Tokyo prostitutes Yuriko and Kazue have been brutally murdered, their deaths leaving a wake of unanswered questions about who they were, who their murderer is, and how their lives came to this end. As their stories unfurl in an ingeniously layered narrative, coolly mediated by Yuriko’s older sister, we are taken back to their time in a prestigious girls’ high school—where a strict social hierarchy decided their fates — and follow them through the years as they struggle against rigid societal conventions.
Shedding light on the most hidden precincts of Japanese society today,Grotesque is both a psychological investigation into the female psyche and a work of noir fiction that confirms Natsuo Kirino’s electrifying gifts.
It's been a really long time since I did a book review. It's because I have been falling into a bad habit of stopping a book halfway through and not continuing it.
As such, Grotesque is the first book that I have managed to finished reading in these past 6 months.
That calls for a celebration, and a review, I suppose.
Grotesque's premise is without a doubt, extremely interesting. In fact, I borrowed the book from the library precisely because of its interesting premise, seeing as how I have been so bored with recent books that I gave up on finishing them.
The book is told from various perspectives: Yuriko's older sister (whom I have only realised at the end of the book, is unnamed), Yuriko (whose beauty is so great she could be regarded as a monster - I know this sounds ridiculous, but let's just go with it), Kazuo (a naive hard worker who is unfortunately slowly embroiled in prostitution) and Zhang (the murderer of Yuriko, and possibly, Kazuo).
Having the book told from different perspectives was really refreshing for various reasons.
First off, Yuriko's older sister is really annoying after a while. I probably would not be able to stand an entire book written in her perspective only. Yuriko's older sister is self-obsessed, inconsiderate and hypocritical. But then again, I guess this is all on purpose, as the book is essentially a study of characters and what drives them.
Having the book told from different perspectives also really put me into the minds of the characters. It allowed me to understand how they felt and why they did the things they do. The only 'diary' that I was truly skeptical about was probably Zhang's because it was written as a form of confession to be read out to court (where he was trialed). His accounts were also mis-matched with Kazuo's, though, that could also be explained by how things are interpreted and appear differently for different people.
Although I did not really understand some of the foolish actions some of the characters made, I did understand how it was possible for some of them to be so driven to do such extreme things. Some of them, like Kazuo, are very easily affected by things, such that they tend to magnify a single event and interpret it in exaggerated and warped ways. Though this may sound silly, I know that it is possible because I (and possibly most people) have experienced this before.
The characters take unreal actions that are guided by realistic emotions.
That is possibly the most interesting aspect of this book. Is it bravery/courage/stupidity/recklessness that drives them to express their emotions and vent frustrations in this way? Why won't normal people (like you or me) ever do something as extreme as the characters in the book? Is it because of the social norms? The difference in the circumstances surrounding us? The difference in the desperateness and despair of the situation?
The book offers an interesting look at how each character struggles to find some form of control and power over their own lives. Particularly, the book focuses on characters who are inevitably stuck in their fate and unable to crawl out.
For Yuriko, the fact that she is only pretty, with no other redeeming features such as brains.
For Yuriko's sister, the fact that she is always compared to Yuriko.
For Kazuo, the fact that no one acknowledges her hard work. Her hard work can never compensate for the world of power and connections.
For Zhang, the fact that he is a poor powerless immigrant, always scrimping and saving.
Some of them choose to embrace their innate fate (Yuriko), while others resist it in small ways (Kazuo and Zhang).
The book also has a few other notable characters with interesting developments: Kajima, Kajima sensei, Mizuki (not sure if this is her name.. haha)
All in all, the book was really interesting and mind-blowing (because of the way characters react).
The only disappointment was perhaps the ending of the book. It felt too rushed for me. There was also a lack of meaning behind the ending. Well, I guess it could have been reflective of how all the characters were all simply looking for a way to 'feel alive', whether in legal or illegal ways. However, the ending for Yuriko's sister did feel slightly awkward compared to the much more well-developed backgrounds of the other characters.
Rating: 6.5/10
Anyway, I recommend this book for bored readers (like me haha).
The plot is really interesting and the characters are intriguing enough. I could not help but sympathise with some of them. Read it for the characters rather than the plot, I guess.
However, it is only for mature readers (i.e. ages 16 and up) because of the material involved.
