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Product Description
David Mitchell, Indpendent on Sunday
‘A ghost story of the highest order.’
Review
"'A cerebral and haunting ghost story... Highly recommended.' David Mitchell 'A memorably uncanny tapestry... The powerful mood of Strangers lingers long after its graceful, downbeat ending has passed.' Guardian 'A disconcerting, yet deeply satisfying novel: a wonderful study of grief and isolation, a moving expression of our longing for things we have lost and are unable to have again.' Daily Mail 'Quickly paced, intelligent and haunting.' Bret Easton Ellis"
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although this is ostensibly a ghost story, it fits the genre of mystery more easily than the genre of horror.
The narrator, Harada, is a recently divorced TV script writer, coming to terms with his loneliness. He is deadpan and analytical in his delivery. Some of the phrasing does seem a little staccatto - and I see that another reviewer found the sentences rather complicated. I agree. It reminded me, if anything, of Sheridan LeFanu's victorian gothic mysteries - written at a time where ghosts were to be investigated and understood rather than feared.
The storyline is certainly odd: Harada meets up with his long dead parents and visits them for tea. Although he knows it to be wrong, his curiosity drives him on. Meanwhile, the rest of his life and relationships rapidly take a turn for the worse. The novel (novella?) perhaps suffers from brevity. With more space, the characters might have been enlarged a little, and perhaps the narrator made a little more likable; a little warmer. Having said that, the story does move on apace and this takes attention away from the lack of empathy with Harada.
The cover talks of a bizarre twist. I'm not sure it is really a twist - it is pretty obvious from early on that something is not quite right. One is left guessing what exactly it is that is out of kilter and I suppose the revelation does have some element of surprise. It's hardly a twist on the scale of The Crying Game, though.
Overall, the book was a good read. It managed to hold my interest but without being exceptional. I don't think I gained much insight into either Japan or the supernatural but at the same time, it was as good a way as any of passing a Sunday afternoon.
The narrator, Harada, is a recently divorced TV script writer, coming to terms with his loneliness. He is deadpan and analytical in his delivery. Some of the phrasing does seem a little staccatto - and I see that another reviewer found the sentences rather complicated. I agree. It reminded me, if anything, of Sheridan LeFanu's victorian gothic mysteries - written at a time where ghosts were to be investigated and understood rather than feared.
The storyline is certainly odd: Harada meets up with his long dead parents and visits them for tea. Although he knows it to be wrong, his curiosity drives him on. Meanwhile, the rest of his life and relationships rapidly take a turn for the worse. The novel (novella?) perhaps suffers from brevity. With more space, the characters might have been enlarged a little, and perhaps the narrator made a little more likable; a little warmer. Having said that, the story does move on apace and this takes attention away from the lack of empathy with Harada.
The cover talks of a bizarre twist. I'm not sure it is really a twist - it is pretty obvious from early on that something is not quite right. One is left guessing what exactly it is that is out of kilter and I suppose the revelation does have some element of surprise. It's hardly a twist on the scale of The Crying Game, though.
Overall, the book was a good read. It managed to hold my interest but without being exceptional. I don't think I gained much insight into either Japan or the supernatural but at the same time, it was as good a way as any of passing a Sunday afternoon.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Strangers is a short book, no more than 200 hundred pages, and on 1st glance you would be wrong to assume that it did not hold much hope.
The book is translated and once you have got over the awkwardness of the translation and start to feel comfortable with the names of the characters the story drags you in and won't let you go till the very end.
This is a believable ghost story, which is very hard to find these days. The story is set around the main character that is a forty something recently divorced script writer in Tokyo. He is living in his 7th floor office apartment having lost his family home to his wife and son.
Through loneliness and depression he unites with an attractive 33 year old lady who is the only other live in occupant on the 3rd floor.
