Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
eting & Relevant Fiction That Surpasses Genre. Excellent!!, 16 Nov 2005
Four women, co-workers on the night shift at a box lunch factory on the outskirts of Tokyo, form an unlikely friendship based on their mutual desperation -a dissatisfaction with their inattentive, unresponsive husbands and disaffected children, strained economic situations and emotional isolation. When Yayoi Yamamoto, a young wife and mother kills her abusive, philandering spouse, the four come together voluntarily to perform a most grisly act. They dismember the body to facilitate disposal. Although of disparate ages and characters, the women become quite bound to one another through an increasing web of conspiracy, self-interest and suspicion. A series of indiscretions and careless mistakes expose them all to unforeseeable dangers. "Out" is so much more than a psychological thriller or a formulaic crime novel. This is fiction that surpasses genre. Although plot driven, much of the story is dependent on character development and change. The characters are portrayed so vividly, even the minor ones, that the reader cannot help but form a strong attachment to them. It really does not matter, ultimately, if the connection is positive or not - one still looks forward to following the various personages forward to their individual destinies. Masako Katori, shrewd and extremely intelligent, is the definite leader among the women and an absolutely fascinating figure. Although she has perfected a cold, detached veneer with which she presents herself to the world, inside she is despondent and in turmoil. Increasingly alone and alienated from her husband and teenage son, she longs for "freedom." "It had started with something in her. Her hopelessness and a longing for freedom had brought her to this point." Masako is looking for a way "out" of her claustrophobic life. This is definitely a novel noir, with a substantial dose of S&M thrown into the mix. obviously not for the faint of heart. I became absorbed in the story almost instantly, only to have my interest wane after the murder is committed. My attention span was at fault here, not the author's writing. Fortunately I stayed with it because the second half of the novel is even better than the first, I think - really riveting! This is some of the best and most unusual writing I have encountered in some time. It is also very disturbing. Since I do not speak Japanese I can only judge by the translation, and for me the stark, gritty prose really accentuates the building tension in the narrative and the oppressiveness of the environment. I found myself thinking about "Out" long after I had turned the last page. Ms. Natsuo provides a rare glimpse into the bleak subculture of many lower middle class Japanese workers who live on the margins of society, worlds away from the lights and glitter of Tokyo's Ginza district. Readers also gain access to the grim Japanese underworld. I should note that there is wonderful dark humor throughout to alleviate the oppressive quality of the storyline. Although Natsuo Kirino is considered one of the best mystery writers in Japan, multiple award-winning novel "Out" is Ms. Kirino's first book to be published in English. It has also been made into a Japanese motion picture.
JANA
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27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A major work, 31 May 2008
I can't say that this is the type of book I would normally gravitate to, but for some reason I picked up a copy in a bookstore and began to read it. Later, I wished that I'd bought it and did so online.
The plot is intricate and almost impossible to go into here, as are most great Japanese novels (Kobo Abe's THE FACE OF ANOTHER comes to mind), and so it's best to let you read the other reviews to get a sense of that. But what makes this book so exceptional is the style, translated or not, and the handling of the materials. Normally, when I hear a book has won this many awards, I shy from it. Not so with OUT.
The "idea" of this book was depressing to me at first---four women who work in the suburbs of Tokyo on the night shift--but the insight that Natsuo Kirino gives to them, their reasons for being there, and their motives for the most part, are fascinating. Regardless of their backgrounds or motives, they share a need to get OUT.
I'm normally one for a less bizarre book such as BROTHER ODD by Koontz or a light read like THIS CHARMING MAN, but couldn't resist this great read. OUT is violent and disturbing, like AMERICAN PSYCHO or some of even James Patterson's works. But this works for the text and feeling that Kirino wants to achieve.
My only hesitation in giving it five stars is the violence and the bit of a downer it was at times. I would have liked a bit more humour in this book, but I can see what the author was attempting and the overall outcome was successful. If you're looking for a lighter read (THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES or the odd BROTHER ODD by Koontz), then look some place else. If you want an intense thriller, OUT is the place to be.
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43 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is scary reading!, 9 Aug 2007
An amazing read. I'm not usually keen on award winners, approaching them with trepidation as I usually find them stilted and well basically, boring. I will defintely be looking out for more by this author!
Set in the suberbs of Tokyo there are four women who work the night shifts at a boxed-lunch factory. All four have different reasons for needing to be there - money, only job available, to be alone; although the one thing they have in common is a need to escape (primarily from their own lives). This is the first meaning of the title 'Out'.
One of the women kills her husband, for a variety of reasons and amazingly Masako offers to help her. There is no reason for her to help, but she does. They actually dismember and dispose of him. Meanwhile we are introduced to a nightclub owner (Satake) who the police believe has committed the murder.
The story centres eventually around these two characters, who for me are the two appearing on the dust jacket. We follow their lives - every part of it, from their dreams, fears to their daily routines and more especially their enemies.
If you felt disturbed by reading 'American Psycho' then this may carry the same or worse feelings. It's cold from the outset. Initially this took me by surprise but then I realised it could be to reflect the genre or be traditional of this writing style. The characters are so convincingly described and the narrative is so powerful. It really is a chilling read. It is violent, disturbing and will seep into you when you least expect it.
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