Grotesque

Few books start with a crackerjack opening; Lolita, Anna Karenina, The Journalist and the Murderer and Tale of Two Cities are the only other ones I know of. This is the 5th. And for a while she reuses the opening idea when other characters are introduced. An innovative technique. That is, she's wal......more

If you are coming into this book expecting a mystery novel then I’m sorry to tell you that you are likely to be disappointed. This book shows a different face to mystery, more than the circumstantial kind, it offers something deeper, darker. It probes beyond merely what happens and dives into the in......more

THE THREE LEVELS, OR, READING NOVELS IN TRANSLATION Manny Rayner, peerless reviewmeister of Goodreads, insists that you should learn the language and then read the novels; all translation is ba-a-a-ad! I can’t disagree and if I had a machine which could stop time, I would certainly follow this advice......more

Normally when you think of Japan, the things that come to your mind would be manga, kawaii, hello kitty, polite people, sushi, cosplay, etc, etc and all that fun stuff. This book will definitely crush some of the stereotypes regarding Japanese society. This definitely isn’t a book for everyone as it......more

Recently, in a coffee shop near my home, I overheard one teenage boy intimating to another that if he were to ever marry it would not be to an American woman but a Japanese one because, “… they’re pretty, submissive, and just plain happy to be women.” Noting that more than a few eyelids batted at th......more