I finished this about one o'clock yesterday morning, and it's had quite a profound effect on me - even more so than the movie, in a lot of ways. Has anyone else read it?
Initial thoughts:
- It's a love story, in the purest sense. A meditation on relationships, trust, friendship and self-sacrifice. The need to demonstrate your love for people when you can, because they won't be around forever. It's so hard to love.
- It's even more of a character piece than the movie. I'm a huge sucker for three-dimensional characterisation, and some of Takami's creations are unforgettable. Hiroki Sugimura, for example. He could have been one of the kids with the highest chances of winning the game if he'd chosen to play (his martial arts abilities coupled with the scanner in his day pack). Instead he haunts recent battle sites, looking for the girl he loves and risking his life to help whoever he comes across. Mitsuko Souma is humanised throughout the text, even becoming sympathetic in the closing chapters (I understand some of her story is restored in the special edition of the movie). Shinji Mimura is the man, clever and thoughtful and compassionate (his relationship with Yutaka was one of the high points for me). I felt and almost physical grief at the failure of his plan and subsequent death.
- One of the most poignant conventions of Japanese storytelling is the notion of the realisation that comes too late. This book is filled with such moments, from Yuko's moment of clarity as she hangs from Shuya's hand, to Kayoko's eventual meeting with Hiroki, to Yoshimi's encounter with Kuramoto (can't remember his first name). It's such a brutal narrative form, giving everything and taking it away simultaneously.
- The translation didn't seem up to much, I have to say. Some of the errors were unforgiveable - were there no proof readers? Still, it's not insurmountable, and didn't effect my enjoyment that much. The rambling tone seems to be a natural bi-product of the Japanese language from the various novels/subtitle translations that I've encountered. Am I alone in thinking that translations should be done by commitee, with at least one native speaker of either language involved?
- The ending is magnificent, cutting out in mid-chase, always on the run. The final two lines could be in the running for my favourite of any novel.
That's enough for now. Anyone else read it, have any thoughts? |
