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Detective Reiko Himekawa #1
پروندۀ شب توتفرنگی
پس از پیدا شدن جسدی در یکی از محلههای حاشیۀ توکیو، که آن را در یک روکش پلاستیکی آبیرنگ پیچیده و با ریسمان بستهاند، ستوان ریکو هیمهکاوا و گروهش وظیفۀ رسیدگی به این پرونده را بر عهده میگیرند. قربانی بهطرز وحشیانهای سلاخی شده است - زخمهای روی بدن او عجیب هستند و هیچکس نمیتواند از «چیستی» و «چرایی» این جنایت سردربیاورد.
ریکو با شامۀ قوی پلیسی خود به پلیس توکیو کمک میکند تا یازده جسد دیگر را، که همگی در همان نوع روکش پلاستیکی آبیرنگ پیچیده شدهاند، کشف کند. برخی از این اجساد قابل شناسایی نیستند، اما آنهایی که هویتشان مشخص است نیز هیچ ارتباطی به یکدیگر ندارند.
تنها سرنخ قابلاتکا وبسایتی است که در گوشهوکنار اینترنت زمزمههایی در موردش به گوش میرسد، این وبسایت تنها گهگاهی در دارک وب (دیپ وب) قابل دسترسیست و نامش «شب توتفرنگی» است.
در حالی که ریکو به دنبال پیدا کردن قاتل است، این قاتل مرموز نیز در تعقیب اوست، و امکان دارد قربانی بعدی خودِ ریکو باشد.
ریکو با شامۀ قوی پلیسی خود به پلیس توکیو کمک میکند تا یازده جسد دیگر را، که همگی در همان نوع روکش پلاستیکی آبیرنگ پیچیده شدهاند، کشف کند. برخی از این اجساد قابل شناسایی نیستند، اما آنهایی که هویتشان مشخص است نیز هیچ ارتباطی به یکدیگر ندارند.
تنها سرنخ قابلاتکا وبسایتی است که در گوشهوکنار اینترنت زمزمههایی در موردش به گوش میرسد، این وبسایت تنها گهگاهی در دارک وب (دیپ وب) قابل دسترسیست و نامش «شب توتفرنگی» است.
در حالی که ریکو به دنبال پیدا کردن قاتل است، این قاتل مرموز نیز در تعقیب اوست، و امکان دارد قربانی بعدی خودِ ریکو باشد.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2006
125 people are currently reading
2129 people want to read
About the author
Tetsuya Honda
89 books55 followersAssociated Names:
* 誉田 哲也 (Japanese profile)
* ฮนดะ เท็ตสึยะ (Thai profile)
* 誉田 哲也 (Japanese profile)
* ฮนดะ เท็ตสึยะ (Thai profile)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
March 9, 2016
I really enjoyed reading some crime fiction sent outside the typical three locales (UK/US/Scandinavia). However, this became the basis of both the positive and negative aspects of the book. The writing was good and the plot solid, the author made some interesting choices and used the Tokyo city background well. Some of the signalling was quite strong, but overall the mechanics of the novel were well oiled and smooth.
The aspects I found more difficult to deal with were either authorial or cultural; I don't know Japanese behavioural norms well enough to work out whether those in the book were exaggerated or not. The main character, Reiko Himekawa, is female and subject throughout the book to sexual harassment all over the scale. Now, some of this kind of behaviour tends to run through crime fiction (and real life?) with the whole 'woman in a man's world' theme that seems prevalent in law enforcement. But this is more than that... Firstly, the author gives her a rape backstory, which is an unnecessarily sexual reason for entering law enforcement. I realise it is valid for someone who has been assaulted in this manner to want to prevent crime, but when added to the ongoing nature of her interactions with other characters, ensures that she is consistently defined in a negative sexual way. Her family see her mainly as a failure due to avoiding dates and not being married before 30. Her work colleagues have a multitude of sexual responses including: writing her off because she's a woman, mocking her fear of 'hot summer nights' because that's how the weather was when she was raped, making advances on her because they were in a dark place (a crime scene) and that was apparently some kind of invitation, groping her, and more. She indicates even more of this from public transport: 'Reiko responded violently to sexual harassment. On the train, with would-be gropers she had notched up a tally of seventeen broken fingers and two broken arms. At work, her record was more modest: six broken fingers and zero arms- but she had kneed three guys in the balls and concussed a couple by kicking their legs out from under them'. She jokes afterwards that a colleague, Ioka, was lucky because he hadn't had anything broken yet!! Yet!! Now i'm not usually a fan of physical violence but living like that would be enough to make me feel justified in throwing a few kicks and punches. If this book is even close to being a truthful representation of male behaviour in Tokyo, it's not a good picture. I might be a little more sceptical if I hadn't also been groped and kissed by a stranger on a Tokyo subway....
Anyway, this overwhelmed the experience of reading the book for me. I might try another, but if it was more of the same, I'd have to leave it there.
Thanks to Tetsuya Honda, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
The aspects I found more difficult to deal with were either authorial or cultural; I don't know Japanese behavioural norms well enough to work out whether those in the book were exaggerated or not. The main character, Reiko Himekawa, is female and subject throughout the book to sexual harassment all over the scale. Now, some of this kind of behaviour tends to run through crime fiction (and real life?) with the whole 'woman in a man's world' theme that seems prevalent in law enforcement. But this is more than that... Firstly, the author gives her a rape backstory, which is an unnecessarily sexual reason for entering law enforcement. I realise it is valid for someone who has been assaulted in this manner to want to prevent crime, but when added to the ongoing nature of her interactions with other characters, ensures that she is consistently defined in a negative sexual way. Her family see her mainly as a failure due to avoiding dates and not being married before 30. Her work colleagues have a multitude of sexual responses including: writing her off because she's a woman, mocking her fear of 'hot summer nights' because that's how the weather was when she was raped, making advances on her because they were in a dark place (a crime scene) and that was apparently some kind of invitation, groping her, and more. She indicates even more of this from public transport: 'Reiko responded violently to sexual harassment. On the train, with would-be gropers she had notched up a tally of seventeen broken fingers and two broken arms. At work, her record was more modest: six broken fingers and zero arms- but she had kneed three guys in the balls and concussed a couple by kicking their legs out from under them'. She jokes afterwards that a colleague, Ioka, was lucky because he hadn't had anything broken yet!! Yet!! Now i'm not usually a fan of physical violence but living like that would be enough to make me feel justified in throwing a few kicks and punches. If this book is even close to being a truthful representation of male behaviour in Tokyo, it's not a good picture. I might be a little more sceptical if I hadn't also been groped and kissed by a stranger on a Tokyo subway....
Anyway, this overwhelmed the experience of reading the book for me. I might try another, but if it was more of the same, I'd have to leave it there.
Thanks to Tetsuya Honda, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2022
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The overall technical parts of the novel were done well. The writing, even in translation, was well written and effective, never confusing or obviously translated. The crime was interesting, different, and plotted well though maybe a tad unreal in how it was solved.
But, ugh, the characters!
The reactions and interactions every single character had were so overwhelming and irrational. Everyone was so quick to anger, quick to insult each other and threaten violence, especially the lead character, Reiko - who was a Lieutenant in the Homicide division but regularly broke people's bones and verbally berated everyone around her.
And the sexism!! I mean, is Japanese culture truly this fucking sexist? I'm sorry, I'm ignorant, I really don't know. But reading this, you will drown in period jokes and "get back into the kitchen" vibes. Women are viewed as morons who can't do anything and you are told this a number of times by different male characters.
Now, I know what you're going to say: Krystin, that "woman in a man's world" theme is very popular in crime fiction when the lead character is female. And that's absolutely true. But THIS?
First, the lead character, Reiko, had to be a rape victim? That's the only motivation a woman can have for entering law enforcement? I will admit it's a valid backstory when handled the right way, but the only purpose it had in this seemed to be to give Reiko's male colleagues more ammo to use against her and give her parents reason to deem her a failure in life. Not married before 30? What a disappointment for a daughter! Get over your rape, already!
And I just want to highlight the character of Katsumata real quick. He was the biggest piece of shitttttt, you guys. He didn't go a single paragraph - literally, not a single one - without calling someone an fucking idiot, threatening violence (even to people he was questioning in relation to the case) or making a misogynistic comment. If Reiko was going to break the arm of any of her colleagues, I volunteer him as tribute.
Here are just a few gems, to really illustrate my point:
"I'm a Tokyo man, born and bred. You - you're an ignorant potato-eating slut from the boonies."
"You should think twice before swimming in ponds when you've got your period, princess."
"You're no spring chicken. Pushing 30, I hear."
She might as well have jumped up and down, flashed her panties, and chanted "I solved the case! I solved the case!" But Reiko was just a woman - and a damn stupid one.
"Don't try using that thick head of yours for thinking. That's not what it was designed for."
She was one of those broads that lost her rag at the slightest hint of criticism.
It was all so overt and so continuous - not a single chapter was spared - that it completely ruined this novel for me. A painful read.
⭐⭐ | 2 stars
book source: Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
The overall technical parts of the novel were done well. The writing, even in translation, was well written and effective, never confusing or obviously translated. The crime was interesting, different, and plotted well though maybe a tad unreal in how it was solved.
But, ugh, the characters!
The reactions and interactions every single character had were so overwhelming and irrational. Everyone was so quick to anger, quick to insult each other and threaten violence, especially the lead character, Reiko - who was a Lieutenant in the Homicide division but regularly broke people's bones and verbally berated everyone around her.
And the sexism!! I mean, is Japanese culture truly this fucking sexist? I'm sorry, I'm ignorant, I really don't know. But reading this, you will drown in period jokes and "get back into the kitchen" vibes. Women are viewed as morons who can't do anything and you are told this a number of times by different male characters.
Now, I know what you're going to say: Krystin, that "woman in a man's world" theme is very popular in crime fiction when the lead character is female. And that's absolutely true. But THIS?
First, the lead character, Reiko, had to be a rape victim? That's the only motivation a woman can have for entering law enforcement? I will admit it's a valid backstory when handled the right way, but the only purpose it had in this seemed to be to give Reiko's male colleagues more ammo to use against her and give her parents reason to deem her a failure in life. Not married before 30? What a disappointment for a daughter! Get over your rape, already!
And I just want to highlight the character of Katsumata real quick. He was the biggest piece of shitttttt, you guys. He didn't go a single paragraph - literally, not a single one - without calling someone an fucking idiot, threatening violence (even to people he was questioning in relation to the case) or making a misogynistic comment. If Reiko was going to break the arm of any of her colleagues, I volunteer him as tribute.
Here are just a few gems, to really illustrate my point:
"I'm a Tokyo man, born and bred. You - you're an ignorant potato-eating slut from the boonies."
"You should think twice before swimming in ponds when you've got your period, princess."
"You're no spring chicken. Pushing 30, I hear."
She might as well have jumped up and down, flashed her panties, and chanted "I solved the case! I solved the case!" But Reiko was just a woman - and a damn stupid one.
"Don't try using that thick head of yours for thinking. That's not what it was designed for."
She was one of those broads that lost her rag at the slightest hint of criticism.
It was all so overt and so continuous - not a single chapter was spared - that it completely ruined this novel for me. A painful read.
⭐⭐ | 2 stars
book source: Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
July 6, 2023
۲.۸ ستاره ⭐
داستان راجع به چیه؟ یه اتفاقاتی میوفته که خانم ریکو هیمهکاوا که یه پلیسه، به پروندهای میخوره که قاتل جنازه رو یه جای بسیااار ضایع ول کرده و رفته؛ ولی این تنها نکته عجیب ماجرا نیست. جنازه تو یه چیزی پیچیده شده بوده و روی بدنش زخمهای عجیبی بوده. زخمهایی که بعد از مرگش شکل گرفتن و نیازی نبوده بهشون!
کم کم با پیدا شدن جنازه دوم و وجود زخمهای مشابه، میفهمن که این یه پرونده قتل عادی نیست و قضیه چیز بیشتریه.
راستش داستانش واقعا متفاوت بود برام و اینکه پشت جلد نوشته بود به دارک وب مرتبطه گفتم بالاخره یه کتاب خفن و درستحسابی. میگن کتاب رو از جلدش قضاوت نکنین. :)
نقاط قوت کتاب:
۱. داستان خوبی داره و همین...
نقاط ضعف کتاب:
۱. تا صفحه ۱۷۵ (دقیقا نصف) به شدتتتت ضعیف بود. به قدری که واقعا داشت گریهام میگرفت از کندیش. جزئیات اضافه خیلیییی زیاد بود و همین مانع شروع شدن داستان میشد.
۲. شخصیتپردازی واقعا ضعیف بود و با هیچکدوم از شخصیتها ارتباط نگرفتم. جزئیات زیادی راجع به شخصیتها گفته شده بود ولی همشون اضافه بودن و فقط حوصله رو سر میبردن. بعضی جاها حس میکردم دارم کتاب تاریخ مدرسه رو میخونم. 🤦🏻♀️
۳. یه چیزی که توش خیلی زیاد دیدم، حرفهای کریه و جنسیتزده کرکترا بود. ببینین، باور کنین میدونم ژاپن چجوریه ولی خیلیییی زیاد این کلمات رو اورده بود و این حس رو میداد که میخواد شخصیت منفور بسازه از یه سریها ولی واقعا زیادهروی بود و بازم حوصله سر بر میشد.
۴. نصف دومش هم دست کمی از نصف اول نداشت؛ با این تفاوت که سرعتش بیشتر بود. به شدت اتفاقاتی که میفتاد غیرقابل درک بودن. چطور ممکنه نصف اطلاعاتی که از دارکوب میخوان تو یه سایت دیسکاشن عادی باشه؟ 😭
اینجوری بود که: آره داداش من اسمشو سرچ کردم یهو دیدم یه یارویی اومده گفته نه احمقا تاریخش اینه، تازه اون اتفاقم نمیفته! اول فلان میشه بعد فلان میشه بعد فلان.
اینو میگیم احمق بوده. بعدش میرن حضوری از طرف میپرسن و اونم میشینه سیر تا پیاز ماجرا رو براشون میگه. 😭
این خانم پلیسه هم که اصلا نابودمون کرد با مغز انیشتینیش انقدر همه چیو حدس زد و همه حدساش درست بودن. :)
خلاصه که به شدت ضعیف بود. اگه خیلی کنجکاو شدین داستانشو بخونین بیاین من براتون تعریف میکنم ولی وقت و پولتونو پای ۳۵۰ صفحه کتاب ندین که فقط ۱۰۰ صفحش میارزه.
داستان راجع به چیه؟ یه اتفاقاتی میوفته که خانم ریکو هیمهکاوا که یه پلیسه، به پروندهای میخوره که قاتل جنازه رو یه جای بسیااار ضایع ول کرده و رفته؛ ولی این تنها نکته عجیب ماجرا نیست. جنازه تو یه چیزی پیچیده شده بوده و روی بدنش زخمهای عجیبی بوده. زخمهایی که بعد از مرگش شکل گرفتن و نیازی نبوده بهشون!
کم کم با پیدا شدن جنازه دوم و وجود زخمهای مشابه، میفهمن که این یه پرونده قتل عادی نیست و قضیه چیز بیشتریه.
راستش داستانش واقعا متفاوت بود برام و اینکه پشت جلد نوشته بود به دارک وب مرتبطه گفتم بالاخره یه کتاب خفن و درستحسابی. میگن کتاب رو از جلدش قضاوت نکنین. :)
نقاط قوت کتاب:
۱. داستان خوبی داره و همین...
نقاط ضعف کتاب:
۱. تا صفحه ۱۷۵ (دقیقا نصف) به شدتتتت ضعیف بود. به قدری که واقعا داشت گریهام میگرفت از کندیش. جزئیات اضافه خیلیییی زیاد بود و همین مانع شروع شدن داستان میشد.
۲. شخصیتپردازی واقعا ضعیف بود و با هیچکدوم از شخصیتها ارتباط نگرفتم. جزئیات زیادی راجع به شخصیتها گفته شده بود ولی همشون اضافه بودن و فقط حوصله رو سر میبردن. بعضی جاها حس میکردم دارم کتاب تاریخ مدرسه رو میخونم. 🤦🏻♀️
۳. یه چیزی که توش خیلی زیاد دیدم، حرفهای کریه و جنسیتزده کرکترا بود. ببینین، باور کنین میدونم ژاپن چجوریه ولی خیلیییی زیاد این کلمات رو اورده بود و این حس رو میداد که میخواد شخصیت منفور بسازه از یه سریها ولی واقعا زیادهروی بود و بازم حوصله سر بر میشد.
۴. نصف دومش هم دست کمی از نصف اول نداشت؛ با این تفاوت که سرعتش بیشتر بود. به شدت اتفاقاتی که میفتاد غیرقابل درک بودن. چطور ممکنه نصف اطلاعاتی که از دارکوب میخوان تو یه سایت دیسکاشن عادی باشه؟ 😭
اینجوری بود که: آره داداش من اسمشو سرچ کردم یهو دیدم یه یارویی اومده گفته نه احمقا تاریخش اینه، تازه اون اتفاقم نمیفته! اول فلان میشه بعد فلان میشه بعد فلان.
اینو میگیم احمق بوده. بعدش میرن حضوری از طرف میپرسن و اونم میشینه سیر تا پیاز ماجرا رو براشون میگه. 😭
این خانم پلیسه هم که اصلا نابودمون کرد با مغز انیشتینیش انقدر همه چیو حدس زد و همه حدساش درست بودن. :)
خلاصه که به شدت ضعیف بود. اگه خیلی کنجکاو شدین داستانشو بخونین بیاین من براتون تعریف میکنم ولی وقت و پولتونو پای ۳۵۰ صفحه کتاب ندین که فقط ۱۰۰ صفحش میارزه.
September 25, 2018
I've been looking for a good contemporary Japanese police procedural series translated into English for ages. There are no doubt plenty out there in Japanese, but most of the mysteries that find their way into English, at least those that I know about, are either from the 60s (Masako Togawa) or 70s (Seicho Matsumoto), or are standalones (Keigo Higashino), or aren't really much to do with police procedures (Natsuno Kirino) or are bogged down in the minutia of police office politics (Hideo Yokoyama). So, it was refreshing to find a new name (to me) in the English language section of Kinokunia in Shinjuku a month or two ago. Sure, Honda's hardly breaking new ground with putting a young female cop as the lead, and the sexism that Reiko must combat comes not only from her colleagues, her family and at times the author himself, but there's so much he gets right: the internal rivalry of the police force, Reiko's moments of genius and failure; and just the world that the characters inhabit feels at once alien and familiar. Good stuff, if a little on the gory side.
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March 17, 2016
A decent 3.5 stars.
I can see why Strawberry Night by Tetsuya Honda is so popular in Japan, the writing is solid, the story is intriguing (with a lot of gross and violence) and the characters are finely written. I really like how the author described the mentality of different police detectives and how different police teams had to work together to catch the serial killer, despite of the rivalry and arguments among the detectives.
What I don't like is the heroine's backstory.
Strawberry Night is a highly entertaining, exciting works, but its author has yet to proof himself as being among the best detective novelists.
Edited@17/03/2016: It seems an English translation had been issued! People read it up! I can tell you the series does get better as it goes further.
I can see why Strawberry Night by Tetsuya Honda is so popular in Japan, the writing is solid, the story is intriguing (with a lot of gross and violence) and the characters are finely written. I really like how the author described the mentality of different police detectives and how different police teams had to work together to catch the serial killer, despite of the rivalry and arguments among the detectives.
What I don't like is the heroine's backstory.
