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juliabatista's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mmtorrice's review
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
SIX FOUR is one of those books that demands considerable commitment from readers. At a whopping 656 pages, it's a considerable weight to be holding onto for a long period of time, which you will be, as it's a very detailed, dense and potentially frustrating read.
A form of police procedural crime novel, set within the confines of a police station and a stalled investigation, SIX FOUR, is, in the beginning, a study in police / media relationships. The central protagonist, Mikami, a career police officer now seconded to the media office, has a brief to improve co-operation between the media and the police. The media have their own press office within the police station with ongoing access to information about cases. A large part of this novel is devoted to the building, unravelling and reconstructing of this relationship with the demands from the media particularly startling. Aside from the fact that this ongoing temper tantrum from them distracts constantly from Mikami's concerns about a 14 year old open case of the kidnap and murder of a seven-year-old girl, the media's behaviour is breathtakingly over the top, and drawn out. Oh so very very drawn out.
Readers may therefore find themselves drawing considerably on reserves of patience, unless of course, this ongoing sort of quasi-political / power battle is of particular interest. For fans of more traditional crime fiction, when aspects of the cold case manage to work their way into the narrative there is much to reward. It's hard not to be struck by the coincidence of patience required by the reader and the patience that Mikami shows in doggedly wanting to solve this old case, perhaps for the sake of a still grieving father more than anything else. He has though, a very personal reason for reacting that way, and the trials of Mikami and his wife Minako, the constant wonder he feels over his beautiful wife choosing him, his downplaying of his intelligence and his compassion, these aspects of SIX FOUR are part of what also rewards that patient reader. And a word of warning - you may also find that a tendency for names to be very similar will have you backtracking to check who is who, or resorting to a handy character / job description list to keep track.
Lacking, as it does, a form of "procedural arc", instead SIX FOUR relies on Mikami's chasing down of loose ends, some of them particularly odd to his acute investigative eye. Towards the end of the novel, once the obsession with media relationships has been sated, and the real possibility of solving a fourteen year old case starts to burn more brightly, there is an unexpected sense of tension and expectation. There's also a lot of descriptive elements, and a hefty dose of distractions and seemingly inconsequential elements built in, even at this stage of the book.
SIX FOUR isn't going to be to everyone's taste, no doubt whatever about that. There will be readers that will want to run screaming from the media pack and their unfettered grab for power (and for that matter their astounding laziness), and there will be readers that want to slap each and very boss / higher-up that Mikami has to deal with. There will also be readers that are absolutely enthralled by the detailed manner in which so many aspects of this community, it's police station and their media work. For them, the 656 pages may not feel like such a hefty level of commitment.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-six-four-hideo-yokoyama
A form of police procedural crime novel, set within the confines of a police station and a stalled investigation, SIX FOUR, is, in the beginning, a study in police / media relationships. The central protagonist, Mikami, a career police officer now seconded to the media office, has a brief to improve co-operation between the media and the police. The media have their own press office within the police station with ongoing access to information about cases. A large part of this novel is devoted to the building, unravelling and reconstructing of this relationship with the demands from the media particularly startling. Aside from the fact that this ongoing temper tantrum from them distracts constantly from Mikami's concerns about a 14 year old open case of the kidnap and murder of a seven-year-old girl, the media's behaviour is breathtakingly over the top, and drawn out. Oh so very very drawn out.
Readers may therefore find themselves drawing considerably on reserves of patience, unless of course, this ongoing sort of quasi-political / power battle is of particular interest. For fans of more traditional crime fiction, when aspects of the cold case manage to work their way into the narrative there is much to reward. It's hard not to be struck by the coincidence of patience required by the reader and the patience that Mikami shows in doggedly wanting to solve this old case, perhaps for the sake of a still grieving father more than anything else. He has though, a very personal reason for reacting that way, and the trials of Mikami and his wife Minako, the constant wonder he feels over his beautiful wife choosing him, his downplaying of his intelligence and his compassion, these aspects of SIX FOUR are part of what also rewards that patient reader. And a word of warning - you may also find that a tendency for names to be very similar will have you backtracking to check who is who, or resorting to a handy character / job description list to keep track.
Lacking, as it does, a form of "procedural arc", instead SIX FOUR relies on Mikami's chasing down of loose ends, some of them particularly odd to his acute investigative eye. Towards the end of the novel, once the obsession with media relationships has been sated, and the real possibility of solving a fourteen year old case starts to burn more brightly, there is an unexpected sense of tension and expectation. There's also a lot of descriptive elements, and a hefty dose of distractions and seemingly inconsequential elements built in, even at this stage of the book.
