I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it confirms Nakamura's status for me after having read The Thief and The Gun previously. The plot is quite twisty, so best not to say anything about it, but it becomes a meditation on fate and destiny, about family and the inheritance of behaviours, and ultimately it's a story about lost love and the search to find an identity in life. There is violence, but it is latent: a terrorist group called JL are waging a campaign, but it's seen on TV in the background or read about in newspapers, and other deaths are off-screen, as it were. It is also deeply moving, and there is one scene towards the end where Fumihiro and his childhood sweetheart Kaori are driving around Tokyo that was gut-wrenching in its subtlety, with things unsaid and opportunities missed. This is an intelligent and involving book. Excellent stuff. ( )

I received this book from a book exchange partner in Japan. She wanted to send me a book from a Japanese author. I loved this book. It has a storyline, but also reads like a meditation on good and evil.

When he is a child, Fumihiro Kuki told by his father that he was created to be "a cancer on the world." His father feels the world is not worthy, and wants his son to create as much destruction as possible. This is to be his legacy.

Fumihiro rebels against his upbringing. His father adopts a young girl, Kaori, and Fumihiro falls in love with her. But his father has plans for Kaori that Fumihiro does not agree with. These feelings set Fumihiro on the course of his life.

I felt the writing in this book is beautiful. I enjoyed reading it and found beauty in the prose. Fumihiro's story is compelling and I found myself rooting for him the whole time. But his entire family is so screwed up that it feels he can never escape the evil.

Many of the ideas presented in the book are depraved, yet I never felt like the descriptions were too graphic. Instead, it leaves much to the imagination, which may be even more effective. I have read many books by Asian authors, and I like the writing styles I have encountered. I enjoyed this book very much and would definitely read more from this author. ( )

Kein Buch in Romanform spiegelt, aktuell die Geschehnisse wie Kriege, Waffen-Geschäfte, Putsch etc. entstehen, besser! Kriege sind gut für die Wirtschaft! S. 210ff, wie Kriege entstehen ff ( )

Having enjoyed The Thief by Nakamura I was keen to try this one. I wasn't disappointed. Curious plot about a young teenage boy whose father tries to raise him as a 'cancer' in the world to do evil. Most of the story occurs when he is an adult. The unsual theme makes you think, but the writing is so clear and concise that I felt totally engaged in the plot. Highly recommended. ( )

Dropped at 15%. The story feels gloomy and slow-paced. I realized I just didn't care about the main character - whether he dies or lives. It felt like he's going to remain powerless throughout the book and his father won't get some fitting punishment either. So I dropped it. ( )