Strawberry Night is a highly entertaining, exciting works, but its author has yet to proof himself as being among the best detective novelists.
Edited@17/03/2016: It seems an English translation had been issued! People read it up! I can tell you the series does get better as it goes further.
November 28, 2016
** Books 308 - 2016 **
3 of 5 stars!
In such a fine day, there is a man corpse being founded wrapped with blue plastic, some cutting in throat and also incisions in the stomach. Lieutnant Reiko Himekawa from Homicide have to found who is the culprit is. The situations getting worse when another 9 victims being founded as the same way the first victims. Will she reveal behind the truth is?
Actually i don't wanna set any high expectation to read this pieces. However, i can't stand to compare with Keigo Higashino, one of my favorite japan's thriller suspense author. The storyline is predictable and i am kinda bored with too much description lieutnant Reiko Himekawa with. I know maybe since it is the first book about Reiko Himekawas cases. In the same time i feel annoyed when the scene of Reiko Himekawa and Katsumata arguing each other coming. Seriously it make my head hurts to read some quirrel between cops. I cannot really enjoy it! :'(
Overall, the story is good enough and i can guess who is the culprit start from beginning and no plot twist that shocked me. I just shocked when i know who is the killing partner. If you looking for japan's suspense thriller story you can read this books but don't expect too much with storyline :)
3 of 5 stars!
In such a fine day, there is a man corpse being founded wrapped with blue plastic, some cutting in throat and also incisions in the stomach. Lieutnant Reiko Himekawa from Homicide have to found who is the culprit is. The situations getting worse when another 9 victims being founded as the same way the first victims. Will she reveal behind the truth is?
Actually i don't wanna set any high expectation to read this pieces. However, i can't stand to compare with Keigo Higashino, one of my favorite japan's thriller suspense author. The storyline is predictable and i am kinda bored with too much description lieutnant Reiko Himekawa with. I know maybe since it is the first book about Reiko Himekawas cases. In the same time i feel annoyed when the scene of Reiko Himekawa and Katsumata arguing each other coming. Seriously it make my head hurts to read some quirrel between cops. I cannot really enjoy it! :'(
Overall, the story is good enough and i can guess who is the culprit start from beginning and no plot twist that shocked me. I just shocked when i know who is the killing partner. If you looking for japan's suspense thriller story you can read this books but don't expect too much with storyline :)
October 15, 2021
ایده ی داستان ایده ی جالبی بود و به دارک وب مربوط بود. اما شخصیت پردازی خیلی ضعیف بود . حتی شخصیت اصلی داستان که دختری بود که درجه ستوانی توو اداره ی پلیس داشت هم خوب شخصیت پردازی نشده بود با آدم هایی سر و کار داشتیم که خیلی خیلی کم توو طول کتاب می شناختیم شون . و کاراکاه کتاب هم دیگه زیادی باهوش بود و مسائل بی ربط رو خیلی عالی توو ذهنش بهم ربط می داد و به نتیجه می رسید . یه کاراگاه دیگه هم بود که خیلی بد دهن بود و اصلا دلیل دشمنی اش با شخصیت اصلی مشخص نبود .
میشد این موضوع جالب رو خیلی خیلی بهتر نوشت .
میشد این موضوع جالب رو خیلی خیلی بهتر نوشت .
September 1, 2016
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, this is a book I really wanted to like. A murder mystery set in Tokyo, a secret society website, and all sorts of intense office politics seem to make this one right up my alley. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite pan out that way.
The book is well-written and the mystery is fascinating, but the thing that drove me up the wall is that the characters, every single one of them, are so… looking for the right word… robotic. Yeah, robotic. That’s the word I’m looking for. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing, because the Japanese are very proper and rely heavily on honor and such, or if the author simply couldn’t write them any other way. At any rate, it got into my craw early on, and never left.
With all that said, I would like to read more about Lt Reiko Himekawa. She is a believable character that has overcome all sorts of evil in her own life, and that’s what drives her as a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Homicide Division.
Okay, this is a book I really wanted to like. A murder mystery set in Tokyo, a secret society website, and all sorts of intense office politics seem to make this one right up my alley. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite pan out that way.
The book is well-written and the mystery is fascinating, but the thing that drove me up the wall is that the characters, every single one of them, are so… looking for the right word… robotic. Yeah, robotic. That’s the word I’m looking for. I’m not sure if it’s a cultural thing, because the Japanese are very proper and rely heavily on honor and such, or if the author simply couldn’t write them any other way. At any rate, it got into my craw early on, and never left.
With all that said, I would like to read more about Lt Reiko Himekawa. She is a believable character that has overcome all sorts of evil in her own life, and that’s what drives her as a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Homicide Division.
September 28, 2021
This review has spoilers.
Let’s start with: you have to be okay with graphic descriptions of child abuse, rape and murder by torture to read this book. These descriptions do not advance the plot.
I see that The Silent Dead has a large audience. It’s true for any book, but more true for this one, that you need to figure if you are in the audience.
The book seemed to be settling down into a police procedural with some insight into the dynamics of teams, including politicking and competition. I thought I would be able to tolerate the very Western voice that the translation has resulted in (there are lots of Americanisms), and the irritating way of telling things that don’t need telling: “The meeting was officially over” (I knew). “Door-to-door canvassing is boring, but it has to be done” (yes, I got it the after being told twice earlier).
My fuse tripped a couple of times pretty soon: one of the MC Reiko Himekawa’s colleagues is too much of an asshole to be true; the narrative seems to suggest that she will give in if a colleague continues to harass her…
Overall, it seems that things are bad in the world. .
Way too bad.
I’m surprised that some readers wonder if this has to do with the book being Japanese. There are many, many examples of more psychological and/ or entertaining and less illogical and violent thrillers from Japan. My favourite writers include Miyuki Miyabe, Keigo Higashino, Seicho Matsumoto, and Soji Shimada.
Now here’s a point to ponder: The Complete Review has found this book “decidedly odd, but somehow winning too.” Which reminds me how important it is to figure if you’re in the audience… or not.
Let’s start with: you have to be okay with graphic descriptions of child abuse, rape and murder by torture to read this book. These descriptions do not advance the plot.
I see that The Silent Dead has a large audience. It’s true for any book, but more true for this one, that you need to figure if you are in the audience.
The book seemed to be settling down into a police procedural with some insight into the dynamics of teams, including politicking and competition. I thought I would be able to tolerate the very Western voice that the translation has resulted in (there are lots of Americanisms), and the irritating way of telling things that don’t need telling: “The meeting was officially over” (I knew). “Door-to-door canvassing is boring, but it has to be done” (yes, I got it the after being told twice earlier).
My fuse tripped a couple of times pretty soon: one of the MC Reiko Himekawa’s colleagues is too much of an asshole to be true; the narrative seems to suggest that she will give in if a colleague continues to harass her…
Overall, it seems that things are bad in the world. .
Way too bad.
I’m surprised that some readers wonder if this has to do with the book being Japanese. There are many, many examples of more psychological and/ or entertaining and less illogical and violent thrillers from Japan. My favourite writers include Miyuki Miyabe, Keigo Higashino, Seicho Matsumoto, and Soji Shimada.
Now here’s a point to ponder: The Complete Review has found this book “decidedly odd, but somehow winning too.” Which reminds me how important it is to figure if you’re in the audience… or not.
April 17, 2021
خوندن و فهمیدن صد صفحه اول یکم سخته چون پر از اسامی ناشناخته ژاپنیه ولی بعد از آشنا شدن با اسامی، داستان جالب میشه.
July 12, 2023
جزو کتابای خوب توی ژانر جناییه. داستانش اول کمی کند پیش میره و اخرش هم یهو تند میشه ولی با این حال داستان جالبی داشت. اگه به دارک وب علاقه دارین، این داستان میتونه جالب باشه براتون.
اسامی خیلی زیادی داشت و سخت بود بفهمم کی به کیه😅
اسامی خیلی زیادی داشت و سخت بود بفهمم کی به کیه😅
May 29, 2016
I will put my hands up straightaway and confess that my prior reading, and knowledge of, Japanese crime fiction is rudimentary at best, so please forgive any noticeable faux pas’ or misunderstandings on my part of the genre. So here we have Raven’s first introduction into this potentially interesting subgenre of crime fiction writing…
Shining a light into the contemporary sinister recesses of the dark web, The Silent Dead, is the first of Honda’s ongoing crime series featuring Reiko Himekawa, a Homicide Detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. In common with the best socially driven crime fiction, Himekawa is a female detective in an extremely patriarchal institution, and much of the book focuses on not only her as a woman with an emotionally fractured past, but the attitude displayed to her by her male counterparts within the police force. Indeed, this examination of Himekawa, and by extension, her role in this testosterone-fuelled world was central to my enjoyment of the book. Hence, the latent and overt sexism she experiences by word and deed, and her critical self-examination throughout the book, moulds her into one of the most compelling and real female characters I have encountered for some time.
I like the way she continually questions the noble intentions of her chosen career, but yet is self aware enough to realise that this success has made her arrogant in some respects to her relationship with the victims she encounters. I also enjoyed the way Honda stretches and exerts pressure on her to continually reassess her sense of self, as the story develops, and her realisation that she is prone to moments of weakness, despite her seemingly cast iron intention to overcome the emotional and physical damage caused by a crime in her own past. She is surrounded by a mixed cast of male characters who exhibit contrasting attitudes to Himekawa which range from dislike, to mild flirtation, to professional jealousy, and the casual sexism that defines most of them gives rise to a mixture of feelings in the reader, and toys with our empathies. Equally, I liked Honda’s depiction of the professional and territorial rivalries that exist between the competing police units that spilled over into Himekawa’s investigation, and the attitudes of her counterparts outside her own Metropolitan police department, to her and her team of murder detectives.
