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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I loved it. I couldnt begin to guess how it would end, who we would meet or anything!
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Got the sense that characters were quirky for the sake of being quirky and for a thriller it wasn't that interesting, or indeed... thrilling? The pop-culture references were thick, fast and heavy and the movie trailer gives a similar in-your-face annoying vibe in the sense that if I'm not going to like the book; the movie won't be my thing at all.
I found this book on a list of best Japanese novels in translation 2021, and I’m so glad I gave it a shot. A super fun, cinematic read, with characters interesting and distinct enough from one another to keep me flying from chapter to chapter as the POVs change.
I’m actually excited to see a movie adaptation, though honestly I think the book benefits from POC shifts and the movie trailer makes it look as though we’ll be following just Nanao’s storyline throughout.
Is this book high art? No. Are the characters deeply complex and artfully drawn? No. Is it a fun read that’s a great escape from the real world? Absolutely!
The book I’ve read most recently that reminded me the most of this is Red Noise by John P Murphy, another closed environment action movie in a book, but Bullet Train brings a feeling of joie de vivre that’s hard to match. Is it weird to say a book full of assassins, sociopaths, and brutal murders is joyous? Maybe it’s just that the book delivers a villain who’s truly villainous, and protagonists who are anything but heroes, all in a fast-paced package.
I’m actually excited to see a movie adaptation, though honestly I think the book benefits from POC shifts and the movie trailer makes it look as though we’ll be following just Nanao’s storyline throughout.
Is this book high art? No. Are the characters deeply complex and artfully drawn? No. Is it a fun read that’s a great escape from the real world? Absolutely!
The book I’ve read most recently that reminded me the most of this is Red Noise by John P Murphy, another closed environment action movie in a book, but Bullet Train brings a feeling of joie de vivre that’s hard to match. Is it weird to say a book full of assassins, sociopaths, and brutal murders is joyous? Maybe it’s just that the book delivers a villain who’s truly villainous, and protagonists who are anything but heroes, all in a fast-paced package.
Love that this had a much sweeter ending than the movie. Wish I had known about the book first since I kept imagining the actors in the film as I read along
*review tanpa sinopsis*
Maria Beetle adalah novel aksi + misteri dengan banyak POV yang meliuk-liuk seperti jalur shinkansen. Plot buku ini sebagian besar mengandalkan keberuntungan - atau kesialan untuk membawanya ke arah yang tak terduga. Beberapa kebetulan berbuah humor, lainnya membawa bahaya. Mungkin ada pembaca yang akan terganggu dengan hal ini sih, tapi bukan aku, meski sebal juga kalau yang terjadi tak sesuai harapan
Maria Beetle adalah novel aksi + misteri dengan banyak POV yang meliuk-liuk seperti jalur shinkansen. Plot buku ini sebagian besar mengandalkan keberuntungan - atau kesialan untuk membawanya ke arah yang tak terduga. Beberapa kebetulan berbuah humor, lainnya membawa bahaya. Mungkin ada pembaca yang akan terganggu dengan hal ini sih, tapi bukan aku, meski sebal juga kalau yang terjadi tak sesuai harapan
This is a Japanese thriller translated to English by Sam Malissa. We follow 5 assassins on a train who soon find out that their missions may be linked. I picked this up because I loved the movie, this book is fantastic. We read from several POVs which makes the story more interesting as each character has different information that really helps paint the picture of what's happening. I love that this takes place over one train ride and is a little like a locked room mystery. The twists were great not predictable and some people have mentioned the conversations feeling weird but its a very dry humour which I loved. I think this is well worth the read, its slightly different from the film but has added extras that really help fill out each character and really develops their backstories. I also adore the silly codenames they all have, Ladybug, Lemon, Tangerine and we even hear about others in the job too. I was worried that the page count was just gonna show the story is dragged out but I was wrong, you barely notice how chunky this is as each chapter is as good as the next.
Took a while to figure out what the deal was but paid off.
Super quirky and I can see how it is going to be a great movie. I do think there were some issues with the translation that made it a bit of a stilted read