A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Natsuo kirino born in kanazawa, ishikawa prefecture is the pen name of mariko hashioka, a japanese novelist and a leading figure in the recent boom of female writers of japanese detective fiction. Author natsuo kirino won japans top mystery award for this novel, which smashes the perception of japan as a society of either anal, workfocused drones or trendy ginza teens. Natsuo kirino interviewed by andrew duncan natsuo kirino began her career in 1984 as a romance novelist, but established herself as a daring and groundbreaking mystery author during the early 1990s. A potent cocktail of urban blight, perverse feminism and vigilante justice. Facing the daily burdens of slavish work conditions, stale marriages, and a society refusing to show them a proper respect, the women on the nightshift at a suburban tokyo factory are all looking for one thing a way out. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, out ofprint treasures. Natsuo kirino, born in 1951, quickly established a reputation in japan as one of a rare breed of crime writer whose work goes well beyond the conventional crime novel. Stephen poole finds natsuo kirinos out a grisly and preposterous affair. Natsuo kirinos grotesque new novel celebrated japanese crime writer natsuo kirino made her american debut in 2005, when the novel out was translated into english, and became a finalist for an. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Bibliography, and a list of books by author natsuo. Out by natsuo kirino, translated by stephen snyder 520pp, vintage.
She has two brothers, one who is six years older and one who is five years younger. With volcanic urgency, kirinos story erupts onto the page with a searing heat, flowing like lava to a remarkable finish. Still, out is a solid thriller a bit messy, overfull, and long, but with enough thats worthwhile to justify most of that. March 20, 2007 celebrated japanese crime writer natsuo kirino made her american debut in 2005. I like love to read, and recommend most of the titles to everybody.
Natsuo kirino books list of books by author natsuo kirino. The grandiose selfpity and sheer foolishness of these kids is believable but frustrating. Unwrap a complete list of books by natsuo kirino and find books available for swap. Natsuo kirinos out is a startling look at the fictional lives of ordinary japanese women. Copeland, professor of japanese literature at washington university in st. Worm, the cipher at the center of natsuo kirinos disquieting and suspenseful novel real world and a juvenile killer on the run, is directing terauchi, one of. Several of her books have also been turned into feature movies.
Out is a 1997 japanese crime novel written by japanese author natsuo kirino and published in english in 2004. Burdened with chores and heavy debts and isolated from husbands and children, they all secretly dream of a way out of their deadend lives. Masako works in a bento boxedlunch factory on the night shift with her workmates yoshi, kuniko and yayoi. Nothing in japanese literature prepares us for the stark, tensionfilled, plotdriven realism of natsuo kirinos awardwinning literary mystery out. In the tokyo suburbs four women work the draining graveyard shift at a boxedlunch. In its depiction of four japanese housewives employed on the graveyard shift at a boxedlunch factory in a dreary suburb of tokyo, out presents a land and a people far removed from. This mesmerizing novel tells the story of a brutal murder in the staid tokyo suburbs, as a young mother who works the night shift making boxed lunches strangles her abusive husband and then seeks the help of her coworkers to dispose of the body and cover up her crime. Every character in my book would have some flaw in her makeup. Out was the first of her novels to appear in english and was nominated for an edgar award. Her 1997 book out is by no means new, but for a firsttime reader it still leaps from the page with an arresting freshness.
Nothing in japanese literature prepares us for the stark, tensionfilled, plotdriven realism of natsuo kirino s awardwinning literary mystery out. Grotesque by natsuo kirino is also supposed to be good speaking of thrillers, i was looking at your tbr piles and noticed in the woods by tana french, which reminded me that i have been desperate to read it for a while so im going to pick it up from the library next week as they have it in stock. But you will find also some spanish, german and japanese versions. Natsuo kirino, born in 1951 in kanazawa ishikawa prefecture was an active and spirited child brought up between her two brothers. There is an effect that all thrillers shoot for but only a few hit. She has graciously consented to an email interview with three guys one book. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Special thanks are due to ms kirino and also to ayako akaogi for the translation of the questions to japanese and. This mesmerizing novel tells the story of a brutal murder in the staid tokyo suburbs, as a young mother who works the night shift making boxed lunches strangles her abusive husband and then seeks the help of her. She is the recipient of six of japans premier literary awards, including the mystery writers of japan award for out, and the izum. After completing her law degree, kirino worked in various fields including scheduling and organizing films to be shown in a movie theater, and working as an editor and writer for a magazine publication. Out, the recipient of japans top mystery award in 1998, is her first work to be published in english. These four unassuming women are the heroines of natsuo kirinos novel out, winner of japans top mystery prize and a 300,000 copies bestseller.
