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i_ex1st's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
picaselle's review
4.0
I have to say it's been a while since I read a book this quickly and with so much enthusiasm. I can't pinpoint what made me so fascinated but I just kept on turning a page after a page.
Tsutsui paints a unique vision of hell, free from the usual gore. In the novel the line between the world we live in and hell is blurred. The more we get to know the numerous characters that appear in it, the more the two worlds merge together. It goes to such an extent that at the end of the book, one may feel that hell is really just something we create on our own. There's no need for burning infernos and endless suffering after death since we can experience all of it while we're still alive.
I really enjoyed the surreal feeling of this novel. It was well-written and even if the narration kept jumping from character to character, I think it wasn't hard to keep up. However, some of the characters weren't fleshed out enough. We only got a glimpse of who they were and I wish I had learned more about them as some really made me curious. Still, it's the biggest complain I have about this novel.
All in all, even if not perfect, I think this book is worth reading. It's definitely quite enjoyable.
Tsutsui paints a unique vision of hell, free from the usual gore. In the novel the line between the world we live in and hell is blurred. The more we get to know the numerous characters that appear in it, the more the two worlds merge together. It goes to such an extent that at the end of the book, one may feel that hell is really just something we create on our own. There's no need for burning infernos and endless suffering after death since we can experience all of it while we're still alive.
I really enjoyed the surreal feeling of this novel. It was well-written and even if the narration kept jumping from character to character, I think it wasn't hard to keep up. However, some of the characters weren't fleshed out enough. We only got a glimpse of who they were and I wish I had learned more about them as some really made me curious. Still, it's the biggest complain I have about this novel.
All in all, even if not perfect, I think this book is worth reading. It's definitely quite enjoyable.
littlesundae's review
3.0
First, this is more of an experience than a linear story. There isn't any notable horror, it's more of a slow meander through one interpretation of hell while briefly meeting a few characters within it. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, it's just not the impression I got from the blurb. On the topic of the misleading blurb, I didn't find it 'witty' or 'amusing', but it did have a dream-like quality. It is also quite short, so if this sounds vaguely interesting I would recommend giving it a go.
I would also recommend anyone with a poor short term memory grab a bit of paper and write down the names and key details of characters otherwise the seamlessly shifting perspective can get quite disorientating!
I would also recommend anyone with a poor short term memory grab a bit of paper and write down the names and key details of characters otherwise the seamlessly shifting perspective can get quite disorientating!
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