Reviewed by Sin - Popular Hits of the Showa Era

POPULAR HITS OF THE SHOWA ERA
by Ryu Murakami
Amazon link


"Popular Hits of the Show Era" is about unlikable people doing horrible things to each other. It is also one of the funniest novels I have ever read. Written by Ryu Murakami, of "Almost Transparent Blue" and "The Audition" fame, it tells the story of two groups of people: six young men and six older women. The young men have no lives, outside of peeping and karaoke, and the women aren't any better. There wouldn't be much to say about their lives worth reading if they hadn't started killing each other.

It starts on an impulse. One of the young men, armed with a hard-on and no common sense, kills one of the women. Rather than go to the police, her friends discuss a course of action amongst themselves. Soon there's another dead body, and another murder being plotted. Hilarity, and more murder, ensue as Murakami gets inside each character's head and shows you that even the biggest losers can become heros - if only in their own minds. Set against the backdrop of Tokyo, Japan, this is a comedy for everyone with a dark sense of humor.

Reviewed by Sin - "Piercing"

"Piercing"
by Ryu Murakami (English translation)






Gore: Done with visceral finesse

Sex: Dirty in all the right places

Angst: Like an ice pick to the gut


I read this book in one night, and the next night I went out and bought "Almost Transparent Blue" (also by Ryu Murakami). I read that one last night, went online and bought "In the Miso Soup." As soon as I get another coupon from BORDERS, I'll go buy "69." Though I am pounding these novels like fast food cheeseburgers, rest assured this is not literary fast food. "Piercing" is a fantastic, complex tale about the steps some people take to keep their lives together.

The story centers around a young man named Kawashima, and a very simple premise: he is afraid that he is going to stab his newborn daughter with an ice pick. For ten nights in a row he looms over the crib, ice pick in hand, and tells himself it would never happen. Except he knows that it might, and that would be bad. He had a good job, a wonderful wife, and a bright future. Why throw that away, when he can be proactive about finding a solution?

The story starts out quiet and contemplative, during which we get to know Kawashima extremely well. He is a complicated person, who I found easy to sympathize with. Others may disagree. As his story progresses, Kawashima's well laid plans unwind slowly then unravel, as present events intertwine with old memories and deep psychological wounds. The second half of the novel is as brutal, and has a rare treat: a ending I truly didn't see coming.

Of course, one always worries with novels translated from other languages. I didn't see any red flags while I was reading, and my gut tells me "Piercing" was translated with extreme care. I recommend this to anyone who is into psychological horror, and anyone who thinks Japan can be summed up by anime and Hello Kitty. Every country bleeds. All you need is someone to show you where.