Scan barcode
madbrad22's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It's not a perfect novel, but I was absolutely fascinated by it! I loved the pace of it, the dreary, almost dreamlike atmosphere, how the protagonist describes the physical and emotional sensations of stealing, his methods of stealing! Though it was somewhat clumsily executed, I was also intrigued by its themes of fate.
corrye_11's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rubenlibro's review
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
eyeofeel's review
4.25
I really enjoyed it. More than I thought I would. Ive never really read much crime stuff on my own and I need to read more I guess
pumpkin_heist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Barely pushed through this misogynistic bullshit.
leicadiz's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
dee9401's review against another edition
3.0
I've been a huge fan of Japanese crime/mystery fiction ever since I read Out by Natsuo Kirino. I started devouring Japanese noir books, loving Kirino, Kenzo Kitakata and some of Miyuki Miyabe's novels. I read a so-so review of the Thief in the Washington Post. It said that it wasn't a thriller or action-packed, but it seemed more of a reflection on the main character, a pickpocket. I thought that that's exactly what I loved about Japanese fiction I've read. The books I've read are a social critique of class, culture and regionalism.
Having just finished the book, I was a little disappointed. The book never really took off for me. I was interested in the story. Actually, there were two stories, one involving a criminal activity and one a father-son type relationship the main character develops with a young boy who seems to be a thief in the making. I think the author should have spent more time developing the relationship aspect. He could have moved the criminal part to the background.
Some have said this book is minimalist, but I think it's more underdeveloped. There was potential and I did want to finish the book and see what happened. For the first third or half of the book, I was thinking that I'd give it four stars. It finished off at three and I think that's about right for me.
Having just finished the book, I was a little disappointed. The book never really took off for me. I was interested in the story. Actually, there were two stories, one involving a criminal activity and one a father-son type relationship the main character develops with a young boy who seems to be a thief in the making. I think the author should have spent more time developing the relationship aspect. He could have moved the criminal part to the background.
Some have said this book is minimalist, but I think it's more underdeveloped. There was potential and I did want to finish the book and see what happened. For the first third or half of the book, I was thinking that I'd give it four stars. It finished off at three and I think that's about right for me.
hllreka's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
"I thought about my own mortality, about what I had done with my life until now. Reaching out my hands to steal, I had turned my back on everything, rejected community, rejected wholesomeness and light. I had built a wall arround myself and lived by sneaking into the gaps in the darkness of life".
pg. 113
Seperti biasa ya, literatur Jepang dengan cara dan kekhasannya sendiri membuat pembaca merenungkan hal2 yg rumit untuk dipahami dan ditelaah.
This book is more than a criminal fiction but closer to literary fiction, how psychology's and social aspect from the life of pickpocket person, with a bunch of philosophy about the living, death, morality and fate.
Dan, selain sosok protagonis yg nasibnya menyedihkan, kita juga diperlihatkan gmn pandangan seorang kriminal (laten) memandang sebuah kehidupan yg dijamin bikin kamu kesel sendiri baca petuah2 nya.
pg. 113
Seperti biasa ya, literatur Jepang dengan cara dan kekhasannya sendiri membuat pembaca merenungkan hal2 yg rumit untuk dipahami dan ditelaah.
This book is more than a criminal fiction but closer to literary fiction, how psychology's and social aspect from the life of pickpocket person, with a bunch of philosophy about the living, death, morality and fate.
Dan, selain sosok protagonis yg nasibnya menyedihkan, kita juga diperlihatkan gmn pandangan seorang kriminal (laten) memandang sebuah kehidupan yg dijamin bikin kamu kesel sendiri baca petuah2 nya.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
Brief but beautifully evocative, sparse yet hugely informative, THE THIEF is another example of Japanese noir sensibility. Told in first person, Nishimura is a pickpocket who targets the rich by preference. Working his highly skilled way through the crowds of Tokyo, he's an unrepentant thief, and a fragile man. Manipulated into a much bigger crime by the gangster Kizaki, Nishimura's life might be spiralling out of control, yet he is still able to reach out to a young boy. The relationship between the man and the boy is touching and poignant as he gives advice on the best way to steal, whilst trying to find a way out of a bad home life and into some sort of future.
Whilst there is action built into the plot, the main focus of THE THIEF for this reader, was the characters. Drawn with deft strokes that give you a clear view of a vulnerable young boy, his driven and desperate mother, and the crime boss Kizaki - calm, determined, vicious and dangerous.
Into every reader's life a book like THE THIEF really should creep. Precise and compact, the style of storytelling feeds the reader's imagination with sufficient detail of the place, and the atmosphere of Nishimura's Tokyo. That brevity also draws a fascinating portrait of the man himself, the matter-of-factness of observation leaving the reader to interpret the causes and outcomes of each event. Even for such a slim volume, it really should have come with a warning about reading late into the night.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-thief-fuminori-nakamura
Whilst there is action built into the plot, the main focus of THE THIEF for this reader, was the characters. Drawn with deft strokes that give you a clear view of a vulnerable young boy, his driven and desperate mother, and the crime boss Kizaki - calm, determined, vicious and dangerous.
Into every reader's life a book like THE THIEF really should creep. Precise and compact, the style of storytelling feeds the reader's imagination with sufficient detail of the place, and the atmosphere of Nishimura's Tokyo. That brevity also draws a fascinating portrait of the man himself, the matter-of-factness of observation leaving the reader to interpret the causes and outcomes of each event. Even for such a slim volume, it really should have come with a warning about reading late into the night.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-thief-fuminori-nakamura