SIX FOUR isn't going to be to everyone's taste, no doubt whatever about that. There will be readers that will want to run screaming from the media pack and their unfettered grab for power (and for that matter their astounding laziness), and there will be readers that want to slap each and very boss / higher-up that Mikami has to deal with. There will also be readers that are absolutely enthralled by the detailed manner in which so many aspects of this community, it's police station and their media work. For them, the 656 pages may not feel like such a hefty level of commitment.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-six-four-hideo-yokoyama
milla_18's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.5
kcopp's review against another edition
3.0
Too much detail about Japanese culture. Not sure if due to translation or the author.
freddybingsu's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
En ciertas partes me recordó a El juego de Ripper de Isabel Allende, el cual amo, pero siento que no quedé satisfecho con como terminó la historia (?)
romysvx's review against another edition
4.0
Kryminały z Azji nie cieszą się zbytnią popularnością u naszych rodzimych wydawców i są raczej ewenementem wśród licznych kryminalnych premier. Tym większa szkoda, że tak świetna książka jak „Sześć Cztery” przeszła bez większego echa. Powodu upatrywałabym w fakcie, iż jest to kryminał zupełnie innego typu niż te najbardziej poczytne w naszym kraju autorstwa Cobena czy Tess Geritsen.
To jest w zasadzie powieść obyczajowo społeczna, w której wątek nierozwiązanego od 14 lat śledztwa w sprawie porwania i zabicia dziecka jest dla autora tylko pretekstem do ukazania japońskiego społeczeństwa ze wszystkimi jego problemami wynikającymi ze źle uprawianej polityki, najróżniejszego rodzaju nierówności czy w końcu skomplikowanej historii kraju. Sam wątek kryminalny jest przemyślany, zawiły i nieprzewidywalny, ale logiczny, a rozwiązanie wielce zaskakujące, ale satysfakcjonujące. Autor z zawodu jest dziennikarzem kryminalnym - i to daje się odczuć w tej książce, bowiem bardzo dużo miejsca poświęcone jest relacji mediów z policją. Może się wydawać nudne, ale nic bardziej mylnego - w Japonii kontakty dziennikarzy z komisariatami i prawa obydwu stron wyglądają zupełnie inaczej niż u nas, a niektóre zasady mogą być szokujące i niepojęte dla polskiego czytelnika. Niezmiernie to wszystko ciekawe! W ogóle cała powieść jak na książkę autorstwa Japończyka przystało wypełniona jest niesamowicie interesującymi informacjami o kraju kwitnącej wiśni, o jego kulturze i tradycjach jak i o samym życiu w nim. Dla osób interesujących się Japonią będzie to pasjonująca lektura. I ja się do nich zaliczam, więc nie będzie zaskoczeniem jak napiszę teraz, że porwała mnie totalnie. Jednak przez mnogość wątków i postaci z trudnymi do zapamiętania dla europejskiego czytelnika egzotycznie i nowo-brzmiącymi imionami i nazwiskami czytanie zajęło mi sporo czasu, bo to zdecydowanie książka która wymaga maksymalnego skupienia i koncentracji. Pomimo ogromnej objętości, powolnego tempa historii i znacznej przewagi wątków społeczno-politycznych nad kryminalnymi nie nudziłam się ani przez moment.
Ja „Sześć Cztery” oceniam bardzo dobrze, jednakże muszę podkreślić, że jest to powieść bardzo w moim typie - niby kryminał, ale z obszernie zarysowanym tłem społeczno-obyczajowym, ze sporą dawką polityki i kultury. I czytelnicy o podobnym do mojego guście powinni być równie mocno zachwyceni, natomiast osobom preferującym dynamiczne i nierozwlekle jednowątkowe powieści kryminalne raczej bym lekturę „Sześć Cztery” odradzała - gdyż najzwyczajniej w świecie się wynudzą.
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To jest w zasadzie powieść obyczajowo społeczna, w której wątek nierozwiązanego od 14 lat śledztwa w sprawie porwania i zabicia dziecka jest dla autora tylko pretekstem do ukazania japońskiego społeczeństwa ze wszystkimi jego problemami wynikającymi ze źle uprawianej polityki, najróżniejszego rodzaju nierówności czy w końcu skomplikowanej historii kraju. Sam wątek kryminalny jest przemyślany, zawiły i nieprzewidywalny, ale logiczny, a rozwiązanie wielce zaskakujące, ale satysfakcjonujące. Autor z zawodu jest dziennikarzem kryminalnym - i to daje się odczuć w tej książce, bowiem bardzo dużo miejsca poświęcone jest relacji mediów z policją. Może się wydawać nudne, ale nic bardziej mylnego - w Japonii kontakty dziennikarzy z komisariatami i prawa obydwu stron wyglądają zupełnie inaczej niż u nas, a niektóre zasady mogą być szokujące i niepojęte dla polskiego czytelnika. Niezmiernie to wszystko ciekawe! W ogóle cała powieść jak na książkę autorstwa Japończyka przystało wypełniona jest niesamowicie interesującymi informacjami o kraju kwitnącej wiśni, o jego kulturze i tradycjach jak i o samym życiu w nim. Dla osób interesujących się Japonią będzie to pasjonująca lektura. I ja się do nich zaliczam, więc nie będzie zaskoczeniem jak napiszę teraz, że porwała mnie totalnie. Jednak przez mnogość wątków i postaci z trudnymi do zapamiętania dla europejskiego czytelnika egzotycznie i nowo-brzmiącymi imionami i nazwiskami czytanie zajęło mi sporo czasu, bo to zdecydowanie książka która wymaga maksymalnego skupienia i koncentracji. Pomimo ogromnej objętości, powolnego tempa historii i znacznej przewagi wątków społeczno-politycznych nad kryminalnymi nie nudziłam się ani przez moment.
Ja „Sześć Cztery” oceniam bardzo dobrze, jednakże muszę podkreślić, że jest to powieść bardzo w moim typie - niby kryminał, ale z obszernie zarysowanym tłem społeczno-obyczajowym, ze sporą dawką polityki i kultury. I czytelnicy o podobnym do mojego guście powinni być równie mocno zachwyceni, natomiast osobom preferującym dynamiczne i nierozwlekle jednowątkowe powieści kryminalne raczej bym lekturę „Sześć Cztery” odradzała - gdyż najzwyczajniej w świecie się wynudzą.
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thegulagula's review against another edition
4.0
'...sometimes an accidental choice becomes your life,....
However, no matter the way we might have hoped things had gone, the taste of the fruits along the path we accidentally chose are always the most unpredictable and surprising.'
Set in 2002, Six Four follows the reluctant Press Director of the regional police headquarters, Yoshinobu Mikami as he faced conclicting demands of the journalists, beuracrats, and detectives of the police force. Mikami is a detective through and through. As he faced these conflicts, the question remained on whether he pledged his loyalty to the Criminal Investigation department - the department he had worked for 20 years, or to his current job of a few months as the press director under the Administrative Affairs department. All this happened while Mikami's daughter went missing for 3 months for having ran away from home.
The early pages of the book made introduction to plenty of characters that I have trouble remembering, hence keeping the organisation structure at the beginning of the book at a constant view. At 630+ pages, thick books do have the tendency to be very slow and lengthy.
As the story progressed, cases unfolded one after another. An unsolved kidnap case from 14 years earlier appear again like a re-enactment. Everything is not what it seems. I love the relationship of the Media Relations unit and the unexpected plot twists. Above all, the center of the story is perhaps the procedural process, politics and beurecracy of the police department as a whole.
I'm not sure this is a book that I'd recommend to readers' who are into crime investigation, as I'm unfamiliar of this genre myself. But I somehow enjoy this book, the lead character and Yokoyama's writings nevertheless.
However, no matter the way we might have hoped things had gone, the taste of the fruits along the path we accidentally chose are always the most unpredictable and surprising.'
Set in 2002, Six Four follows the reluctant Press Director of the regional police headquarters, Yoshinobu Mikami as he faced conclicting demands of the journalists, beuracrats, and detectives of the police force. Mikami is a detective through and through. As he faced these conflicts, the question remained on whether he pledged his loyalty to the Criminal Investigation department - the department he had worked for 20 years, or to his current job of a few months as the press director under the Administrative Affairs department. All this happened while Mikami's daughter went missing for 3 months for having ran away from home.
The early pages of the book made introduction to plenty of characters that I have trouble remembering, hence keeping the organisation structure at the beginning of the book at a constant view. At 630+ pages, thick books do have the tendency to be very slow and lengthy.
As the story progressed, cases unfolded one after another. An unsolved kidnap case from 14 years earlier appear again like a re-enactment. Everything is not what it seems. I love the relationship of the Media Relations unit and the unexpected plot twists. Above all, the center of the story is perhaps the procedural process, politics and beurecracy of the police department as a whole.
I'm not sure this is a book that I'd recommend to readers' who are into crime investigation, as I'm unfamiliar of this genre myself. But I somehow enjoy this book, the lead character and Yokoyama's writings nevertheless.
ohsodeluxe's review against another edition
4.0
Purtroppo noi occidentali ci perdiamo molto del sottotesto sociale dei particolari narrativi che hanno a che fare con le relazioni lavorative e "regionali" dei vari personaggi, tutte molto giapponesi, e i giochi di potere tra le varie istituzioni, ma per il resto è un thriller godibilissimo nonostante una partenza abbastanza lenta (forse perché appunto molto ha a che fare che il suddetto sottotesto sociale).