storytelling has reeled me in ever since.

Below, there are short descriptions of each of his eleven stories.

Zoo: Every day, a young man receives a photo of his dead girlfriend’s body in the mail. Will he catch her killer?

In a Falling Airplane: A hijacked plane is set for a suicide mission. Two compromised passengers discuss life and death while debating their fate.

The White House in the Cold Forest: A child raised in humiliation and filth turns into a man who turns his back onto humanity. How? He builds his home out of corpses.

Find the Blood!: A mystery about a missing bag of blood. A “whodunnit” with a dark twist.

In a Park at Twilight, A Long Time Ago: A story whose title is just about the same length as the story itself. A children’s sandbox in the park may have something sinister inside.

Wardrobe: A novelist is murdered by an unsuspecting killer.

Song of the Sunny Spot: A post apocalyptic story about a humanoid constructed by a man after an infection kills off most of the population. A story of death, grief, and loss through the eyes of a non-human.

Kazari and Yoko: A story about a pair of twins— but life is full of pain and trauma for only one. An ominous plot twist makes this one of my favorites.

SO-Far: A unique ghost story. Two parents are so close, yet so far apart.

Words of God: A boy learns his voice holds supernatural and unusual powers. Playing God may end in destruction.

Seven Rooms: Seven killing rooms hold an untimely fate— unfortunately for a pair of young children.

My favorite stories were In a Falling Airplane, Song of the Sunny Spot, Kazari and Yoko, SO-Far, and Seven Rooms. This was a great collection from Otsuichi— and a very easy ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ out of five stars to give.

[Bookvalna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odlična zbirka horor priča!

[Susmita Sarker (বাচ্চা ভূত) · Rating 4 out of 5]

অৎসুইশির বই পড়লে কেমন জানি অস্বস্তিকর অনুভূতি হয়! গথিক হরর হিসেবে লেখক সফল তা বলাই বাহুল্য! "গথ" পড়ে বেশ লেগেছিলো! "জু" পড়েও ভালো লেগেছে! গল্পগুলো আপনার নার্ভের উপর চাপ সৃষ্টি করতে বাধ্য!

[Hoang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rate: 3/5

ZOO có một số truyện đọc cũng tàm tạm, nhưng tôi không ấn tượng lắm với tụi nó. Cảm giác sau khi đọc xong hết vẫn như lúc mới đọc, đây giống như một tập hợp các creepy pasta tôi đã từng coi qua ở đâu đó, nhưng nó nhiều chi tiết hơn. Một số truyện tôi nghĩ có thể dựng thành phim, nếu làm tốt một chút, lột tả được tâm lý nhân vật có thể sẽ là bộ phim hay.

Về bìa, tôi thích bìa trong hơn là cái bìa đỏ chót ở ngoài.