The plot is compelling, and there is a killer twist- quite literally- at the close of the book which was wonderfully disguised up to that point. The examination of the dark web and the way that even the most ordinary citizen can be drawn into, and excited by, public execution was a consistent theme in the book as the body count mounted exponentially. So many serial killer thrillers fall victim to obvious tropes within the genre, but this book in common with the best, provided some thoughtful and genuinely intuitive psychological insights into the killer gene that may lurk within us all, and what drives seemingly ordinary people to derive pleasure from violence.
With such strength in the characterisation, narrative and plot, it does feel a shame to draw attention to the one weakness in the book, which is no criticism of the author. There is a noticeable flaw in the translation of the dialogue, which has the snappy rhythm typical of the American crime fiction genre, but seemed quaintly old-fashioned in some of the turns of phrase used. Indeed, at certain points I felt I had wandered into the black and white world of Dixon of Dock Green, where I expected characters to be all ‘Cor, lummy’ and ‘You’re nicked’. Some of the expressions used just felt a little disingenuous and out of place, but I think this more a consequence of the translation itself than the author’s original intention.
So all in all my first dip into Japanese crime fiction was an extremely pleasurable one, though not without a minor flaw. Loved the characters, the tight plotting, and the playing out of a visceral and psychologically interesting dimension to what could have been just a standard addition to the serial killer thriller genre. Will certainly be seeking out not only more of the books in this series, but this has also sparked my interest in further exploring this crime sub-genre generally. Recommended.
Shining a light into the contemporary sinister recesses of the dark web, The Silent Dead, is the first of Honda’s ongoing crime series featuring Reiko Himekawa, a Homicide Detective with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. In common with the best socially driven crime fiction, Himekawa is a female detective in an extremely patriarchal institution, and much of the book focuses on not only her as a woman with an emotionally fractured past, but the attitude displayed to her by her male counterparts within the police force. Indeed, this examination of Himekawa, and by extension, her role in this testosterone-fuelled world was central to my enjoyment of the book. Hence, the latent and overt sexism she experiences by word and deed, and her critical self-examination throughout the book, moulds her into one of the most compelling and real female characters I have encountered for some time.
I like the way she continually questions the noble intentions of her chosen career, but yet is self aware enough to realise that this success has made her arrogant in some respects to her relationship with the victims she encounters. I also enjoyed the way Honda stretches and exerts pressure on her to continually reassess her sense of self, as the story develops, and her realisation that she is prone to moments of weakness, despite her seemingly cast iron intention to overcome the emotional and physical damage caused by a crime in her own past. She is surrounded by a mixed cast of male characters who exhibit contrasting attitudes to Himekawa which range from dislike, to mild flirtation, to professional jealousy, and the casual sexism that defines most of them gives rise to a mixture of feelings in the reader, and toys with our empathies. Equally, I liked Honda’s depiction of the professional and territorial rivalries that exist between the competing police units that spilled over into Himekawa’s investigation, and the attitudes of her counterparts outside her own Metropolitan police department, to her and her team of murder detectives.
The plot is compelling, and there is a killer twist- quite literally- at the close of the book which was wonderfully disguised up to that point. The examination of the dark web and the way that even the most ordinary citizen can be drawn into, and excited by, public execution was a consistent theme in the book as the body count mounted exponentially. So many serial killer thrillers fall victim to obvious tropes within the genre, but this book in common with the best, provided some thoughtful and genuinely intuitive psychological insights into the killer gene that may lurk within us all, and what drives seemingly ordinary people to derive pleasure from violence.
With such strength in the characterisation, narrative and plot, it does feel a shame to draw attention to the one weakness in the book, which is no criticism of the author. There is a noticeable flaw in the translation of the dialogue, which has the snappy rhythm typical of the American crime fiction genre, but seemed quaintly old-fashioned in some of the turns of phrase used. Indeed, at certain points I felt I had wandered into the black and white world of Dixon of Dock Green, where I expected characters to be all ‘Cor, lummy’ and ‘You’re nicked’. Some of the expressions used just felt a little disingenuous and out of place, but I think this more a consequence of the translation itself than the author’s original intention.
So all in all my first dip into Japanese crime fiction was an extremely pleasurable one, though not without a minor flaw. Loved the characters, the tight plotting, and the playing out of a visceral and psychologically interesting dimension to what could have been just a standard addition to the serial killer thriller genre. Will certainly be seeking out not only more of the books in this series, but this has also sparked my interest in further exploring this crime sub-genre generally. Recommended.
November 27, 2020
Really enjoyed the case chronology despite how much I loathed some of the characters. A brutal serial murder with some hidden past-- straightforward and harsh but interesting.
"In this world, there are two types of people; winners and losers. And we all have the same color blood-- red. Lovely, luscious red."
I don't fancy much the character's behaviour, most of them were so egoistic, skeptical, insensitive and judgemental. I know that the bad guy was one of them but how crafty the author making me go annoyed with all of them so that I can't make a sole definite guess on the suspect cause I hate everyone(?), even Himekawa gets on my nerves sometimes.
The investigation part was thrilling and just nice to evoke my curiosity on how Himekawa would catch the culprit (oh just like how Tashiro phrased it-- curiosity was the main motivation). Also, I like the narration made from various perspectives-- Himekawa, Otsuka, Katsumata as well as the killer (the killer part was my favourite, engrossing and mysterious character). Love Himekawa instincts and deductions, her ways of dealing with the upper officer and procedural bureaucracy, all about her past that triggered and motivated her.
The real culprit is super sick and so manipulative. But perhaps people with bad attitude not really having the 'bad intention' afterall. A great serial crime, multiple twisty discoveries with bit of Japanese society/cultural views and at a point I really think that Himekawa was such an inspiration.
"In this world, there are two types of people; winners and losers. And we all have the same color blood-- red. Lovely, luscious red."
I don't fancy much the character's behaviour, most of them were so egoistic, skeptical, insensitive and judgemental. I know that the bad guy was one of them but how crafty the author making me go annoyed with all of them so that I can't make a sole definite guess on the suspect cause I hate everyone(?), even Himekawa gets on my nerves sometimes.
The investigation part was thrilling and just nice to evoke my curiosity on how Himekawa would catch the culprit (oh just like how Tashiro phrased it-- curiosity was the main motivation). Also, I like the narration made from various perspectives-- Himekawa, Otsuka, Katsumata as well as the killer (the killer part was my favourite, engrossing and mysterious character). Love Himekawa instincts and deductions, her ways of dealing with the upper officer and procedural bureaucracy, all about her past that triggered and motivated her.
The real culprit is super sick and so manipulative. But perhaps people with bad attitude not really having the 'bad intention' afterall. A great serial crime, multiple twisty discoveries with bit of Japanese society/cultural views and at a point I really think that Himekawa was such an inspiration.
April 14, 2017
The Silent Dead fell so very flat it probably burried itself in the ground.
The premise is a joke; the characters were shallow; the plot boring… Trust me when I say that finally finishing this book was the best part of the experience.
This book is advertising a tough female cop, who’s getting shit done. The cover itself says: “She will make them speak…” But whom will she make speak, I wonder? And when? Where? Certainly not in The Silent Dead, no. Our heroine, Himekawa Reiko, doesn't get anything done at all and I can't even be mad at this since she herself didn't have a dash of character inside her (to be fair, neither did the other puppets). Still there are a few things about her the author aggressively wants us to know:
-our heroine is FEMALE
-but she’s not like ~other women~
-she's young (but almost 30 and still not married!!!)
-lives with her parents but is never at home
-has a crush on one of her subordinates but also kinda doesn't?
-everybody claims she's a natural in her job but the reader doesn't really get to see that?
-she has a tragic past and is not over it (spoiler: she was, of course, raped.)
I’m sorry to say that but Reiko is just another shallow, uninteresting female character written by a highly praised male author. Claiming to write a strong, realistic and likeable (female) character alone doesn't get the job done. In fact, the only thing that defined Reiko was her past, and I am so so tired of reading of rape as a device of breaking female characters or to make them more “interesting”.
And another thing that really bothered me was the interactions between women. There were like 3 in this book, and only one was kind of important. This interaction was between Reiko and her sister (who’s just like the ~other women~, with a husband+child; she’s also super jealous of Reiko) and it was bordering on being outrageous since the sister basically told Reiko that she’d hoped Reiko’s abuse would get her off her high attitude. What kind of woman says that to another??? All around, every woman in this book was either, quote: "dumb", "a slut", "a bitch", "annoying"- simply shallow; to make special snowflake Reiko look better. Oh, actually there was ONE female character who was somewhat praised (bedsides Reiko): another female cop, but she died on duty and was Reikos consciousness(?).
To be fair, there was no victim shaming per se, but the whole message with “liberating” women was somewhat off in this book.
Of course you have to take the current Japanese society into regard while reading this book, which is, to be frank, quite sexist, but I found it to be over-done in this one. Reiko was, and it's almost quoted, grateful that her male colleagues listened to her aka that they did what they were being paid for- which is following her orders; She let her male subordinate give orders in her name because she didn't want to speak to a huge group of men and the best thing about this book was the solution. Seriously it wrecked the tiny bit of premise that was left, since of course stupid, weak Reiko was in danger for dear life but was luckily saved by the misogynistic asshole of male colleague who was boycotting her investigation for the sole reason of her having no dick. Great conclusion.
The murders, the main focus of the book, were boring as well. When the killer was revealed I was not surprised at all, for one part I already suspected who it was and secondly because the motive and execution was quite random. There were also many questions unanswered regarding the victims.
And last but not least… the writing. Sadly, many Japanese books are written strangely. Usually the translations are the problem, but here I found the whole book not well-executed. The book read like a TV-show, which is no plus point with this one. And then there was a fuck ton of information of the Japanese police and their work, ranks, etc., which was quite informative at times, but mostly too much.
All around I highly recommend this book to those who’re having problems with falling asleep, for The Silent Dead is that boring that you simply wish to close your eyes and let got.
The premise is a joke; the characters were shallow; the plot boring… Trust me when I say that finally finishing this book was the best part of the experience.
