Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Scared of the water, 15 Aug 2005
The Harper Collins edition of Dark Water contains seven stories, excluding the prologue and epilogue. The stories are quite short, and often much of the story is spent steadily building tension. This works really well, as I found that I had a sense of unease building, when things started to go wrong. If you are expecting a mirror of the film, Dark Water, then you will probably be disappointed. The story, Floating Water is a much more subtle, shorter version of the film. You can definitely see elements of The Ring in some of these stories, not least the author's preoccupation with water. I for one would like to see more of Suzuki's work published in English, as well as other Japanese horror. The stories, Adrift and Forest Under the Sea really stand out for me; both involve the main protagonist being trapped on their own; at sea, and in a cave. I definitely regret reading those late at night!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sinking, 13 Mar 2006
Water. It gives life, but can take it away. We need it, but it can also kill us in countless ways. And it's the center of "Dark Water," Koji Suzuki's collection of short stories. While the now-legendary "Ring" author has a knack for visceral horror, he just isn't in his element when writing shorts.The most prominent story is "Floating Water," which has already been made into the film "Honogurai mizu no soko kara" and is being remade for American audiences, starring Jennifer Connelly. Newly-divorced Yoshimi and her daughter Ikuko move into a run-down apartment building, where a little girl vanished two years before. But Suzuki doesn't descend to cheap ghosts here. Ikuko finds a "Hello Kitty" bag, which Yoshimi forces her to get rid of. But the bag keeps reappearing on the roof, and Ikuko has started talking with an imaginary playmate. Yoshimi starts to wonder -- what happened to that little girl, and where is she now, if she is haunting the building? The other short stories continue the "water" theme: a young teacher discovers a cruel friend left something on an abandoned island. An abusive fisherman finds that he did something terrible while he was drunk -- and his victim takes her revenge. Spelunkers, boats and sailors take parts in the other stories... always near water. Koji Suzuki is rightly called Japan's answer to Stephen King. In fact, he may well be better than King is. Where other horror authors use cheap chills and gore, Suzuki's stark storytelling keeps it clean. He frightens us with cruelty, with delusions, with looming curses, and with ghosts that the lead characters never actually see. Unfortunately, "Dark Water's" short stories just don't gel. Suzuki doesn't get any time to build up suspense or character development, making the stories feel hollow. And most of them -- most glaringly the first -- ends abruptly. It's like walking down a sidewalk, only to suddenly fall into a pit. Perhaps only "The Hold," one of the most unpleasant stories, has a satisfying finale. However, Suzuki's excellent style makes it worth reading. Everything and everyone is muted and understated, except for the sense of impending disaster and/or suspense hanging over each story. If fans of Suzuki read it solely for his style, then this is definitely a winner. Unfortunately, "Dark Water" is not up to the standards of Suzuki's full-length novels. However, it's still a creepy, watery experience.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sinking, 22 Jan 2006
Water. It gives life, but can take it away. We need it, but it can also kill us in countless ways. And it's the center of "Dark Water," Koji Suzuki's collection of short stories. While the now-legendary "Ring" author has a knack for visceral horror, he just isn't in his element when writing shorts. The most prominent story is "Floating Water," which has already been made into the film "Honogurai mizu no soko kara" and is being remade for American audiences, starring Jennifer Connelly. Newly-divorced Yoshimi and her daughter Ikuko move into a run-down apartment building, where a little girl vanished two years before. But Suzuki doesn't descend to cheap ghosts here. Ikuko finds a "Hello Kitty" bag, which Yoshimi forces her to get rid of. But the bag keeps reappearing on the roof, and Ikuko has started talking with an imaginary playmate. Yoshimi starts to wonder -- what happened to that little girl, and where is she now, if she is haunting the building? The other short stories continue the "water" theme: a young teacher discovers a cruel friend left something on an abandoned island. An abusive fisherman finds that he did something terrible while he was drunk -- and his victim takes her revenge. Spelunkers, boats and sailors take parts in the other stories... always near water. Koji Suzuki is rightly called Japan's answer to Stephen King. In fact, he may well be better than King is. Where other horror authors use cheap chills and gore, Suzuki's stark storytelling keeps it clean. He frightens us with cruelty, with delusions, with looming curses, and with ghosts that the lead characters never actually see. Unfortunately, "Dark Water's" short stories just don't gel. Suzuki doesn't get any time to build up suspense or character development, making the stories feel hollow. And most of them -- most glaringly the first -- ends abruptly. It's like walking down a sidewalk, only to suddenly fall into a pit. Perhaps only "The Hold," one of the most unpleasant stories, has a satisfying finale. However, Suzuki's excellent style makes it worth reading. Everything and everyone is muted and understated, except for the sense of impending disaster and/or suspense hanging over each story. If fans of Suzuki read it solely for his style, then this is definitely a winner. Unfortunately, "Dark Water" is not up to the standards of Suzuki's full-length novels. However, it's still a creepy, watery experience.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
