왕과 서커스

by Honobu Yonezawa, 요네자와 호노부, 김선영 (Translator)

2016년 미스터리 랭킹 1위를 휩쓴 요네자와 호노부의 미스터리 장편소설. 2001년 네팔에서 실제 일어난 왕실 살인 사건을 모티프로 쓴 작품이다. 본격 미스터리로서의 재미는 물론, 기자라는 직업에 대한 사명감, 저널리즘에 대한 신념을 뒤흔들며, 다치아라이, 그리고 우리 독자들에게 '앎'과 '전하는 것'에 대한 의미에 대해 강렬한 물음을 던지는 작품이다.

황태자가 왕고 왕비를 포함해 여덟 명을 살해한 잔혹한 사건이 벌어진다. 때마침 마을에 머무르던 기자 다치아라이는 사건의 진실을 알아내기 위해 취재를 시작한다. 하지만 어렵사리 만난 정보원이 다음날 사체로 발견되는데…. '밀고자'라는 단어가 새겨진 사체는 과연 왕실 살인 사건과 어떤 연관이 있는 것인가.

Genres: Fiction, Japanese Literature, Novels, Mystery

536 pages, Hardcover

First published July 29, 2015

About the author

Honobu Yonezawa (米澤穂信), Yonezawa Honobu, born 1978) loved making up stories even as a child and began writing fiction at the age of 14. By the time he got to university he was posting stories on his own website. After graduation he continued writing while working in a bookstore, and first got into print in 2001 when Hyoka (Ice Cream), a YA mystery novel he submitted for the Kadokawa School Novel Prize competition, earned an honorable mention. Sayonara yosei (Farewell, Sprite), a critically acclaimed story of the relationship between Japanese high-school boys and a girl from war-torn Yugoslavia, helped cement his reputation when it was published in 2004. Since then he has been a regular presence on lists of the year's best mysteries. Oreta ryukotsu (Broken Keel) won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Novels in 2011. Though known especially for his distinctive and fresh blending of the tale of youth with the whodunit, Yonezawa has also made forays into science fiction, as with 2006’s Botorunekku (Bottleneck) and 2007’s Inshitemiru (Try Indulging), a sinister "murder game" story. In 2013 he published the novel Rikashiburu (Recursible). He is a leading figure among Japan's younger generation of mystery writers.

source：http://www.booksfromjapan.jp/authors/...

Reviews

[CJ Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the real strengths of this book are the atmosphere/ setting and the moral dilemmas the main character faces about journalistic integrity. The letter especially is explored in a really interesting way, where the MC continually questions whether they are negatively affecting the country they are writing about or not doing enough to help the objects of her writing (a la “the Vulture and the Little Girl”). The mystery is serviceable for the most part, but I think the author tries to tie too many people into the mystery that it gets kinda convoluted. The ending is really satisfying (in a way that it is specifically an unsatisfying ending, leaving a lot of unrest on purpose). I would say that as much research the author did on this in terms of political-cultural aspects of Nepal, that the treatment of drugs (namely marijuana) in the novel seems to be from a far too “Japanese” perspective, leading to some plot points being super unrealistic for me.

[ツバキ · Rating 5 out of 5]

非常好看。

故事描述身為自由記者的主角來到尼泊爾，卻正好遇到王室被殺的事件。查了一下發現這是發生在2001年的真實事件，國王一家被殺，被認為是兇手的王儲也自殺生命垂危，後續因為王儲也逝世，導致疑點無法解析而成了懸案，並有各種陰謀論，而尼泊爾後續也廢除君主制改為民主共和國。

畢竟這是本推理小說，本來還很期待對於這個王室殺人事件，說不定作者會提出自己的解釋，結果沒想到主角解決的事發生在自己身邊的尼泊爾軍人被殺事件，難怪王室一家的名字是用真名，不用怕有人抗議。

因為舞台在尼泊爾，所以故事中可以體會外國風情，我還因此認識了一些尼泊爾的食物，對這個國家也產生了一點興趣，這部分其實滿有旅遊小說的氛圍。至於推理部分，老實說我常常覺得米澤書中的事件，有時候即使偵探推理完了，我也不見得有被說服，因為他書中角色有時候想法有點獨特，不是很接近常人，但是本作的殺人事件倒是我可以理解跟接受的事情。

我覺得個有意思的是書中讓身為記者的主角被質疑她的工作意義，而書名的馬戲團就由此而來，的確，不是發生在自己身上的悲劇是一種吸引人的娛樂，這麼一來揭露事實的記者的確就像是馬戲團長般。犯人的話與直到最後才顯現出來的惡意，讓後半段的氛圍突然一變，但我還是很喜歡這個故事，讀完真的有種與主角一同到尼泊爾旅行一趟的感覺。

後來發現這個主角其實也同時是米澤另一個作品的主角，所以沒意外的話應該會順便補完那本吧？

老實說我一直是對不太上米澤電波的人，之前唯一有對上電波的應該是《折斷的龍骨》吧。所以其實滿意外會喜歡這本書，而且是在我讀完開頭一小段就有預感自己會喜歡這本書。

[Shirlee Chia · Rating 5 out of 5]

這是一本讓人深思的書。記者對於這個社會來說是必要的。他們扮演了傳播資訊的重要角色。他們篩選，他們創造，他們傳播。他們以筆尖為武器，捍衛正義，警惡懲奸。

這是他們職業的光明面。

太刀洗她是一名記者，她有著這樣的理想，這樣的光明面。但面對小男孩和軍人的質疑她無從回答。不是所有的記者都做了對的選擇。掌握傳播資訊的能力同時也肩負了人們命運的責任。而為了寫出有震撼力的報導就必須有個主題。過勞死員工背後的經營者，經營者背後的家人，甚至其他員工。因與果環環相扣，一篇報導就能引起軒然大波再引起蝴蝶效應。

太刀洗在關鍵的時刻做了對的選擇。但她能在她的記者生涯中一直都做對的選擇嗎？有多少媒體人能胸有成竹地說自己沒有愧對任何人？

說得極端一些，在這個資訊膨脹到爆炸的時代，這個世界盡在一掌中的時代，有誰又是清白的？哪怕是在輿論聲中選了一邊，義憤填膺地跟著喊了一聲（點了個讚）也都是有影響的。

是不是記者也好，能否用筆尖殺人於無形也好，能時時謹言慎行最好。

[Joseph Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

非常好看。不但推理過程嚴謹有趣，能結合尼泊爾的歷史，也探討了記者採訪所帶來的社會和道德問題。兩者配合得相當巧妙。米澤穗信是閱讀的信心保證。

[Bunnie]

异国旅行的氛围和心境描写得很好。对新闻的思考颇有深度。对历史感兴趣可能就是从十多年前看再见妖精开始的。

[Yasuo Itoh · Rating 5 out of 5]

フリーランスの記者となった太刀洗万智。ネパールのカトマンズで王の一家が殺される事件に巻き込まれる。万智はネパールの軍人の一人に接触することに成功。だがその軍人は殺害され、遺体を晒される。犯人はもちろん意外な人なのだが、その謎解きなんかどうでもいいと思わせるほどのミステリがネパールという国に潜んでいる。また、最後に意外な人物が、思いもよらない秘めた感情に胸を締め付けられる。いや、本当は気づかなければならないのかもしれない。正論が人々を不幸にすることに。ジャーナリストとなった万智には正論を語るしかない。真実と正義を報じるしかない。ジャーナリストの仕事の苦悩も本書では味わえる。