PositiveThe Japan Times (Japan)Onda plays with ideas of attraction, truth and memory like building blocks: one piece on top of another in a carefully constructed tower. The chapters stack up in increasingly precarious constructions that defy expectations as the author moves through genres ... The first two chapters reveal that Aki and Hiro are both determined to force the other to confess their crime. It’s a powerful setup, and Onda’s choice to swap perspectives, alternating between narrators each chapter, adds to the tension as the two protagonists probe for what really happened in the mountains ... In the third act, Onda once again switches genres as the novel confronts societal taboos and reads more as a philosophical dialogue on desire and self-actualization. To say much more spoils one of the great pleasures of the story — the novel may be compact in page count but overflows with thoughtful implications.
Kikuko Tsumura, trans. by Polly Barton
RaveJapan Times (JPN)Taking her place among a growing number of exceptional female writers in Japan, Tsumura deftly handles work habits and relationships, stereotypes and expectations for success, all of which are set against a repetitious, unending search for what is valuable and valued. The novel unfolds as a profound meditation on contemporary society and what makes work meaningful ... part of the novel’s appeal lies in the narrator’s distinct worldview and her deadpan humor that allows the surreal, metaphysical connections in the novel to bubble beneath the surface of her seemingly dull, day-to-day existence ... It’s the kind of novel that presents a swathe of tangled threads, trusting the reader to weave together the connections on their own. After the last page, I immediately started again, excited to unravel the nuances of each section.
Sayaka Murata, tr. Ginny Tapley Takemori
RaveJapan TimesTakemori has indeed rendered a bona fide page-turner, but the novel also retains the idiosyncratic lightness of Murata’s distinctive style. \'She has such a unique voice and she’s so nonjudgmental of her own characters,\' says Takemori. \'She presents them and lets the reader decide. Even though the novel says so many dark, important things about society and families, and how they can unknowingly facilitate abuse, it’s all so layered and cleverly revealed.\' As Natsuki, her husband and Yuu struggle to break free from \'the factory\' of Earthling society, even at its most heavy-handed moments, Murata’s use of repetition and subtle persuasion echoes the psychological playbook of cults, and her critical eye on society is sharp.
Owen Matthews
RaveThe Japan TimesSorge’s story remains largely unknown to the Western world, but that’s likely to change with a remarkable new biography ... It’s the first comprehensive English biography on the spy in 20 years, and the first to include Russian sources ... The narrative delivers on several fronts. It enthralls as a comprehensive study of Sorge ... More than just the study of one man, however, Matthews’ work resonates due to his meticulous recreation of the people and contexts that colored Sorge’s wild orbit ... It’s an absorptive read into the political past with uncomfortable parallels to our present ... the book also entertains. Add Matthews’ journalistic eye for detail, historian’s emphasis on context and creative turn of phrase...and it’s no wonder it was named one of The Times’ of London’s most anticipated nonfiction books of 2019 ... Long heralded in the espionage world, Sorge may finally gain recognition with a wider audience. It’s about time, thanks to this impeccable new biography.