This book is advertising a tough female cop, who’s getting shit done. The cover itself says: “She will make them speak…” But whom will she make speak, I wonder? And when? Where? Certainly not in The Silent Dead, no. Our heroine, Himekawa Reiko, doesn't get anything done at all and I can't even be mad at this since she herself didn't have a dash of character inside her (to be fair, neither did the other puppets). Still there are a few things about her the author aggressively wants us to know:
-our heroine is FEMALE
-but she’s not like ~other women~
-she's young (but almost 30 and still not married!!!)
-lives with her parents but is never at home
-has a crush on one of her subordinates but also kinda doesn't?
-everybody claims she's a natural in her job but the reader doesn't really get to see that?
-she has a tragic past and is not over it (spoiler: she was, of course, raped.)
I’m sorry to say that but Reiko is just another shallow, uninteresting female character written by a highly praised male author. Claiming to write a strong, realistic and likeable (female) character alone doesn't get the job done. In fact, the only thing that defined Reiko was her past, and I am so so tired of reading of rape as a device of breaking female characters or to make them more “interesting”.
And another thing that really bothered me was the interactions between women. There were like 3 in this book, and only one was kind of important. This interaction was between Reiko and her sister (who’s just like the ~other women~, with a husband+child; she’s also super jealous of Reiko) and it was bordering on being outrageous since the sister basically told Reiko that she’d hoped Reiko’s abuse would get her off her high attitude. What kind of woman says that to another??? All around, every woman in this book was either, quote: "dumb", "a slut", "a bitch", "annoying"- simply shallow; to make special snowflake Reiko look better. Oh, actually there was ONE female character who was somewhat praised (bedsides Reiko): another female cop, but she died on duty and was Reikos consciousness(?).
To be fair, there was no victim shaming per se, but the whole message with “liberating” women was somewhat off in this book.
Of course you have to take the current Japanese society into regard while reading this book, which is, to be frank, quite sexist, but I found it to be over-done in this one. Reiko was, and it's almost quoted, grateful that her male colleagues listened to her aka that they did what they were being paid for- which is following her orders; She let her male subordinate give orders in her name because she didn't want to speak to a huge group of men and the best thing about this book was the solution. Seriously it wrecked the tiny bit of premise that was left, since of course stupid, weak Reiko was in danger for dear life but was luckily saved by the misogynistic asshole of male colleague who was boycotting her investigation for the sole reason of her having no dick. Great conclusion.
The murders, the main focus of the book, were boring as well. When the killer was revealed I was not surprised at all, for one part I already suspected who it was and secondly because the motive and execution was quite random. There were also many questions unanswered regarding the victims.
And last but not least… the writing. Sadly, many Japanese books are written strangely. Usually the translations are the problem, but here I found the whole book not well-executed. The book read like a TV-show, which is no plus point with this one. And then there was a fuck ton of information of the Japanese police and their work, ranks, etc., which was quite informative at times, but mostly too much.
All around I highly recommend this book to those who’re having problems with falling asleep, for The Silent Dead is that boring that you simply wish to close your eyes and let got.
May 17, 2016
Serial murders in Tokyo
This is the first Japanese police procedural novel I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, kudos to Giles Murray for the translation into English.
I wondered at first whether I would enjoy this novel. First of all, at the front of the book, is a listing of Cast of Characters. I knew I was going to have problems keeping track of the characters because of the unfamiliar names. But actually it wasn't too bad at all. The author, as she wrote, helped keep track of the characters and usually didn't have more than a handful together at one time.
It was very interesting to read about police procedures in Japan - some similarities and a lot of differences between Japan and the U.S.
Lt. Reiko Himekawa — squad leader, Homicide Division, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is the protagonist of the story. She is 29 years old, unmarried - which causes a lot of hassling from her family and co-workers. Old to be unmarried but young to already be a lieutenant and there are fellow officers who are jealous of her success.
Reiko is in charge of a murder investigation where bodies are being found wrapped in blue plastic. She leads a squad of officers (and more than one REALLY LIKES her). She's all business and has to put up with a huge amount of sexual harassment - on the job and in her personal life as well. I was shocked at this aspect of the story. It seems Japan is technologically advanced but quite a few years behind the U.S. in women's rights. It reminded me of jobs I had back in the 1970s.
The murder mystery is pretty straightforward but the exotic location and customs of Japan (at least to me) made this a very interesting read. I understand it is the first in a series. I hope the other books in the series are translated into English too. I'd like to read more about Lt. Himekawa.
I received this book from Minotaur Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
This is the first Japanese police procedural novel I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, kudos to Giles Murray for the translation into English.
I wondered at first whether I would enjoy this novel. First of all, at the front of the book, is a listing of Cast of Characters. I knew I was going to have problems keeping track of the characters because of the unfamiliar names. But actually it wasn't too bad at all. The author, as she wrote, helped keep track of the characters and usually didn't have more than a handful together at one time.
It was very interesting to read about police procedures in Japan - some similarities and a lot of differences between Japan and the U.S.
Lt. Reiko Himekawa — squad leader, Homicide Division, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is the protagonist of the story. She is 29 years old, unmarried - which causes a lot of hassling from her family and co-workers. Old to be unmarried but young to already be a lieutenant and there are fellow officers who are jealous of her success.
Reiko is in charge of a murder investigation where bodies are being found wrapped in blue plastic. She leads a squad of officers (and more than one REALLY LIKES her). She's all business and has to put up with a huge amount of sexual harassment - on the job and in her personal life as well. I was shocked at this aspect of the story. It seems Japan is technologically advanced but quite a few years behind the U.S. in women's rights. It reminded me of jobs I had back in the 1970s.
The murder mystery is pretty straightforward but the exotic location and customs of Japan (at least to me) made this a very interesting read. I understand it is the first in a series. I hope the other books in the series are translated into English too. I'd like to read more about Lt. Himekawa.
I received this book from Minotaur Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
July 10, 2017
Chán không buồn cho điểm luôn huhu
August 15, 2017
RECENZJA PRZEDPREMIEROWA
PREMIERA: 16.08.2017
„Reiko widziała cyfrowe zdjęcie ciała skrępowanego plastikowym sznurkiem, więzy wyglądały bardzo profesjonalnie. Nie potrafiła pogodzić tej staranności z niedbalstwem w kwestii wyboru miejsca pozbycia się ciała. Na razie dręczyło ją nieokreślone przeczucie, którego nie potrafiła wyrazić słowami.” – fragment powieści.
Przeczytałam już w życiu kilka książek przedstawiających japońską kulturę, ale z japońskim kryminałem miałam do czynienia pierwszy raz, dzięki uprzejmości Wydawnictwa „Znak”, które postanowiło zapoznać polskich czytelników z twórczością Tetsuyi Hondy. Seria z komisarz Reiko Himekawą w roli głównej jest w Kraju Kwitnącej Wiśni bardzo popularna, o czym świadczy nie tylko kilkumilionowa sprzedaż powieści „Przeznaczenie”, otwierającej cykl, ale i przełożenie jej na scenariusz serialu telewizyjnego czy obrazu kinowego.
Powściągliwość i orientacja na detal to iście japońskie cechy, które i w „Przeznaczeniu” są bardzo wyraźnie, sprawiając, że jego lektura jest dość specyficzna. Akcja rozwija się niezmiernie wolno, niekiedy wręcz nuży, ale nieco rekompensuje ten fakt rozwiązanie sprawy kryminalnej, do którego dochodzimy wraz z Reiko oraz sama jej osoba.
Według mnie to właśnie postać Reiko sprawia, że kryminał Hondy warty jest uwagi, jeśli akurat mamy ochotę na niespieszny rozwój wypadków, okraszony wieloma szczegółami pracy japońskich służb dochodzeniowo-śledczych. Reiko to bowiem kobieta z bolesną przeszłością, którą ukształtowały traumatyczne przeżycia. Kobieta o olbrzymiej intuicji, którą wykorzystuje w pracy śledczej, i niechęci do biurokratycznych procedur, utrudniających swobodny przepływ myśli i bieżącej weryfikacji wszystkich wątków sprawy. Ale przede wszystkim to policjantka, która w męskim środowisku, a przynajmniej w obrębie dowodzonej przez nią grupie operacyjnej, wypracowała sobie szacunek i poważanie. Bardzo cenię w literaturze popularnej mocne żeńskie postacie, które samą swoją postawą oraz samodzielnie wypracowanymi osiągnięciami, dają otoczeniu jasny sygnał, że ich nie można ignorować i traktować stereotypowo. Honda stworzył właśnie taką bohaterkę.
Przyznać jednak muszę, że kryminał ten nie rzucił mnie na kolana, nie wywołał ekscytacji, która zwykle towarzyszy mi przy lekturze powieści kryminalnych. Takiego stanu rzeczy można z jednej strony dopatrywać się w różnicach kulturowych i innemu od zachodniego podejściu azjatyckich autorów do snucia historii, ale z drugiej strony – lekturę „Przeczucia” poprzedziła w moim przypadku lektura bardzo dynamicznego polskiego kryminału. Skoro z takiego jakby nie było rozpędu wpadłam w tokijskie klimaty, jakże odmienne od wcześniejszej książki, to być może podświadomie oczekiwałam utrzymania tempa. A że tak się nie stało, to już raczej wina mojej percepcji, niż warsztatu autora.
Przekonajcie się zatem sami, jakie wrażenie wywrze na was Honda, okrzyknięty cesarzem japońskiego kryminału. Bo może dla was okaże się on odkryciem roku.
Serdecznie dziękuję Wydawnictwu „Znak” za egzemplarz recenzencki książki.
PREMIERA: 16.08.2017
„Reiko widziała cyfrowe zdjęcie ciała skrępowanego plastikowym sznurkiem, więzy wyglądały bardzo profesjonalnie. Nie potrafiła pogodzić tej staranności z niedbalstwem w kwestii wyboru miejsca pozbycia się ciała. Na razie dręczyło ją nieokreślone przeczucie, którego nie potrafiła wyrazić słowami.” – fragment powieści.
Przeczytałam już w życiu kilka książek przedstawiających japońską kulturę, ale z japońskim kryminałem miałam do czynienia pierwszy raz, dzięki uprzejmości Wydawnictwa „Znak”, które postanowiło zapoznać polskich czytelników z twórczością Tetsuyi Hondy. Seria z komisarz Reiko Himekawą w roli głównej jest w Kraju Kwitnącej Wiśni bardzo popularna, o czym świadczy nie tylko kilkumilionowa sprzedaż powieści „Przeznaczenie”, otwierającej cykl, ale i przełożenie jej na scenariusz serialu telewizyjnego czy obrazu kinowego.
Powściągliwość i orientacja na detal to iście japońskie cechy, które i w „Przeznaczeniu” są bardzo wyraźnie, sprawiając, że jego lektura jest dość specyficzna. Akcja rozwija się niezmiernie wolno, niekiedy wręcz nuży, ale nieco rekompensuje ten fakt rozwiązanie sprawy kryminalnej, do którego dochodzimy wraz z Reiko oraz sama jej osoba.
Według mnie to właśnie postać Reiko sprawia, że kryminał Hondy warty jest uwagi, jeśli akurat mamy ochotę na niespieszny rozwój wypadków, okraszony wieloma szczegółami pracy japońskich służb dochodzeniowo-śledczych. Reiko to bowiem kobieta z bolesną przeszłością, którą ukształtowały traumatyczne przeżycia. Kobieta o olbrzymiej intuicji, którą wykorzystuje w pracy śledczej, i niechęci do biurokratycznych procedur, utrudniających swobodny przepływ myśli i bieżącej weryfikacji wszystkich wątków sprawy. Ale przede wszystkim to policjantka, która w męskim środowisku, a przynajmniej w obrębie dowodzonej przez nią grupie operacyjnej, wypracowała sobie szacunek i poważanie. Bardzo cenię w literaturze popularnej mocne żeńskie postacie, które samą swoją postawą oraz samodzielnie wypracowanymi osiągnięciami, dają otoczeniu jasny sygnał, że ich nie można ignorować i traktować stereotypowo. Honda stworzył właśnie taką bohaterkę.
Przyznać jednak muszę, że kryminał ten nie rzucił mnie na kolana, nie wywołał ekscytacji, która zwykle towarzyszy mi przy lekturze powieści kryminalnych. Takiego stanu rzeczy można z jednej strony dopatrywać się w różnicach kulturowych i innemu od zachodniego podejściu azjatyckich autorów do snucia historii, ale z drugiej strony – lekturę „Przeczucia” poprzedziła w moim przypadku lektura bardzo dynamicznego polskiego kryminału. Skoro z takiego jakby nie było rozpędu wpadłam w tokijskie klimaty, jakże odmienne od wcześniejszej książki, to być może podświadomie oczekiwałam utrzymania tempa. A że tak się nie stało, to już raczej wina mojej percepcji, niż warsztatu autora.
Przekonajcie się zatem sami, jakie wrażenie wywrze na was Honda, okrzyknięty cesarzem japońskiego kryminału. Bo może dla was okaże się on odkryciem roku.
Serdecznie dziękuję Wydawnictwu „Znak” za egzemplarz recenzencki książki.
March 3, 2020
Bardzo dobrze się czytało, miła odskocznia od skandynawskich kryminałów.
September 26, 2020
سوژه داستان خوب بود ولی به نظر من جای پردازش بیشتری داشت و میشد داستان معمایی تر و هیجان بیشتری داشته باشه
September 15, 2020
Erwartungshaltung: lange eher Krimi denn Thriller – vor ungewohnter Kulisse Japans
Reiko Himekawa ist Hauptkommissarin und Hauptfigur der in Tokyo angesiedelten Handlung – „Blutroter Tod“ ist der erste Band einer ganzen Reihe und auch der erste, der in deutscher Sprache veröffentlicht wurde; die gesamte Reihe ist ein großer Erfolg in Japan, wurde dort auch verfilmt.
Eingewickelt in eine Plastikfolie wird eine Leiche gefunden, wenig verborgen in einem Park. Der Tote kann dank seiner Zahnabdrücke bald identifiziert werden – aber wer hat ihn ermordet? Warum fügt man jemandem, der bereits tot ist, noch einen tiefen Schnitt in der Magengegend zu? Und wie erklärt sich der Ablageort? Und was für ein Termin kann jemanden an jedem zweiten Sonntag im Monat faszinieren? Dazu kommt noch eine Parallelhandlung um eine mysteriöse Person…
Der japanische Autor Tetsuya Honda verwendet eine ungewohnte Konstruktion, um seine Handlung voranzutreiben: der Leser begleitet wechselnde Ermittler-Kombination um Hauptfigur Reiko Himekawa bei der Arbeit, abends kommen alle zum Abliefern der Ergebnisse zusammen auf der Keishi-chō = Polizeibehörde; d.i. die Polizeibehörde im Sinne eines Polizeipräsidiums der japanischen Präfektur Tokio lt. Wikipedia (keine Sorge, sehr viel hatte ich nicht nachzuschlagen für die Lektüre). Der Beginn gewährt damit einen Einblick in die völlig andere Polizeiarbeit in Japan, in der die niederen Ränge „Untergebene“ sind, die „befehligt“ werden – die Struktur ist militärisch. Das Tempo für das Buch entspricht für die ersten 60% eher einem Krimi denn einem Thriller, man ist bei der Fußarbeit dabei, die in Tokyo oft mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln erledigt wird, seltener mit dem Taxi (wohl wegen des allgemeinen Verkehrschaos).
Die Strukturen sind verkrustet: „Am Ende bekamen nutzlose Esel, die nur deshalb keine Fehler machten, weil sie absolut nichts unternahmen, bessere Noten als die Beamten, die sich den Hintern abarbeiteten, dabei aber den einen oder anderen Fehler machten.“ (S. 117) Beziehungen gelten viel für die Karriere bei der Polizei – und Frauen noch nicht sehr viel. Nachdem ich in diesem Jahr mit „Lebensgeister“ von Banana Yoshimoto mein erstes Buch mit Japan als Handlungsort seit „Shogun“ in den achtziger Jahren (!) gelesen hatte, war ich überrascht davon, wie wenig fremd mir Japan erschien. Der Effekt wurde in diesem Buch wieder etwas umgekehrt anhand der (für Deutschland) Fünfziger-Jahre-Geschlechter-Stereotypen: Das einzige, was tröstet, ist, dass das Buch mit einer weiblichen Ermittlerin ein Renner in Japan ist.
Für den Fortschritt der Handlung muss ich dann wieder die übliche Sadisten-Warnung aussprechen für eventuell empfindliche Leser – ab da trägt dann auch der Thriller-Anteil. Mir hat der Einblick in eine für mich fremde Welt gut gefallen,ich hatte eine andere Person im Verdacht gehabt und ich fühlte mich insgesamt gut unterhalten und bin gespannt auf weitere Teile der Reihe! Gute 4 von 5 Sternen!
Kurze Anmerkung:
Es gibt ein Personenverzeichnis zu Beginn – da ich japanische Namen aber überhaupt nicht gewohnt bin, habe ich mir lieber ein eigenes gemalt, das die Beziehungen untereinander und kurze Charakteristika beinhaltete; danach konnte ich mich sehr gut zurechtfinden.
Reiko Himekawa ist Hauptkommissarin und Hauptfigur der in Tokyo angesiedelten Handlung – „Blutroter Tod“ ist der erste Band einer ganzen Reihe und auch der erste, der in deutscher Sprache veröffentlicht wurde; die gesamte Reihe ist ein großer Erfolg in Japan, wurde dort auch verfilmt.
Eingewickelt in eine Plastikfolie wird eine Leiche gefunden, wenig verborgen in einem Park. Der Tote kann dank seiner Zahnabdrücke bald identifiziert werden – aber wer hat ihn ermordet? Warum fügt man jemandem, der bereits tot ist, noch einen tiefen Schnitt in der Magengegend zu? Und wie erklärt sich der Ablageort? Und was für ein Termin kann jemanden an jedem zweiten Sonntag im Monat faszinieren? Dazu kommt noch eine Parallelhandlung um eine mysteriöse Person…
Der japanische Autor Tetsuya Honda verwendet eine ungewohnte Konstruktion, um seine Handlung voranzutreiben: der Leser begleitet wechselnde Ermittler-Kombination um Hauptfigur Reiko Himekawa bei der Arbeit, abends kommen alle zum Abliefern der Ergebnisse zusammen auf der Keishi-chō = Polizeibehörde; d.i. die Polizeibehörde im Sinne eines Polizeipräsidiums der japanischen Präfektur Tokio lt. Wikipedia (keine Sorge, sehr viel hatte ich nicht nachzuschlagen für die Lektüre). Der Beginn gewährt damit einen Einblick in die völlig andere Polizeiarbeit in Japan, in der die niederen Ränge „Untergebene“ sind, die „befehligt“ werden – die Struktur ist militärisch. Das Tempo für das Buch entspricht für die ersten 60% eher einem Krimi denn einem Thriller, man ist bei der Fußarbeit dabei, die in Tokyo oft mit öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln erledigt wird, seltener mit dem Taxi (wohl wegen des allgemeinen Verkehrschaos).
