In the Miso Soup

After reading several books written by Japanese authors, e.g. Haruki Murakami (“Norwegian Wood”, “Kafka on the Shore”), Natsuo Kirino (“Out”) and now Ryu Murakami (“69”), I come to a conclusion that their stories are so…..bizarre, eerie and beyond my imagination. Well, Japanese always amaze me.

This book is ’very dark’. Ryu Murakami, the author succeeds in presenting this most sadistic thriller. The story is about 3 days journey of Kenji a 20-year-old-guy and Frank, a middle-aged-American-guy. Frank agrees to hire Kenji for three days. He wants to explore night life in Tokyo.

Since the first day of their journey, Kenji feels that something wrong about Frank. He doesn’t know what but his queer attitude put Kenji in a prejudice that his client could be a cruel murderer that recently wandering and terrorizing the town.

Beside the sadistic stories, this novel also elaborate many touching things, such as: the alienation, the identity lost, culture and moral corruption that spread all over Japanese people.

If you are a thriller freak, this book is really a good choice to grab.