≡ Libro In the Miso Soup Ryu Murakami Ralph F McCarthy 9784770029577 Books

In the Miso Soup Ryu Murakami Ralph F McCarthy 9784770029577 Books

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In the Miso Soup Ryu Murakami Ralph F McCarthy 9784770029577 Books

This will be a spoiler-free review, I promise. In the Miso Soup is about a murder running amok in the Japanese sex industry (according to the back cover). Now, I thought that this book would may be a) an edge-of-your-seat thriller, b) a sleazy, erotic look at Tokyo's underbelly, or even perhaps c) an American Psycho-esque satire of a time and place. Perhaps a combo of the above.
It's none of the above.
Every time this book begins to hint at something creepy, the pacing slows down, and we get long looks at awkward dialogue scenes that are mostly just strange, and irrelevant. The protagonist reacts strangely to everything that happens, which at first is intriguing--why is he so slow to act? Is it too much for him to process?--but by the end he still hasn't done anything or made any decisions, and the book ends without any questions answered.
There's one gory scene of violence and murder, but then it passes oddly into irrelevance, like much of the dialogue and and observations between characters. There's no sex (or anything sexy, really) in the story.
If you're hoping to find one of the three things I mentioned at the beginning of the review (suspense, eroticism, or satire), you'll find none of it here. If you're hoping for vaguely creepy and unsettling, then you've come to the right place.


Tags : In the Miso Soup [Ryu Murakami, Ralph F. McCarthy] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. It is just before New Year's. Frank, an overweight American tourist, has hired Kenji to take him on a guided tour of Tokyo's sleazy nightlife on three successive evenings. But Frank's behavior is so strange that Kenji begins to entertain a horrible suspicion: that his new client is in fact the serial killer currently terrorizing the city. It isn't until the second night,Ryu Murakami, Ralph F. McCarthy,In the Miso Soup,Kodansha USA,4770029578,asd65835,Literary,FICTION Literary,Fiction,Fiction - Mystery Detective,Modern fiction,Mystery & Detective - General

In the Miso Soup Ryu Murakami Ralph F McCarthy 9784770029577 Books Reviews

this was honestly terrifying and I wouldn't read it again... but it was great. It was gripping and there was great social commentary. If you're the type that can stomach violence, go for it. I don't regret the read, but it was admittedly hard to get through since I was a little sensitive to some of the content.
the "other murakami" does not get his due. his books are raw and primal yet philosophical. read the first page and you can finish it in one sitting. the tension he builds and the unpredictable, satisfying way in which this book develops is brilliant. be prepared for shock and awe.
Awesome suspesful book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You wont want to put it down, I finished it in two sitting it was that good. I couldnt get enough, I wish he would make more books based on the main character.
Very enjoyable novel, and probably my favorite by Ryu Murakami. The writing is very simple, and the story builds tension steadily until the end. It also offers a cogent critique of modern society which is just as relevant to the American reader as to the Japanese. Murakami is a master of ultraviolent writing it makes up a small part of the novel, as in his other novel Audition, and it works perfectly. Actually, the climax was legit uncomfortable to read. My heart was pounding, even after having read the book several times before. I rate this book 4 out of 5 severed ears.
The book starts pretty slow; not too much blood and guts as you would first suspect. But as you get further into the story the more uncomfortable it gets to read. At one point I didn't want to finish (in a good way). Really disturbing, the suspense at first seems to lead got nowhere but it really makes you connect with the Protagonists anxiety. Not for the faint of heart - it describes some sexual violence and of course gore.

Overall I enjoyed the book - BUT I probably wouldn't recommend to any of my friends bc they might look at me differently lol!
This was a really, really weird book.

It tells the story of Kenji, a tour guide for foreign tourists interested in experiencing Tokyo's nightlife. A serial killer has been attacking people across Tokyo, and Kenji becomes convinced that his newest client -- an American named Frank -- must be the murderer.

The beginning of the book was strange and uncomfortable in an excellent way, and I genuinely enjoyed reading it Murakami is able to make the reader squirm merely through describing Kenji's interactions with Frank in the seediest parts of Tokyo. It develops brilliantly for the first half -- only to completely fall apart for the second two-fifths of the novel. At that point, the novel devolves into a hyperviolence reminiscent of parody, and it completely loses its appeal, and I'm not sure if the author is serious or making fun of the reader. The book finishes well, returning to eerie discomfort, but that doesn't salvage it for me.

Overall, I recommend the book to those who are looking for a 'classic' thriller from Japan and aren't afraid of a little (a lot of) gore; it was certainly an interesting experience to read it.

Started May 24, 2016
Finished May 26, 2016

Rating 6/10
Well, to explain how I came upon this book, I read it for a college course on Japanese literature, specifically in the horror genre so I did not pick up the book on my own but I do not regret reading it at all. The pacing of the book is very well done in my opinion- I was able to read it all in one sitting without hardly feeling like I wanted to come to a stop. The translated narrator's voice was effective and the English diction still allowed the eerie mood to start with a great foundation right at the beginning of the piece. The imagery was powerful, in sometimes disturbing ways which not only kept the suspense but allowed for the building to the climax. I do not want to give any details away for the sake of the well written flow that gives the reader each detail slowly and methodically to lead to the shocking scene about halfway or so into the book so I will keep my details somewhat vague. I will say as a warning, this book does deal with the red light district of Tokyo and sexual services and does have graphic scenes of violence and gore. My only complaint about the book would be the cover of this version, which I think is in poor taste for the content. Other covers have a more reasonable cover but that is not on the piece itself. The ending of the novel is thoughtful and depends on the reader for the interpretation which goes well with the themes. If you are looking for a horror novel based in reality and you do not mind gore, then this is a great choice for an international horror novel which deals with themes such as foreigners in another country, sex, people's ability to connect to one another and murder.
This will be a spoiler-free review, I promise. In the Miso Soup is about a murder running amok in the Japanese sex industry (according to the back cover). Now, I thought that this book would may be a) an edge-of-your-seat thriller, b) a sleazy, erotic look at Tokyo's underbelly, or even perhaps c) an American Psycho-esque satire of a time and place. Perhaps a combo of the above.
It's none of the above.
Every time this book begins to hint at something creepy, the pacing slows down, and we get long looks at awkward dialogue scenes that are mostly just strange, and irrelevant. The protagonist reacts strangely to everything that happens, which at first is intriguing--why is he so slow to act? Is it too much for him to process?--but by the end he still hasn't done anything or made any decisions, and the book ends without any questions answered.
There's one gory scene of violence and murder, but then it passes oddly into irrelevance, like much of the dialogue and and observations between characters. There's no sex (or anything sexy, really) in the story.
If you're hoping to find one of the three things I mentioned at the beginning of the review (suspense, eroticism, or satire), you'll find none of it here. If you're hoping for vaguely creepy and unsettling, then you've come to the right place.