Die Strukturen sind verkrustet: „Am Ende bekamen nutzlose Esel, die nur deshalb keine Fehler machten, weil sie absolut nichts unternahmen, bessere Noten als die Beamten, die sich den Hintern abarbeiteten, dabei aber den einen oder anderen Fehler machten.“ (S. 117) Beziehungen gelten viel für die Karriere bei der Polizei – und Frauen noch nicht sehr viel. Nachdem ich in diesem Jahr mit „Lebensgeister“ von Banana Yoshimoto mein erstes Buch mit Japan als Handlungsort seit „Shogun“ in den achtziger Jahren (!) gelesen hatte, war ich überrascht davon, wie wenig fremd mir Japan erschien. Der Effekt wurde in diesem Buch wieder etwas umgekehrt anhand der (für Deutschland) Fünfziger-Jahre-Geschlechter-Stereotypen: Das einzige, was tröstet, ist, dass das Buch mit einer weiblichen Ermittlerin ein Renner in Japan ist.
Für den Fortschritt der Handlung muss ich dann wieder die übliche Sadisten-Warnung aussprechen für eventuell empfindliche Leser – ab da trägt dann auch der Thriller-Anteil. Mir hat der Einblick in eine für mich fremde Welt gut gefallen,ich hatte eine andere Person im Verdacht gehabt und ich fühlte mich insgesamt gut unterhalten und bin gespannt auf weitere Teile der Reihe! Gute 4 von 5 Sternen!
Kurze Anmerkung:
Es gibt ein Personenverzeichnis zu Beginn – da ich japanische Namen aber überhaupt nicht gewohnt bin, habe ich mir lieber ein eigenes gemalt, das die Beziehungen untereinander und kurze Charakteristika beinhaltete; danach konnte ich mich sehr gut zurechtfinden.
August 30, 2025
Movie: Strawberry Night (2013)
March 7, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an advance copy of The Silent Dead, a police procedural set in Tokyo. As I understand it this is the first novel in a series and the first to be translated into English which is a bonus as it will provide continuity (too many series are translated out of order and it's hard to keep track).
Reiko Himekawa is the youngest lieutenant in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and a woman to boot so she has plenty to prove, especially as she is an instinctual rather than methodical detective, which is looked on suspiciously. When she is called to investigate a mutilated body wrapped up and found in a hedge she instinctively knows that there is more to it than meets the eye. The rest of the novel follows the investigation, the politics involved and some of Reiko's backstory.
I recently read Six Four, another Japanese blockbuster, and was most impressed so I was keen to read The Silent Dead. They are completely different but again I am very impressed. Obviously, only the most popular novels stand a chance of being translated but even so The Silent Dead is an excellent procedural and offers a certain insight into the Japanese mindset, I was fascinated by the fact that the Director in charge of the investigation starts and finishes his briefings with the command "bow".
The novel is very strong on procedure with most detectives, including Reiko, following it to the letter, in fact she takes comfort from knowing her place in the hierarchy and how to do her job. I find the clean lines and orderliness of the investigation very appealing and think they make for a very good read.
The plot is not particularly convoluted, although it does have some surprises along the way, because it's not designed to be, it's more a gradual build up of facts and information until the solution becomes clear. That is not to say it is a slow read, in fact I found it quite gripping as Reiko has flashes of inspiration, deals with her unpleasant colleague, Katsumata, and generally slogs through the grind of the investigation.
Reiko is the protagonist and gets most of the attention. She suffered a trauma in her youth and is still, in some ways, coming to terms with it but it has made her the person she is, strong, feisty, intuitive and, much to her mother's disgust, single. My personal jury is still out on how likeable she is! Katsumata, her rival, is another well developed character. I may be stereotyping here as I don't know much about Japan but he seems unjapanese to me - he has a win at any cost mentality, a casual disregard for rules and procedures and a sexist, boorish personality and yet it is all driven by a desire to catch the bad guys.
Lastly I would like to mention the unnamed American translator who has done an excellent job of making The Silent Dead a very readable novel with an inviting style.
If, like me, you love a good police procedural with the added bonus of an exotic location then I would heartily recommend The Silent Dead as a must read.
Reiko Himekawa is the youngest lieutenant in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and a woman to boot so she has plenty to prove, especially as she is an instinctual rather than methodical detective, which is looked on suspiciously. When she is called to investigate a mutilated body wrapped up and found in a hedge she instinctively knows that there is more to it than meets the eye. The rest of the novel follows the investigation, the politics involved and some of Reiko's backstory.
I recently read Six Four, another Japanese blockbuster, and was most impressed so I was keen to read The Silent Dead. They are completely different but again I am very impressed. Obviously, only the most popular novels stand a chance of being translated but even so The Silent Dead is an excellent procedural and offers a certain insight into the Japanese mindset, I was fascinated by the fact that the Director in charge of the investigation starts and finishes his briefings with the command "bow".
The novel is very strong on procedure with most detectives, including Reiko, following it to the letter, in fact she takes comfort from knowing her place in the hierarchy and how to do her job. I find the clean lines and orderliness of the investigation very appealing and think they make for a very good read.
The plot is not particularly convoluted, although it does have some surprises along the way, because it's not designed to be, it's more a gradual build up of facts and information until the solution becomes clear. That is not to say it is a slow read, in fact I found it quite gripping as Reiko has flashes of inspiration, deals with her unpleasant colleague, Katsumata, and generally slogs through the grind of the investigation.
Reiko is the protagonist and gets most of the attention. She suffered a trauma in her youth and is still, in some ways, coming to terms with it but it has made her the person she is, strong, feisty, intuitive and, much to her mother's disgust, single. My personal jury is still out on how likeable she is! Katsumata, her rival, is another well developed character. I may be stereotyping here as I don't know much about Japan but he seems unjapanese to me - he has a win at any cost mentality, a casual disregard for rules and procedures and a sexist, boorish personality and yet it is all driven by a desire to catch the bad guys.
Lastly I would like to mention the unnamed American translator who has done an excellent job of making The Silent Dead a very readable novel with an inviting style.
If, like me, you love a good police procedural with the added bonus of an exotic location then I would heartily recommend The Silent Dead as a must read.
March 29, 2016
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, St. Martin's Press!
To readers who, like me, enjoy reading about strong female detectives, I give you Lt. Reiko Himekawa from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police's Homicide Division. Reiko is the detective that you'd want to investigate your murder: resourceful, stubborn and smart. She may even "be wired" like the guys she hunts, so when she takes the inquiry of a dead body found in a park, she quickly discovers that there are 11 more bodies. It takes a while for the plot to get started and the police on track of what's really going on, but these first chapters are fascinating, as they describe the ways and culture of Japanese society. The officers don't take cars and instead use public transportation. Their meetings and procedures are closer to the military than to what you read about detectives in other countries. There is also the prejudice that a young unmarried woman finds in a traditionally male-dominated environment. The way that the officers bow at the beginning of their meetings drives home the point of how different the Japanese culture is for Westerners and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about it. The plot itself is so well written (and translated) that I couldn't put it down. The reason behind the killings was horrific and the explicit murder scenes are not for the squeamish. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys good thrillers.
To readers who, like me, enjoy reading about strong female detectives, I give you Lt. Reiko Himekawa from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police's Homicide Division. Reiko is the detective that you'd want to investigate your murder: resourceful, stubborn and smart. She may even "be wired" like the guys she hunts, so when she takes the inquiry of a dead body found in a park, she quickly discovers that there are 11 more bodies. It takes a while for the plot to get started and the police on track of what's really going on, but these first chapters are fascinating, as they describe the ways and culture of Japanese society. The officers don't take cars and instead use public transportation. Their meetings and procedures are closer to the military than to what you read about detectives in other countries. There is also the prejudice that a young unmarried woman finds in a traditionally male-dominated environment. The way that the officers bow at the beginning of their meetings drives home the point of how different the Japanese culture is for Westerners and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about it. The plot itself is so well written (and translated) that I couldn't put it down. The reason behind the killings was horrific and the explicit murder scenes are not for the squeamish. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys good thrillers.
November 9, 2019
If you can't bear violence, avoid that book ! Some descriptions are graphic, if not long.
This novel is about verbal, physical, moral violence, sexism, murder, madness, a police who is a lot different from what we know in western countries. Over there, efficiency is required and normal, failures are severely sanctioned in a universe where hierarchy is the key.
Sexism is pervasive : in the professional relations between men and women, in rapes, in public transports, in the family relations too : an unmarried 30 year-old woman is discriminated even more.
Katsumata is a particular character : from the beginning, you can do nothing bu thate him, but there are some nuances of humanity here or there. Will he be a good partner to Reiko in the next novels ? Their duet is explosive and in Reiko's place, I would have hit him with my knee a long time ago. But well, he would have seen it coming, avoided it and made an offensive remark.
Reiko is a very strong woman : in spite of the horror that happened to her, she keeps working hard and upsetting the hierarchical and procedural habits, and since she has instinct, it works for her. She still has weaknesses, but at the end of the story, she comes out with her head high and ready to live again.
I read that these novels have been adapted on TV and that there's even a movie, I'd love to have a look at them and I'm waiting with much interest for the next novel in the series to be published.
This novel is about verbal, physical, moral violence, sexism, murder, madness, a police who is a lot different from what we know in western countries. Over there, efficiency is required and normal, failures are severely sanctioned in a universe where hierarchy is the key.
Sexism is pervasive : in the professional relations between men and women, in rapes, in public transports, in the family relations too : an unmarried 30 year-old woman is discriminated even more.
Katsumata is a particular character : from the beginning, you can do nothing bu thate him, but there are some nuances of humanity here or there. Will he be a good partner to Reiko in the next novels ? Their duet is explosive and in Reiko's place, I would have hit him with my knee a long time ago. But well, he would have seen it coming, avoided it and made an offensive remark.
Reiko is a very strong woman : in spite of the horror that happened to her, she keeps working hard and upsetting the hierarchical and procedural habits, and since she has instinct, it works for her. She still has weaknesses, but at the end of the story, she comes out with her head high and ready to live again.
I read that these novels have been adapted on TV and that there's even a movie, I'd love to have a look at them and I'm waiting with much interest for the next novel in the series to be published.
August 3, 2017
2.5 ish.
