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Out

By Natsuo Kirino, Stephen Snyder (Translator)

(63)

| Paperback | 9780099472285

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Book Description

Nothing in the sometimes hazy history of Japanese literature prepares us for the stark, tension-filled, plot-driven realism of Natsuo Kirino's award-winning mystery OUT, a work that took the Japanese literary scene by storm and continues to haunt the popular consciousness as a recently released majoContinue

Nothing in the sometimes hazy history of Japanese literature prepares us for the stark, tension-filled, plot-driven realism of Natsuo Kirino's award-winning mystery OUT, a work that took the Japanese literary scene by storm and continues to haunt the popular consciousness as a recently released major motion picture.

Kirino's novel tells a story of random violence in the staid Tokyo Suburbs, as a young mother who works a night shift making boxed lunches brutally strangles her dead-beat husband and then seeks the help of her co-workers to dispose of the body and cover up her crime.

The ringleader of this cover-up, Masako Katori, emerges as the emotional heart of OUT and as one of the shrewdest, most clear-eyed creations in recent fiction. Masako's own search for a way OUT of the straitjacket of a dead-end life leads her, too, to take drastic action.

The complex yet riveting narrative seamlessly combines a convincing glimpse into the grimy world of Japan's yakuza with a brilliant portrayal of the psychology of a violent crime and the ensuing game of cat-and-mouse between seasoned detectives and a group of determined but inexperienced criminals. Kirino has mastered a "Thelma and Louise" kind of graveyard humor that illuminates her stunning evocation of the pressures and prejudices that drive women to extreme deeds and the friendship that bolsters them in the aftermath.

OUT shows its author to be Japan's finest mystery writer as well as one of the most astute observers of contemporary society, revealing, in the course of its gripping pages, the fears, hopes, and obsessions that drive a complex country.

Critics

  • Murder sushi wrote

    Out by Natsuo Kirino, translated by Stephen Snyder 520pp, Vintage, £6.99 The western market for Japanese fiction and movies prefers its products laced with sex and ultraviolence, and it's even better if the killing and maiming is committed by women, ... (read full critics)

    guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

  • Out

    OUT is the first English translation of a work by Japan's "Queen of Crime" OUT. One hopes more translations of her work will follow if OUT is typical of her work. Set in the working class underbelly of Tokyo's sprawling suburbs OUT makes a compelling ... (read full critics)

    asianreviewofbooks published on Wed, 1 Sep 2010

5 Reviews

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  • 1 person find this helpful

    A thriller about a gruesome murder in Tokyo. It depicts the dark side of human nature and the bottom social class in the Japanese society. A great story.

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    Tiny said on Apr 28, 2006 | Add your feedback

  • Extremly thrilling !! The writer made excellent con in character portrayal. The book is not about justice or humanity, it's about how desperation can turn your life upside down. May a person really cross the line when he/she is devastated ?? Read it and think about the issue.

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    Chloe Ho said on Oct 25, 2011 | Add your feedback

  • Japan - present

    I am still not sure what to think of this book... Yes, it is well written and the characters are described in depth, but the actions are grottesque and unbelievable (and cruel!). I didn't like the end at all.

    Characters: Masako, Yayoi, Kuniko, Yoshie

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    Mati said on Jun 15, 2010 | Add your feedback

  • Lost In Translation

    I was leant this novel by a friend - and was ultimately disappointed. It came recommended as 'the best book he'd ever read'. He can't of read many books. It's a bit turgid.

    Most books start well, dip in the middle and pound home to a strong finish. This is the exact opposite to those books. It ... (continue)

    I was leant this novel by a friend - and was ultimately disappointed. It came recommended as 'the best book he'd ever read'. He can't of read many books. It's a bit turgid.

    Most books start well, dip in the middle and pound home to a strong finish. This is the exact opposite to those books. It opens with a sluggish start, gets a bit interesting in the middle with a curveball and drops to a flaccid finish with a few apologies and an 'I'm sorry, this usually doesn't happen to me'.

    All I can say is there are far better books available. I guess it's definitely not the worst book I've read though.

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    Kieran Delaney said on Jul 8, 2009 | Add your feedback

  • Out

    This is a book that will stick with you for a while - extremely dark, but extremely riveting.

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    Readingrat said on Nov 27, 2007 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

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