People Who Eat Darkness
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Review
'Parry skilfully manipulates the narrative to keep the reader in a state of awful uncertainty about what will happen next.' --The Observer
`RLP has produced a work not only of page-turning intensity but also of touching sensitivity and deep insight. That he could have created something almost noble from such base material is a minor miracle of literary alchemy. The book is brilliantly written.' --The Financial Times
`...A skilful, definitive history of one of the most notorious crimes of the past decade' --The Sunday Times
`Rich in intelligence and insight...what's heartening about Parry's book is its refusal of hysteria or demonization. This isn't just a tale of murder, but a book that sheds light on Japan, on families, on media, an (in the ways that it brings back memories of the Yorkshire Ripper case) on the insidious effects of misogyny. Open-minded and sympathetic despite being driven half mad, Parry is the best kind of narrator. It may be that the story won't ever let him go, but he tells it with such clarity and compassion that catharsis is the least he deserves' --The Guardian
`This is an extraordinary book which stands as far above the `true crime' label as Paradise Lost does above the category `verse'........No avenue is left unexplored, no thought is too oblique to be uttered, no psychological puzzle too disturbing to be investigated. And that is the level at which we, too, inevitably become engaged with this book.....One of the strengths of this meticulously researched, beautifully written book is the way in which Parry takes us into the hearts and minds of all the participants'
--Daily Mail
`A horrible tale, meticulously told' --The Sunday Times
`Richard Lloyd Parry has produced a work not only of page-turning intensity but also of touching sensitivity and deep insight. That he could have created something almost noble from such base material is a minor miracle of literary alchemy. The book is brilliantly written' --Financial Times
`Parry skilfully manipulates the narrative to keep the reader in a state of awful uncertainty about what will happen next' --Observer
'People Who Eat Darkness is more than just the work of a journalist with a wealth of unused notes. It is a page-turning if horrifying read and a triumph of thorough, fair-minded reporting and of the story and all its leading characters' --The Economist
`[A] compelling and scrupulous book'
--Mail on Sunday
`compulsive, if chilling, reading' --Intelligent Life
`the book is very well written, appalling and absolutely enthralling. It should make young women think at least twice when considering get-rich-quick employment in exotic lands' --The Irish Times
`A compelling book about the depravity of man, the difficult pursuit of justice, and how we deal with the wrongful deaths of those whom we loved.'
--Literary Review
`RLP has produced a work not only of page-turning intensity but also of touching sensitivity and deep insight. That he could have created something almost noble from such base material is a minor miracle of literary alchemy. The book is brilliantly written.' --The Financial Times
`...A skilful, definitive history of one of the most notorious crimes of the past decade' --The Sunday Times
`Rich in intelligence and insight...what's heartening about Parry's book is its refusal of hysteria or demonization. This isn't just a tale of murder, but a book that sheds light on Japan, on families, on media, an (in the ways that it brings back memories of the Yorkshire Ripper case) on the insidious effects of misogyny. Open-minded and sympathetic despite being driven half mad, Parry is the best kind of narrator. It may be that the story won't ever let him go, but he tells it with such clarity and compassion that catharsis is the least he deserves' --The Guardian
`This is an extraordinary book which stands as far above the `true crime' label as Paradise Lost does above the category `verse'........No avenue is left unexplored, no thought is too oblique to be uttered, no psychological puzzle too disturbing to be investigated. And that is the level at which we, too, inevitably become engaged with this book.....One of the strengths of this meticulously researched, beautifully written book is the way in which Parry takes us into the hearts and minds of all the participants'
--Daily Mail
`A horrible tale, meticulously told' --The Sunday Times
`Richard Lloyd Parry has produced a work not only of page-turning intensity but also of touching sensitivity and deep insight. That he could have created something almost noble from such base material is a minor miracle of literary alchemy. The book is brilliantly written' --Financial Times
`Parry skilfully manipulates the narrative to keep the reader in a state of awful uncertainty about what will happen next' --Observer
'People Who Eat Darkness is more than just the work of a journalist with a wealth of unused notes. It is a page-turning if horrifying read and a triumph of thorough, fair-minded reporting and of the story and all its leading characters' --The Economist
`[A] compelling and scrupulous book'
--Mail on Sunday
`compulsive, if chilling, reading' --Intelligent Life
`the book is very well written, appalling and absolutely enthralling. It should make young women think at least twice when considering get-rich-quick employment in exotic lands' --The Irish Times
`A compelling book about the depravity of man, the difficult pursuit of justice, and how we deal with the wrongful deaths of those whom we loved.'
--Literary Review
Review
"People Who Eat Darkness""is an extraordinary, compulsive and brilliant book. The account of the crime, the investigation and the trial -- particularly in its knowledge and understanding of the Japan in which this tragedy took place -- is both insightful and gripping; the attempt to understand Obara is fascinating but never ghoulish; and finally, and most of all, the compassion for Lucie Blackman and her family is very, very moving."
--David Peace
--David Peace
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed reading this book immensely, although it addresses a truly depressing subject. I've been reading the other Amazon reviews, and I am struck by how polarised readers' reactions to the book seem to have been. Two of the reviewers accuse Mr Parry of gross inaccuracies, but, as far as I can understand, they are objecting to his portrayal of a protagonist's character, hardly something that can be done "accurately" as the process is of necessity impressionistic. It would be safer, I suggest, to argue that one may have formed a different impression; it certainly seems an unwarranted leap to say that the book is grossly inaccurate in general. One of the reviewers claims that Mr Parry's admitted obsession with the Blackman case precludes him from being able to be objective about it, but this is clearly a false premise: if obsession were necessarily a bar to objectivity, we wouldn't have half of our greatest scientific discoveries.
