SOSの猿

by Kōtarō Isaka, 伊坂 幸太郎

三百億円の損害を出した株の誤発注事件を追う「猿の話」。ひきこもりを悪魔祓いで治そうとする男の「私の話」。やがて交差する二つの話を孫悟空が自在に飛び回り、「ＳＯＳ」をめぐる問いかけが物語を深化する。世界最強の猿からユングまでを召還し、小説の可能性に挑戦した、著者入魂の記念碑的長篇！

420 pages, Paperback Bunko

First published November 26, 2009

About the author

Kōtarō Isaka (伊坂幸太郎, Isaka Koutarou) is a Japanese author of mystery fiction.

Isaka was born in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from the law faculty of Tohoku University, he worked as a system engineer. Isaka quit his company job and focused on writing after hearing Kazuyoshi Saito's 1997 song "Kōfuku na Chōshoku Taikutsu na Yūshoku", and the two have collaborated several times. In 2000, Isaka won the Shincho Mystery Club Prize for his debut novel Ōdyubon no Inori, after which he became a full-time writer.
In 2002, Isaka's novel Lush Life gained much critical acclaim, but it was his Naoki Prize-nominated work Jūryoku Piero (2003) that brought him popular success. His following work Ahiru to Kamo no Koin Rokkā won the 25th Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers.
Jūryoku Piero (2003), Children (2004), Grasshopper (2004), Shinigami no Seido (2005) and Sabaku (2006) were all nominated for the Naoki Prize.
Isaka was the only author in Japan to be nominated for the Hon'ya Taishō in each of the award's first four years, finally winning in 2008 with Golden Slumber. The same work also won the 21st Yamamoto Shūgorō Prize.

Reviews

[Angel 一匹狼 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really know what Isaka was trying to do here, with Son Goku, a young man who doesn't leave his room, a chorus that sings outside of a convenience store, an exorcist and one of the weirdest array of characters to grace his writing. But, even if probably the thing makes zero sense, it is strangely entertaining and, if you get into the story, it kind of makes sense. Without making sense.

The best: it is weird

The worst: the pace could have been improved; it feels like a nice attempt at something that fails to get where it was intending

Alternatives: "ゴールデンスランバー" ("Remote Control") is an easier to read and way more fun book by Isaka

6.5/10

(Japanese; original)

[BaiLing · Rating 2 out of 5]

兩個故事平行敘述，最後交集，砰！結束。

一個故事的敘事者，遠藤二郎，本來到義大利是準備學畫畫，卻變成學會驅魔的本事。回到日本後，除了當冷氣機的銷售員，另外就是幫人驅魔。故事一開始，二郎受託幫邊見姊拒學的兒子真人驅魔；另外的故事則是一個名叫五十嵐的中年男子，負責調查任職的電子公司所賣的程式，是否是造成營業員誤key金額與張數導致發生鉅額損失的主因。

接下來就看作者重施故技，把不搭嘎的兩件事情努力各自發展，然後在接近尾聲的時候，開始套套套的兜了起來。只是這回硬ㄠ了西遊記的角色，五十嵐會看到受調查的對象，在眼前幻化成西遊記裡角色的模樣，就像一般章回小說裡的「現出原形」。

就這樣天馬行空的繞來繞去，原來繭居族的真人可以看到未來，雖然不是百分百，但人物、事件九成以上不會有誤，五十嵐的故事早幾個月就由真人告訴了二郎，幾個月後，二郎找到五十嵐，敘事者換成了五十嵐，然後兩人一起應證了真人早先的預言。中心主旨：懲罰家暴者。

好像再也沒有最初那種看《重力小丑》時覺得悠然神往的心情，是作者的筆力變弱了？還是我的胃口味變重了？

啊！原來這書雖然是去年才在台灣出版的，但事實上是作者較早期的作品。好，那我就再給個機會，看看其他本書在來做「最後決定」吧！

[Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

見事な伏線回収。大きいのから小さいの迄。孫悟空とかいう現実味のあまりない登場人物も漫画家との共同制作ということで面白い味がでている。

[Kyoungjin Lim · Rating 3 out of 5]

奇妙な小説。なぜか孫悟空の登場のほうがリアリティっぽい。