Reviews

Kasha by Miyuki Miyabe

oreomilksake's review against another edition

3.0

Sangat menarik! Buku ini membuat pembaca seakan-akan adalah detektif yang membantu Inspektur Honma dalam menyelasaikan kasus hilangnya Shoko Sekine. Sayangnya, cerita berakhir "gantung", yang bikin saya cukup kecewa.

Cerita dimulai dengan datangnya Jun—sepupu dari istrinya Honma—ke tempat tinggal Honma untuk meminta bantuan mencari tahu hilangnya tunangan Jun—Shoko Sekine.

Setelah menyetujui permintaan Jun, Honma mulai mengumpulkan informasi terkait Shoko Sekine dan mendapatkan bahwa ada seseorang yang mengambil identitas Shoko.

Setelah segala data dikumpulkan, Honma menemukan informasi baru tentang Kyoko Shinjo yang dicurigai sebagai orang yang telah mengambil identitas Shoko. Setelah diselidiki lebih lanjut, terbukti bahwa Kyoko adalah orang yang mengambil identitas Shoko.

Saya benar-benar menikmati petualangan saya, membantu Honma dalam menemukan Shoko Sekine. Tapi sayangnya, petualangan saya berakhir ketika Honma sudah bertemu dengan Kyoko. Padahal saya penasaran dengan cerita dari sudut pandang Kyoko Shinjo, juga penasaran apa yang akan dilakukan Honma terhadapnya.

Tapi secara keseluruhan, buku ini OK.

kokeshi8's review against another edition

1.0

Siento que perdí horas preciosas leyendo este libro que no llegó a ningún lado. Si bien no me molestan los finales abiertos, éste es horrible, casi un insulto a quienes dedicaron tiempo a terminarlo.

devvvika's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

siria's review against another edition

3.0

This is quite readable, though I'm not entirely sure why. I found the characterisations quite distant (possibly because of the translation), the mystery not terribly mysterious (mostly focused on finding out how the crime was achieved, not why or by whom), and the ending quite abrupt. Yet some of the book's central themes—the dangers of materialism, of the credit system and how people get caught up in it—are sadly just as relevant now as they were when this book was written in the early 90s. My favourite aspect of the novel, and certainly the one which kept me reading, was Miyabe's description of Japanese society. The description of the family registers used as forms of personal identification were fascinating to me, as were the various social norms and pressures which conditioned and restricted character actions.

serendipity421's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder

katepowellshine's review against another edition

2.0

One of the most boring "thrillers" I've read. It's probably the translator's fault that the prose is clunky and explanations of Japanese bureaucracy are shoehorned into dialogue. But the characters are cardboard cutouts, and their reasoning often seems far from logical. Perhaps it's a cultual difference, but I've read plenty of other books by Japanese authors without having that problem. Our detective protagonist makes wild assumptions that turn out to be accurate. I just couldn't buy it. And because the bulk of the book is taken up with his investigative interviews, every interesting event occurs in summary. Nothing in scene. Yawn.

made_in_dna's review against another edition

5.0

A stunning look at Japanese society, economy (consumer lending culture in particular), culture and more in the 90s. Eye-opening and extremely well-researched (without being heavy or boring) by Miyuki Miyabe. Fiction that tells a very real story of one woman trying to disappear, and the police investigator trying to find her.

Riveting, well-written contemporary fiction by one of Japan's most popular and prolific female writers. I've heard this book is even used in some Western universities to study Japanese literature. Well worth your time. You'll race through the 300 pages in no time and want more!

nath_py's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Kidnapping

riskayourina's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The ending is the best part!

cleheny's review against another edition

4.0

I found this on my parents' bookshelf when I was visiting over the holiday. I am glad that I decided to give it a try. Miyabe writes an absorbing mystery about stolen identities and the harsh consequences of debt in early '90's Japan. I have mixed feelings about the ending; it is a brilliant stroke, given the development of the mystery, but part of me wishes Miyabe had written one more chapter.

I also liked the detective she developed, and I'm disappointed that Honma and his family (biological and extended) are not ongoing characters in Miyabe's other books (at least the ones I've been able to find summaries of). All in all, a well-written and compelling story.