Mild spoilers ahead:
***
While I may I grade the first in a mystery series rather harshly, I'm usually willing to read the next book if a character or element strikes me as intriguing, and this newish Japanese police detective series is no exception. While I found a lot to dismiss in 'The Silent Dead' (a whole passel of police stereotypes; a gratuitously violent scene involving a naked, bound woman; a sexual assault in the main character's background that, again, seems gratuitous rather than revelatory or deeply motivating; and a minor character death that seemed manipulative rather than required) this was still competently written, with a set-up (ranking female homicide detective in a society where most police women are forever doomed to be traffic cops or paper pushers) that could be genuinely interesting as time goes on.
***
I have the second book in English translation, Soul Cage, and do plan to read it. This is a successful series in its original Japanese (seven books and counting), so I hope Honda's moved beyond the initial volume's stereotypes and given Himekawa some real colleagues and adversaries to face. We'll see.
Mild spoilers ahead:
***
While I may I grade the first in a mystery series rather harshly, I'm usually willing to read the next book if a character or element strikes me as intriguing, and this newish Japanese police detective series is no exception. While I found a lot to dismiss in 'The Silent Dead' (a whole passel of police stereotypes; a gratuitously violent scene involving a naked, bound woman; a sexual assault in the main character's background that, again, seems gratuitous rather than revelatory or deeply motivating; and a minor character death that seemed manipulative rather than required) this was still competently written, with a set-up (ranking female homicide detective in a society where most police women are forever doomed to be traffic cops or paper pushers) that could be genuinely interesting as time goes on.
***
I have the second book in English translation, Soul Cage, and do plan to read it. This is a successful series in its original Japanese (seven books and counting), so I hope Honda's moved beyond the initial volume's stereotypes and given Himekawa some real colleagues and adversaries to face. We'll see.
September 2, 2017
This excellent (and complicated) Japanese police procedural is by the prolific Tetsuya Honda (prolific but not yet much translated into English). It begins as a routine murder case then morphs into what seems to be a search for a serial killer and then very disturbingly becomes much more. The edition I read includes a cast of characters list which can be helpful when initially sorting everyone out. The memorable protagonist is Reiko Himekawa, a Tokyo Homicide lieutenant who, a 29 year old woman in a man’s environment, is strong and focused. Another excellent character is Kensaku Katsumata, also a Homicide lieutenant (competent although very much a sexist bully), who thinks nothing of cutting corners in his investigations.
Read
October 2, 2024DNF al 50%.
Un romanzo veramente, ma veramente, brutto.
Una caricatura di una crime story. Dialoghi imbarazzanti, fuori da ogni possibile realtà, scene talmente assurde da risultare comiche e soluzione finale (perché sono andata a leggerla per sapere almeno chi fosse il colpevole) che avevo indovinato già a pagina 20.
Un obbrobrio.
Un romanzo veramente, ma veramente, brutto.
Una caricatura di una crime story. Dialoghi imbarazzanti, fuori da ogni possibile realtà, scene talmente assurde da risultare comiche e soluzione finale (perché sono andata a leggerla per sapere almeno chi fosse il colpevole) che avevo indovinato già a pagina 20.
Un obbrobrio.
May 27, 2016
5/23/16 Full review tk. 4.5 stars, honestly.
5/26/16 http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/...
5/26/16 http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/...
March 15, 2023
Fino all'ultimo sono stata dubbiosa su quante stelline assegnare a questo libro: la trama, la storia della protagonista, la Tokyo che si intravvede tra le righe di questo poliziesco, in generale tutti gli aspetti "narrativi" mi sono piaciuti molto e meritano senza dubbio le tre stelline. Ciò che mi ha lasciato perplessa e mi ha spesso fatto provare addirittura un senso di irritazione sono i personaggi, soprattutto nei dialoghi o quando l'autore ne mette su carta il pensiero: mi sono sembrati spesso troppo esagerati e caricaturali.
E' possibile che mi sia fatta influenzare dalla lettura (ho ascoltato questa storia in audiolibro) perché il lettore enfatizzava moltissimo con il tono di voce questa estremizzazione dei dialoghi, ma dando un'occhiata alle altre recensioni presenti su Goodreads mi sono accorta che in molti hanno notato questa stessa caratteristica, che personalmente mi ha ricordato molto il modo in cui interagiscono i protagonisti degli anime, spesso con espressioni e atteggiamenti esagerati e artefatti.
Questo richiamo agli anime mi fa pensare che probabilmente questo effetto sia stato creato volontariamente dall'autore, che naturalmente si rivolge prima di tutto ad un pubblico che gli è culturalmente affine e che quindi comprende e apprezza questo tipo di narrazione; io invece che già non sono un'amante degli anime, che anzi spesso trovo di difficile fruizione e "infantili" proprio per questi aspetti caricaturali, ho fatto molta fatica a non trovare questo lato del libro estremamente fastidioso.
Trigger warning: c'è tanto maschilismo in questo libro e credo che in alcuni casi sia anche un po' normalizzato da parte dell'autore (non penso che ci sia nessun particolare intento di denuncia di questo stato di cose). Personalmente questi elementi non influenzano mai il mio giudizio su un libro, perché non condivido assolutamente l'idea che la letteratura debba avere una funzione educativa ma credo che la letteratura semplicemente esprima una cultura, sia quando vuole solo descriverla, sia quando ne da una valenza negativa, sia quando ne da una valenza positiva; siccome però è abbastanza evidente, se questi temi vi triggerano potrebbe non rivelarsi una lettura piacevole.
Mizumoto Park, Tokyo
E' possibile che mi sia fatta influenzare dalla lettura (ho ascoltato questa storia in audiolibro) perché il lettore enfatizzava moltissimo con il tono di voce questa estremizzazione dei dialoghi, ma dando un'occhiata alle altre recensioni presenti su Goodreads mi sono accorta che in molti hanno notato questa stessa caratteristica, che personalmente mi ha ricordato molto il modo in cui interagiscono i protagonisti degli anime, spesso con espressioni e atteggiamenti esagerati e artefatti.
Questo richiamo agli anime mi fa pensare che probabilmente questo effetto sia stato creato volontariamente dall'autore, che naturalmente si rivolge prima di tutto ad un pubblico che gli è culturalmente affine e che quindi comprende e apprezza questo tipo di narrazione; io invece che già non sono un'amante degli anime, che anzi spesso trovo di difficile fruizione e "infantili" proprio per questi aspetti caricaturali, ho fatto molta fatica a non trovare questo lato del libro estremamente fastidioso.
Trigger warning: c'è tanto maschilismo in questo libro e credo che in alcuni casi sia anche un po' normalizzato da parte dell'autore (non penso che ci sia nessun particolare intento di denuncia di questo stato di cose). Personalmente questi elementi non influenzano mai il mio giudizio su un libro, perché non condivido assolutamente l'idea che la letteratura debba avere una funzione educativa ma credo che la letteratura semplicemente esprima una cultura, sia quando vuole solo descriverla, sia quando ne da una valenza negativa, sia quando ne da una valenza positiva; siccome però è abbastanza evidente, se questi temi vi triggerano potrebbe non rivelarsi una lettura piacevole.
Mizumoto Park, Tokyo
March 26, 2023
“Omicidio a Mizumoto Park” è il primo volume thriller , tradotto in italiano, della serie poliziesca firmata dal pluripremiato autore giapponese Tetsuya Honda con protagonista l’ispettrice 👮 Reiko Himekawa.
È senza dubbio una storia originale, avvincente, macabra e brutale quella che leggiamo. Un thriller ricco di violenza, psicologica e non, altamente disturbante. Lo stile davvero molto scorrevole e diretto. All’inizio la lettura può e mi è sembrata un po’ “lenta” ma per il fatto della quantità di nomi giapponesi da memorizzare e collegare non particolarmente facili😅.
La nostra detective è un personaggio che colpisce subito positivamente e proseguendo con la lettura si potrà conoscere meglio anche la sua storia e il suo passato. Una protagonista che mi è piaciuta molto, sia per il lato umano sia per le abilità di detective.
Un team che si trova a dover indagare su una serie di delitti compiuti da un serial killer che uccide le sue vittime come in un rituale, le sventra e le occulta dentro un laghetto. Lettura non per tutti perché i dettagli sono ben descritti, il contenuto non è sicuramente pensato per “palati delicati”.
Nonostante avessi sospettato del personaggio che più ho odiato nella storia non avrei mai immaginato chi fosse il killer e complice!😱
“L’unica cosa che conta è concentrarsi sulle cose importanti. C’è solo un modo di vivere la vita: guardando avanti, al futuro.”
4/5 ⭐️ (purtroppo non riesco a dare 5/5 per via dei nomi difficili da memorizzare)
È senza dubbio una storia originale, avvincente, macabra e brutale quella che leggiamo. Un thriller ricco di violenza, psicologica e non, altamente disturbante. Lo stile davvero molto scorrevole e diretto. All’inizio la lettura può e mi è sembrata un po’ “lenta” ma per il fatto della quantità di nomi giapponesi da memorizzare e collegare non particolarmente facili😅.
La nostra detective è un personaggio che colpisce subito positivamente e proseguendo con la lettura si potrà conoscere meglio anche la sua storia e il suo passato. Una protagonista che mi è piaciuta molto, sia per il lato umano sia per le abilità di detective.
Un team che si trova a dover indagare su una serie di delitti compiuti da un serial killer che uccide le sue vittime come in un rituale, le sventra e le occulta dentro un laghetto. Lettura non per tutti perché i dettagli sono ben descritti, il contenuto non è sicuramente pensato per “palati delicati”.
Nonostante avessi sospettato del personaggio che più ho odiato nella storia non avrei mai immaginato chi fosse il killer e complice!😱
“L’unica cosa che conta è concentrarsi sulle cose importanti. C’è solo un modo di vivere la vita: guardando avanti, al futuro.”
4/5 ⭐️ (purtroppo non riesco a dare 5/5 per via dei nomi difficili da memorizzare)
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