Genre: Thriller
Description:
“Ryu Takeshi’s first novel is both a noir
crime thriller and urban fantasy. It's a…blend of the imagery of Japanese
animation and film…”
Author:
“Ryu was born in 1983, has a beautiful
wife, a funny little dog, and a lovely daughter. He adores sumo, practices
traditional kenjutsu, sometimes plays basketball (Go Denver Nuggets!), relaxes
playing video games, watching anime and reading books.”
Appraisal:
Shadow
Shinjuku is essentially a manga presented in the format of a novel. While the artwork
is missing, readers are given a vivid noir atmosphere to paint their own mental
canvas of Tokyo streets.
It also helps
one forgive the cartoon bubble dialogue:
‘Whoa!
What’s this?! I’m freaking out!’
‘What
are you thinking?’ ‘What am I thinking?’ ‘Yeah, like, what thoughts do you have
in your head?
While the
physical imagery is strong, I would have liked more Japan flavor in the
characters, who come across as U.S. citizens with Japanese names living in
Tokyo. Frequent Americanisms jar the ear when they come from Japanese speakers.
“I
had to wrap my own head around the fact that I wouldn’t see her again.”
A character “gives
the finger” as an insult, a gesture that has no meaning in Japan. Japanese
casually use the middle finger instead of the index finger to point. There is
nothing equivalent to the “F” word in Japanese, but it is used liberally in the
dialogue. At a small exclusive restaurant, the main character praises the sushi
rolls, a bit like praising the hot dogs at Delmonico’s.
That said,
the characters are a colorful lot, the story is creative and the ending
ultimately satisfying. Don’t skip the epilogue.
Buy now
from: Amazon US Amazon UK
FYI:
Bits of graphic sex and lots of strong language
Format/Typo
Issues:
None
Rating: ****
Four Stars
Reviewed
by: Sam Waite
Approximate word count: 105-110,000 words
No comments:
Post a Comment