I felt that the book was, in general, an honest attempt to account for an awful crime, describing a Japan that I recognise all too clearly (although I must disclose that I have never lived in Tokyo and know none of the people in the book; I have lived in Japan for nearly 25 years and am certainly familiar with Roppongi), and I was especially struck by the palpable effort Mr Parry made to be fair to everyone. If he failed with a minor individual I do not think that should put one off the book as a whole.
I would also add that I find his analysis of what "went wrong", as it were, with the prosecution, entirely convincing, and again, as a judgement, very fair.
I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone interested in a solid account of the Blackman killing and its aftermath.
I felt that the book was, in general, an honest attempt to account for an awful crime, describing a Japan that I recognise all too clearly (although I must disclose that I have never lived in Tokyo and know none of the people in the book; I have lived in Japan for nearly 25 years and am certainly familiar with Roppongi), and I was especially struck by the palpable effort Mr Parry made to be fair to everyone. If he failed with a minor individual I do not think that should put one off the book as a whole.
I would also add that I find his analysis of what "went wrong", as it were, with the prosecution, entirely convincing, and again, as a judgement, very fair.
I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone interested in a solid account of the Blackman killing and its aftermath.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry is a sterling effort detailing the infamous Lucie Blackman case.There is a real strong sense of journalism here as Parry details the events that transpired whilst also becoming a kind of tourguide through the streets of Tokyo.
Parry not only investigates the tragedy but explores the attitudes,customs of Japan.At times i could almost feel the streets.
The whole culture of hostess's is explored.
Extremely commendable is how the book creates a portrait of a victim,Lucie Blackman giving her life,an emotional landscape.The case of Lucie Blackman is a multifaceted story of darkness,grief,insecurities,police procedures,anger.....it really contains a lot this book.
I would hesitate in saying i "enjoyed" a book of this nature but it is both very readable and thought provoking.I actually learnt a lot whilst reading.I have to say the whole character of Tim Blackman does leave a funny aftertaste,the acceptance of money from the accussed particularly illiciting negative judgement.
All in all though Parry takes a case and paints a complete picture full of the contradictions and complexities of human nature.At the end of the picture there is a photograph of Lucie Blackman,its very poignant,as a reader you feel a real sense of sadness and loss.Highly recommended.
Parry not only investigates the tragedy but explores the attitudes,customs of Japan.At times i could almost feel the streets.
The whole culture of hostess's is explored.
Extremely commendable is how the book creates a portrait of a victim,Lucie Blackman giving her life,an emotional landscape.The case of Lucie Blackman is a multifaceted story of darkness,grief,insecurities,police procedures,anger.....it really contains a lot this book.
I would hesitate in saying i "enjoyed" a book of this nature but it is both very readable and thought provoking.I actually learnt a lot whilst reading.I have to say the whole character of Tim Blackman does leave a funny aftertaste,the acceptance of money from the accussed particularly illiciting negative judgement.
All in all though Parry takes a case and paints a complete picture full of the contradictions and complexities of human nature.At the end of the picture there is a photograph of Lucie Blackman,its very poignant,as a reader you feel a real sense of sadness and loss.Highly recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I don't know why some crimes touch us more than others, but I bought this book because I wanted to know what happened - behind the media sensationalism surrounding this truly awful case.
I couldn't fault the book in any way, it is a thorough account of Lucie's life, the work, the culture, the cases of other women who suffered similar fates, the lengthy court case and also deals with her family and how they coped, both during and afterwards.
I believe the details the author goes into and the proof of such detials through the various notes at the end, show this book to be an objective, worthy and true account of this tragedy.
I couldn't fault the book in any way, it is a thorough account of Lucie's life, the work, the culture, the cases of other women who suffered similar fates, the lengthy court case and also deals with her family and how they coped, both during and afterwards.
I believe the details the author goes into and the proof of such detials through the various notes at the end, show this book to be an objective, worthy and true account of this tragedy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Low life in Tokyo
Murder whodunnits are not my usual reading, but I got this after being told it was a brilliant insight into Japanese culture. I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sarah Coles
Addictive stuff
I picked up this book after seeing that it was in loads of critics "Best of 2011" lists and I can certainly see why. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Lee
A fine piece of work
Parry has produced a riveting account of the tragic death of Lucie Blakeman. It is quite dispassionate which makes it even more chilling. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Sam Ives
Quicker read than expected!
Purchased on a friends recommendation. Big mistake. Not a story, more of an account. Had to skip pages to keep a scratching of interest. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Martin G. Thomas
Intense, well written and stunningly insightful.
I decided to write my own review after re-reading comments shared between a previous reviewer and myself on World Traveller`s review of this book. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Andrew Clark
Lack of objectivity and inaccuracies
I agree with World traveller.
This book is written by an author who states in the Guardian that he became obsessed by the story of Lucy Blackman, therefore any... Read more
This book is written by an author who states in the Guardian that he became obsessed by the story of Lucy Blackman, therefore any... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Felix the cat
Beyond True Crime-Family, Fate and Fatherhood- the murder of Lucie...
This study of the disappearance and subsequent murder of Lucie Blackman goes beyond the usual remits of True Crime to focus on the victim and her famiiies desperate search for the... Read more
Published 12 months ago by DN PERKS
a testament to lucie blackman.
to read of a life taken,in the circumstances of how it happened,the implications and how the lives of lucie's family and friends would be forever changed,was a very humbling... Read more
Published 12 months ago by kjf66
Gross inacuracies
I have read this book and having visited Tokyo and knowing some of the people involved at the time ,I am shocked by the glaring omissions and errors contained within it. Read more
Published 13 months ago by world traveller
Lucie Blackman
A gripping tale of a sad and unfair event. The horror is not only in the physical cruelty but the apparent lack of regard man has towards man. Read more
Published 13 months ago by nenuphar P-G.
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