Yeah, there's another Japanese writer who's last name is Murakami. Nope, he's not related to Haruki Murakami (let's call him H and the author of this book R). But H has cited R as one of the only Japanese writers he's been consciously influenced by, one of the only ones he enjoys reading. So obviously I had to read him. And I can definitely see the influence. The simple, direct writing is more similar to H's prose than any other Japanese writers I've encountered so far. But it's got none of that weird little glimmer that makes H's writing have it's own form of beauty. So though it kept me engaged throughout the novel, it did nothing further. As for the actual story: In what universe did this seem remotely ok to anybody? Like, wow, forty year old man who needs a wife, let's just hold an audition for attractive twenty year old women. That's clearly the normal course of action (do you hear the sarcasm dripping from my voice?). And yeeeaaahh, I get it. It's supposed to be over the top, she turns out not to be the meek little ballerina he was counting on (things get real weird and real gross real fast). But every single female in this novel is objectified to a disgusting degree (even Aoyame's dead wife). And I'm sure (or at least, I fervently hope) that part of it is supposed to be satirical, but the line is just too blurry and I'm equally sure that it treads into actual misogyny way too often. It's very difficult to sympathize with anyone in the novel. Basically I'm not impressed. One of the few books where you can say that the movie was better. The gory stuff doesn't happen until the very last chapter. And, unlike the movie, where you had no idea what was going to happen, the author drops all these clunky hints along the way. I'm sorry, but that's terrible writing. Like when the characters saw the kid in the wheelchair and the kid freaks out when he sees the woman... that should have been enough of a hint. You don't then write that the main character "had no idea what horrors were to come." That's not how you do suspense, bud. It should be way subtler.
What do You think about Audicija (2006)?
the rare time that a movie is better than a book. Still good and worth a read.
—deeppurplecutie
Truyện rất ngắn và cái twist hay khủng khiếp.
—Gerry