In the mean time he is pulled to visit the town of his childhood where he lost both of his parents at the tender age of 12. While there he visits a music hall, and meets a man who looks just like his dead father, he goes home with this man and meets his wife who looks just like his dead mother.
The story is then all about what the main character thoughts are every time he meets his dead parents, how easily he accepts them when he is with them and how logic takes over when he alone. At the same time how other areas of his life change, his new relationship, his estranged wife and child and even his friends.
There is a chilling twist at the end, which I can honestly say I did not see coming, I was kept me gripped right till the last page. I would highly recommend it. My only criticism is that I want more!
The book is translated and once you have got over the awkwardness of the translation and start to feel comfortable with the names of the characters the story drags you in and won't let you go till the very end.
This is a believable ghost story, which is very hard to find these days. The story is set around the main character that is a forty something recently divorced script writer in Tokyo. He is living in his 7th floor office apartment having lost his family home to his wife and son.
Through loneliness and depression he unites with an attractive 33 year old lady who is the only other live in occupant on the 3rd floor.
In the mean time he is pulled to visit the town of his childhood where he lost both of his parents at the tender age of 12. While there he visits a music hall, and meets a man who looks just like his dead father, he goes home with this man and meets his wife who looks just like his dead mother.
The story is then all about what the main character thoughts are every time he meets his dead parents, how easily he accepts them when he is with them and how logic takes over when he alone. At the same time how other areas of his life change, his new relationship, his estranged wife and child and even his friends.
There is a chilling twist at the end, which I can honestly say I did not see coming, I was kept me gripped right till the last page. I would highly recommend it. My only criticism is that I want more!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
To think of this book as a horror story is to misunderstand it. Though there is one very scary scene in it, and some disturbing moments, it's not scary overall. The tone is more one of sadness. The book explores the theme of loss, and transience. It's very poignant, even painful. It's similar to Haruki Murakami in that little is properly explained, but it probably has more in common with The Time Traveller's Wife.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Shooby Doobie Doooooo...
Taichi Yamada, born in 1934, is an acclaimed Japanese screenwriter and novelist. "Strangers" was first published in 1987 and won the Yamamoto Sh'gor' Prize for best human-interest... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Craobh Rua
Could have been worse.
I agree that it's very predictable, in plot and in writing. However, I also believe that it was an entertaining read, and seeing as I bought this a while ago and forgot that it was... Read more
Published on 6 April 2010 by Mr. H. Lam
Mystery, sadness, loss and the supernatural
This is an absorbing book of a gentle supernatural story with an unexpected ending. Some reviewers have said that the ending was obvious but it wasn't to me so I really enjoyed... Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2009 by Alison
Beautiful and elegant, short and sweet.
Strangers, not a long read, but defiantly a good one. The long and the short of it is after some bad news our hero encounters the spirits of his dead parents. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2009 by Moucho_Blasto
Beware The Strangers
Middle aged, uninspired and divorced Harada has just moved into a new building complex. Strangely hardly anyone else has instead using it mainly for office space leaving him and... Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2009 by Simon Savidge Reads
Not that great
A well written book, but it's really short and really predictable. I was expecting a haunting and perhaps even scary story, but it wasn't at all. Read more
Published on 5 Nov 2008 by Angel of Nine
Absolute Rubbish!
This book is one of the least spooky and intense books I have ever read. The plot is so blindingly obvious from about page 50 that it was painful to have to read the unfolding and... Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2008 by Buff
Absolutely terrible!
I bought this book after reading some of the enthusiastic reviews of other customers and because I am trying to steer away from my usual genre of psychological thrillers. Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2008 by Mrs. L. Earl
a haunting tale
I bought this book and was not disappointed. For anyone who has lost a parent and longed for the chance to go back in time to be the child you once were without any of the adult... Read more
Published on 13 July 2008 by Tallulah
Very disappointing
I purchased this book as it had been recommended through Amazon because of other items I had purchased or owned. Read more
Published on 13 July 2008 by Miss S Steen
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