Natsuo kirino is the penname of mariko hashioka, born in 1951, a prolific crimewriter most famous for her 1997 novel out, published in english translation in 2004. Written by natsuo kirino, one of japans most popular writers, out won japans grand prix for crime fiction and was an edgar award finalist for best mystery novel in the united states. Kirino doesnt quite manage the worldturnedinsideout aspect, and the shifting perspectives get to be a bit much too, especially when she doesnt shift as much in the end specifically to satake. When you first begin reading this 500 page book, it seems a little slow telling the tale of the charmless lives of these industrial monkeys as they fill their hours chucking ingredients into boxed. A prolific writer, she is most famous for her 1997 novel, out, which received the grand prix for crime fiction, japans top. Natsuo kirino has written a crimemystery novel, out, thats about as brutal and hardedged as anything ive ever read. Pdf out book by natsuo kirino free download 400 pages. This fact has been demonstrated by her winning not only japans top mystery award, for out, but one of its major literary awards, the naoki prize, for soft cheeks, followed by. For the past 15 years being able to read english i usually bought english versions.
The issues she addresses in the novel are both depressingly urgent and familiar, and kirino is a masterful psychoanalyst of her. In the tokyo suburbs four women work the draining graveyard shift at a boxedlunch factory. Natsuo kirino, kirino natsuo born october 7, 1951, in kanazawa, ishikawa prefecture is the pen name of mariko hashioka, a japanese novelist and a leading figure in the recent boom of female writers of japanese detective fiction. It tells the story of four japanese women who get embroiled in a deepening spiral of violence that both brings them together and forever renders them alone in the world. Natsuo kirino is currently considered a single author. Natsuo kirino has 52 books on goodreads with 100958 ratings. We deliver the joy of reading in 100% recycled packaging with free standard shipping on u. Natsuo kirino, born in 1951, is the author of sixteen novels, four shortstory collections, and an essay collection. Discover book depositorys huge selection of natsuo kirino books online.
Her father was an architect and thus she grew up in several cities. Kirino takes her tale to the very edge, then unflinchingly goes over it. I n bestselling japanese crime writer natsuo kirinos first novel to be. Natsuo kirino answered the question long before the millennium trilogy was even drafted. The novel won the 51st mystery writers of japan award for best novel. Crime and punishment meets a simple planyet in the end kirino manages her banal heroines descent into hell like no one youve ever read. It is her first novel to be published in the english language. Although there is hardly any sex, there is plenty of dark, strange plot twists. Natsuo kirino, born in 1951 in kanazawa ishikawa prefecture was an active and spirited child brought up between her two brothers, one being six years older and the other five years younger than her. The story begins innocently enough as we meet four women who work together on the night shift at the local boxedlunch factory. Out is a 1997 japanese crime novel written by japanese author natsuo kirino and.
Out, by natsuo kirino georgia straight vancouvers news. In natsuo kirinos wonderful crime novel, out, a sharp social commentary on japans patriarchal society and the situation for women and foreigners is tangled up with loan sharks, gambling, the yakuza and murder. The western market for japanese fiction and movies prefers its products laced with sex and ultraviolence, and its even. Natsuo kirino is the author of the recently released the goddess chronicle, from canongate books, as well as bestselling crime fiction such as out, grotesque, and real world. The book is currently published by vintage, part of random house, in britain and has been translated into english by stephen. Grotesque by kirino, natsuo and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. If you think the women on desperate housewives are out there, wait until you read this book. Grotesque by natsuo kirino abebooks passion for books. There are a number of crimes after that, and you know who commits them too. The first edition of the novel was published in 1997, and was written by natsuo kirino. I am hoping to read this one over the coming months. Out by natsuo kirino is a murder mystery even though you know who the killer is in the first fifty pages, which is when the first crime gets committed.
In natsuo kirinos out, a story of mayhem in industrial tokyo, the strangeness oozes as much from the cadence of the translators prose as from the gory details of dismemberment and torture. Out is a psychologically taut and unflinching foray into the darkest recesses of the human soul, an unsettling reminder that the desperate desire for freedom can make the most ordinary person do the unimaginable. Dramatic as the plot is, however, its the penetration of kirinos insight into her characters and their capacity to keep surprising each other that linger longest in this grimly satisfying tale. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. But murder and horror become especially eerie when the story emerges from an unknown tongue and an unfamiliar society.
Does the queen of japanese crime cut it in english. The desire to take away their texting privileges and send them to bed without supper quickly. Written by natsuo kirino, one of japans most popular writers, out won japans grand prix for. Yet before out is over, one of them will have murdered her husband, two will embark on a sickening business venture, and one will be dead.