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Grotesque [Paperback]

Natsuo Kirino (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Book Description

Publication Date: 7 Feb 2008

Two prostitutes are murdered in Tokyo.

Twenty years previously both women were educated at the same elite school for young ladies, and had seemingly promising futures ahead of them.

But in a world of dark desire and vicious ambition, for both women, prostitution meant power. Grotesque is a masterful and haunting thriller, a chilling exploration of women's secret lives in modern day Japan.

Frequently Bought Together

Grotesque + Real World + Out
Price For All Three: £19.47

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  • Real World by Natsuo Kirino Paperback £6.74
  • Out by Natsuo Kirino Paperback £5.99

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Product details

  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Vintage; First Thus edition (7 Feb 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099488930
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099488934
  • Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 3.1 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 148,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

"[D]elves so deep beyond its own shock horror premise that much contemporary crime fiction looks like cheap, exploitative rubbish by comparison ....an utterly absorbing novel that gives as vivid - and disturbing - a picture of contemporary Japan as you could imagine" (Jonathan Gibbs Metro )

"Suicide, paedophilia, incest and murder combine with subtle touches of humour to form a story that will leave you questioning your own morality'" (Sarah Fakray Dazed and Confused )

"This is a rich, complex read. Be prepared for a book utterly unlike anything we are used to in crime fiction" (Independent )

"It is one of the most unexpected and playful novels to emerge from Japan in recent years...a triumph. In its boldness and originality, it broadens our sense of what modern Japanese fiction can be" (Telegraph )

"Unclichéd contemporary noir at its most absorbing and relevant...a masterful and haunting achievement" (Tangledweb.co.uk )

Book Description

A masterful and haunting achievement by one of Japan's most powerful writers
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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational 14 Aug 2007
By bloodsimple
Format:Hardcover
Anyone who has read my other reviews knows I'm not one to lavish praise on any old tripe. So trust me, this is the best book I've read all year.
As Kirino showed in Out, she has an ability to blend a basic crime-driven plot, with a literate and intelligent view of her own culture and society. In Grotesque, this is matched to acute observation about the nature of beauty, and how the eye of the beholder (and, more importantly, the beheld) impacts on our lives.
This is not a read for someone who enjoys a fast-paced thriller, or a police procedural, even though there are murders within it. It will reward those who want to take a ride in someone else's mind, no matter where that may take them. For once, the over-used description "dark and disturbing" is aposite.
A class act.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars "There's hatred and confusion here" 21 April 2007
By Jonathan Stevens
Format:Hardcover
This book really got under my skin. It is a dark, disturbing, often explicit tale of the need to be accepted in modern society and the pressures everyone faces in a class striken, layered society (here focusing on Japan).

It is divided into the journal entries of Yuriko (a beautiful woman whose meaning in life is to be appreciated for her beauty, hence her decent in prostitution)and Kazue (a hard working career who moonlights as a prostitute at night). The journal entries are collected together by Yuriko's older sister following the murders of both Yuriko and Kazue.

Each journal entry and intermediate narration by Yuriko's older sister deals with each of their experiences with remarkable individuality, each voice different from the others. This book shows remarkable characterisation by Kirino. The tale the characters tell is shocking and they revel in their own hatred, insecruity, jealousys, lies and hopes with disarming honesty - this makes their stories very affecting. You are repulsed by their actions and reasons but sympathetic at the same time. This makes Kirino's writing stunning; to sustain this balance among all her characters is amazing. Her writing often overflows with penetrating insight and disturbing images of individuals depraving themselves all to become accepted by society.

"Grotesque" is a very appropriate title for this book. It is a dark, disturbing, challenging novel dealing with unpleasant issues; prostitution, murder, hatred, jealousy and the seedy side of human life.If you are looking for a nice summer read avoid this. However if you are looking for a brilliantly written novel, full of a psychological insight and images that remain with you after you have finished then buy this book now. As I said at the start, "Grotesque" really got under my skin.

Thanks for reading my views

Jonathan
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars dissapointing after reading "out" 11 Aug 2008
By Hazel Danielle Benson
Format:Paperback
I agree with the reviewers that thought this book was tough after reading "Out" and overall a disappointment. I don't know how I managed to finish the book, as I was only half way through when I realised that I wasn't enjoying the novel and didn't like any of the characters. I waded through to the end in search of some kind of hope or meaning only to find emptiness. On the plus side I do like the authors style of writing and this made things a bit easier. (Meaning I finished it in a few days rather than a few weeks) and I will definitley have a go at her next novel, because I haven't forgotten the brilliance of Out. That novel stands alone as a shining beacon of hope for future Kirino works. I just think this one may have been a blip and I'm willing to let it go as one.

I give this review 2 stars, because I don't think it completely bad. Some of the characters, even though not likeable, are well described and sometimes intriguing. The style of writing also keeps the story going. Just a shame I didn't understand the point of the story. I wouldn't bother reading this if it is a detective novel you are after. This reads less as a story about crime, but more as a colection of memoirs about bitterness, prostitution and murder, and thus is dripping with cruelty and self loathing.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars A difficult read
This book is more like 'Real World' than 'Out'. It is the story of the psyche of social outcasts and deviants (two prostitutes, one serial murderer and one malicious jealous... Read more
Published 2 months ago by velissaria
1.0 out of 5 stars An unpleasant read
I had quite enjoyed the author's previous novel, 'Out'. In contrast, this was tedious, unpleasant, and had not one likeable character in it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by E. Lewis
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
I first came across Natsuo Kirino's work with her brilliant novel, Out, and have since read Real World, which was quite good but couldn't match up to Out. Read more
Published 11 months ago by D Brown
3.0 out of 5 stars not as good as OUT
OUT was just fab, I loved it. This is good but Not as gripping . I did enjoy it and the writing is lovely but I miss books like OUT
Published 13 months ago by mermaid
5.0 out of 5 stars Dark And Disturbing Genious
This a a dark and absolutely brilliant book. As others point out no you certainly will not like any character in this book. They are all floored in deep and convincing ways. Read more
Published 16 months ago by J. Axup
3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings...
Having read OUT and other books by Kirino I was really hoping for something as special here. Sadly the book lost me about two thirds of the way though although I did struggle on to... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Sadie
5.0 out of 5 stars Grotesque
the book I have not started reading yet, having already read other books by the same author is definitely beautiful
Published 18 months ago by rita zanelli
1.0 out of 5 stars Dreadful
Like most other reviewers here I loved "Out",it intrigued me then gripped me and left me feeling as if I'd discovered a massive talent and an author that would become a firm... Read more
Published on 7 July 2010 by Oldbiker
3.0 out of 5 stars Terrible ending
I pounced on this book in my local library after having read the wonderful Out, the best book I had read in ages. It was all going so well until the last 10 pages. What happened??? Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2010 by liveenl
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully shocked.
I never write reviews, but want people to read this book. It has a hauntingly beautiful narative, which offers a look at the world through different eyes. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2009 by Samantha Gray
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