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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must for those who want to go deeper than the films, 9 Dec 2003
This is a translation of the book which led to two sequel books, short stories, more than four films in Japan, several films through asia and recently a US remake. The original tale has been altered and mutated with each new version creating several different stories. the one thing that every version has in common is this book.'Ring' is the story of Asakawa, a journalist, who investigates the sudden, inexplicable death of his niece after discovering that three other teenagers died just as mysteriously at precisely the same time. The only link between them is the video they all watched one week earlier. I enjoyed the book very much and, as a fan of the story as told in film, found it very interesting. However anyone buying the book because they enjoyed the films should know that the book has a very different feel than the films and some of the best moments in the films are nowhere to be found in the book. This said the book gives you a much fuller view of the story and gives real depth to the characters. The translation is very good and captures some of the atmosphere of the tale but, in my opinion, like many translated books, lacks flair.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but lacks spark, 5 Dec 2006
The cover of this book states that the author is 'the Japanese Stephen King', but I disagree with that. This novel reads more like a thriller than a horror - which came as a shock, as I watched the very spooky film before reading the book.
Be warned - the book is very different to the film. On the plus side, the characters are far more interesting (but pretty horrible), the story is explained fully and the ending actually makes sense. On the negative side, I found the book severely lacking in any real tension. Its hard to tell if that is because the book is translated from the Japanese - with the greatest respect to the translator, its pretty inevitable that some of the momentum will be lost. Another problem may have been that, already knowing the basics of the story, there wasn't any of the sense of discovery that normally comes from reading a novel.
This is one of the very few occasions where I would say the film of the book is actually better than the book itself. It is worth a read, however, particularly if you were dissatisfied with the explanation given in the movie, and want to understand the story better.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
First you see the ring, 30 Dec 2005
Koji Suzuki could easily be considered the Stephen King of Japanese horror, with several movies (and remakes) of his bestseller novels -- particularly "Ring." Yes, that one. The one where you die in a week after seeing the cursed tape. While not quite the same as either film, Suzuki's original novel is a quiet, understated horror classic.
Four teenagers watch a seemingly cursed videotape, which will kill them in one week's time. Seven days later, all four die of heart attacks, including one young man simply keeling off his motorcycle. The uncle of one girl, Kazuyuki Asakawa, also finds the videotape and watches it. Now he has seven days to figure out the mysterious instructions, which happen to be missing. If he doesn't, he's dead.
Accompanied by a less-than-pristine professor, Ryuji Takayama, Asakawa goes in search of what is going on -- he suspects a virus that causes a heart attack. As he goes hunting through the woods for the secret to the videotape, he discovers a legacy of death and terror, left behind by the malevolent Sadako Yamamura. Asakawa's time is running out -- how can he unravel the mystery of the Ring?
Don't expect a carbon copy of the "Ring" movies: No TV apparitions, the lead is a man, and despite her beautiful female appearance, Sadako is a hermaphrodite. However, the "Ring" book is far more horrifying, solidifying Suzuki's position as a classic horror writer. It's impossible not to shiver when you look at the TV, after seeing this.
Suzuki's skill is in calmly, coolly describing horrific events in simple words. It packs a more visceral punch than if he just had floods of blood and gore in detail. The scene where Takayama sees the curse working on his own body is enough to make your skin crawl. And as good horror writers do, he creates a horrific plot based on something everyday. It's so easy to set off the curse, and that is what is so terrifying.
As Suzuki often does, he doesn't make his characters all sympathetic and noble. Asakawa is a cynical, rather self-absorbed man -- although this is what the plot hinges on -- and Takayama is a nihilistic rapist. It weakens the book slightly to not care much about either. Though in a way, the book is more about the "curse" -- which is more a virus -- and about Sadako than either of these men.
Perhaps that's a part of Suzuki's subtle cultural critiques in here, as well as Japanese supernatural beliefs -- nensha, for example, which is how Sadako created the lethal tape -- and the male and female roles in society. Finally he takes a hard look at this question: Should you allow your loved ones and yourself to die, or risk contaminating the world with the lethal videotape?
There's an almost apocalyptic note to the finale of "Ring," although it resulted in two more books. And Suzuki's original, deeply creepy novel is a must-read.
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