Grotesque by Natsuo KirinoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A novel whose characters are deceptive, delusional, jealous and confused gives the reader an abundance of voyeuristic material to weed through. Tackling beauty, sexuality, and merit among families and friends within Japanese society. Also, the main character and her sister are mixed race, (half-Swiss, half-Japanese) this may be the first Japanese novel I read that tackles "haffu" as a theme and includes Western characters with significant roles.
The book is a manifestation of the narrator, her monologue about her "monstrously" beautiful sister and those she's affected. Included are the sister's journals, a classmate's journals, and the confession of her murderer. All these accounts align with each other, hearing dual sides of the story, where each person's perception immediately falls into question. Sex and prostitution act as weapons against the authority of men but not without its consequences.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment