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fantasmariana's review against another edition
3.0
Nota real: 3.5
Una historia de terror típica, que sigue la premisa de muchas otras novelas, cuentos y películas.
Cuando una familia decide comprar un hermoso departamento ubicado al frente de un cementerio, no se imaginan los escalofriantes sucesos que empezarán a experimentar. En teoría, este libro tiene todo para ser un gran relato de terror y hay momentos verdaderamente inquietantes.
Por ejemplo, una escena, me recordó tal cual a lo que ocurre en la película Annabelle, cuando la protagonista baja al sótano del edificio, las luces se apagan, la actividad paranormal comienza y -por supuesto- en ese momento el elevador no responde. Quizá los productores se inspiraron en este libro (porque es anterior a la película). Del mismo modo, el elemento de tener una niña pequeña que es muy receptiva a los fantasmas y demonios, me hizo pensar en Poltergeist.
En fin, la verdad es que es una historia decente, con buenos momentos de tensión, pero a la cual le falta chispa. Estoy segura de que a muchos lectores no les encantará que el ritmo de las manifestaciones fantasmales sea lento. A mí, en particular, no me molestó. Sencillamente hubiera querido un poco más de desarrollo sobre la causa del fenómeno.
El final es original, por lo que aplaudo a la autora. En fin, este es de esos libros que mientras más pienso, me va gustando un poquito más, pero a la vez, mientras lo leía, no llegué a sentir la tensión que me han provocado otras historias similares dentro del género.
Una lectura decente para quienes estén buscando ampliar su panorama con autores japoneses de terror.
Una historia de terror típica, que sigue la premisa de muchas otras novelas, cuentos y películas.
Cuando una familia decide comprar un hermoso departamento ubicado al frente de un cementerio, no se imaginan los escalofriantes sucesos que empezarán a experimentar. En teoría, este libro tiene todo para ser un gran relato de terror y hay momentos verdaderamente inquietantes.
Por ejemplo, una escena, me recordó tal cual a lo que ocurre en la película Annabelle, cuando la protagonista baja al sótano del edificio, las luces se apagan, la actividad paranormal comienza y -por supuesto- en ese momento el elevador no responde. Quizá los productores se inspiraron en este libro (porque es anterior a la película). Del mismo modo, el elemento de tener una niña pequeña que es muy receptiva a los fantasmas y demonios, me hizo pensar en Poltergeist.
En fin, la verdad es que es una historia decente, con buenos momentos de tensión, pero a la cual le falta chispa. Estoy segura de que a muchos lectores no les encantará que el ritmo de las manifestaciones fantasmales sea lento. A mí, en particular, no me molestó. Sencillamente hubiera querido un poco más de desarrollo sobre la causa del fenómeno.
El final es original, por lo que aplaudo a la autora. En fin, este es de esos libros que mientras más pienso, me va gustando un poquito más, pero a la vez, mientras lo leía, no llegué a sentir la tensión que me han provocado otras historias similares dentro del género.
Una lectura decente para quienes estén buscando ampliar su panorama con autores japoneses de terror.
windphoenix98's review against another edition
4.0
I have a mixed feelings with this. I love the story overall. Really got into it. But that ending is kinda abrupt. Or maybe I was just hoping for more detailed on what happened. A bit of a slow start but it gets really interesting later on. For some reason the part that scares my imagination the most is the taxi scene where the taxi driver said he saw bunch of people at the temple staring at the couple and thought they were their grandchildren. Idk thinking about it just gives me chill. Anyway, I still can't ignore my hate towards teppei and masao. Teppei especially for literally cheating on his first wife?? I wish there is more to this. Like the revenge is specifically to him lol. I don't care how good he is now but he barely show remorse of what he had done to the point his first wife commited suicide. Tatsuji was right to get mad to his brother about this. Tatsuji just becomes more annoying reaching the end though lmao.
swirls's review against another edition
4.0
A great October read. I really enjoy this type of slow build from general creepiness to outright terror.
wednesday's review against another edition
It may have been the translation, but the language just wasn’t doing it for me.
tabsp's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jayfr's review against another edition
1.0
I had to flounce this, 35% in and about to die from boredom.
bread_mountain's review against another edition
2.0
A good ghost story ruined by a painfully boring first half and terrible writing. (Actually I suspect the translation is to blame but I can't be sure. )
Every paragraph has multiple cliches and idioms that I feel were added by the translator, because occasionally there will just be a line like "as the saying goes" followed by a Japanese saying that could have been replaced by a corollary in American English.
Every plot point is repeated over and over again. They really hammer home the fact that there are storage units in the basement. Are you sure that's a concept you can understand? Storage units? In the basement? You store stuff in them. They're in the basement. Just the same info repeated endlessly.
And almost every emotion and motivation is plainly stated. There's a sentence that's something like "Misao moved the salt shaker around on the table. This action was a manifestation of her anxiety." I imagine this is what it would be like if George Lucas had written novelizations of the Star Wars prequels.
Finally, and least importantly, the graveyard that has cursed this apartment building dates all the way back to... the 1920s. That's only 60 years before this book was published. Why make the cemetery so modern? It's just kind of funny to me.
Every paragraph has multiple cliches and idioms that I feel were added by the translator, because occasionally there will just be a line like "as the saying goes" followed by a Japanese saying that could have been replaced by a corollary in American English.
Every plot point is repeated over and over again. They really hammer home the fact that there are storage units in the basement. Are you sure that's a concept you can understand? Storage units? In the basement? You store stuff in them. They're in the basement. Just the same info repeated endlessly.
And almost every emotion and motivation is plainly stated. There's a sentence that's something like "Misao moved the salt shaker around on the table. This action was a manifestation of her anxiety." I imagine this is what it would be like if George Lucas had written novelizations of the Star Wars prequels.
Finally, and least importantly, the graveyard that has cursed this apartment building dates all the way back to... the 1920s. That's only 60 years before this book was published. Why make the cemetery so modern? It's just kind of funny to me.
andipants's review against another edition
3.0
This book was interesting, but veeeeery slow for much of the story. There are a handful of creepy scenes scattered throughout, but so many pages are taken up with the characters discussing or agonizing over them afterwards, or even just scenes of everyday life, that it's hard to find any sense of urgency until the last few chapters. It's also never exactly clear what the nature of the threat is, nor what the connection to the abandoned construction project might be, even at the very end; I understand leaving a fair amount up to the imagination (because that's almost always creepier than anything the writer could communicate on the page), but I found the lack of even indirect hints here more dissatisfying than anything else. The issue of the main characters' guilt over Teppei's first wife also never really seemed to go anywhere, and I'm not sure what it added to the story.
That said, it was an interesting story, and some of the creepy bits were pretty creepy, if sometimes a bit predictable. I liked the main characters and found them compelling. A solid fair-to-middling, I'd say.
That said, it was an interesting story, and some of the creepy bits were pretty creepy, if sometimes a bit predictable. I liked the main characters and found them compelling. A solid fair-to-middling, I'd say.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
3.0
This book didn't hit on many of my personal fright buttons, but it's such a well-written psychological case study it grabbed my attention and held on tight. A couple with a young daughter moves into an apartment in a new high-rise that seems too good to be true. It would be perfect in every way, except for that graveyard next door. See where this is going? Then the other tenants start moving out of the building, the elevator develops a nasty habit of trapping people in the basement, and by the time the couple realizes they need to get out, it may be too late. Koike does a really good job of slowly tightening the vise until the tension is almost too much to handle. Fair warning, though—if you're like me and prefer thrillers with tidy endings, this book will leave you wanting in that regard.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
2.0
This book was ok but not something I would ever read again.