A Caring Man

by Akira Arai, Mark Adler (Translator)

Tokyo, 2011. An unknown terrorist group has destroyed an iconic landmark in the Japanese capital, signaling the start of a series of attacks that the group's enigmatic leader promises will culminate in a "Final Event" -- a massacre of unprecedented proportions. With no leads to work with aside from the ingeniously devised detonators used in the first bombing, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police is forced to contemplate the grim possibility of international terrorists targeting Japan, but one detective has a hunch that the perpetrators are to be found much closer to home…

Part psychological thriller, part fantasy horror, A Caring Man is film producer and author Akira Arai's richly imagined exploration of violence and social ennui -- tale filled with compellingly drawn characters that offers a unique glimpse into the dark heart of modern Japanese society.

Genres: Japan

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2011

Reviews

[Tenma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly underrated... Book description is completely off the mark. A "caring man" is the literal translation of the Chinese characters in "Yoshio", the name of the young psychopath in the novel who commits heinous crimes. The novel alternates between yoshio's life and upbringing, and police investigation into a series of criminal incidents. This book has a very similar feel to the detective novels of Seicho Matsumoto albeit with modern themes.

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately I'm leaving this book completely unsure how I feel about it. Odd to open even a short book review with that, I know, but I had hopes that this would grip my interest more than it did after I'd initially read the summary. And the parts concerning the protag photojournalist and the antagonist were fantastic! But everything with the police investigations and technical details was something of a slog and my attention kept skipping all over the page during those parts.

All in all, this isn't a terrible read. If you like mystery thrillers and crime books, I think it's worth giving a shot, especially if you're looking to try more translated novels. But I don't know if it has much re-read value, and I have come out of it unsure how I feel, and I think that's enough cause for me to tell most people to not get their hopes up high with this book.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading. It was a slow burn to start I felt, but that was setting the foundations for the finale which didn’t disappoint.
I wouldn’t have minded a different ending, once you read you will understand, but still very enjoyable and one I will no doubt read again.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know what to think of this book. kept me reading till mid way though, but did end up finishing the book. Always looking for authors from other countries. It was an interesting read.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure what I think of this novel. Really.

[Sae-chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The picture of people flying...dying...