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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved everything about this book. There were moments with almost every character that I felt deeply connected to them and the way they felt.
Not being from Japan but reading primarily Japanese authors, I have a big map of Japan that I pull out when I read books that focus a lot on location and scenery to understand and get more context. Still, the opening of this book, and many chapters, felt like they just spent too much time describing places to an extent they didn’t need to be. The opening was needlessly dry, I tried the book months ago and couldn’t get into it for that reason. That’s what knocked it down from 5 stars for me. It was just too much and unnecessary to the plot.
Not being from Japan but reading primarily Japanese authors, I have a big map of Japan that I pull out when I read books that focus a lot on location and scenery to understand and get more context. Still, the opening of this book, and many chapters, felt like they just spent too much time describing places to an extent they didn’t need to be. The opening was needlessly dry, I tried the book months ago and couldn’t get into it for that reason. That’s what knocked it down from 5 stars for me. It was just too much and unnecessary to the plot.
A powerful and well written story of the psychological issues behind loneliness, murder, and secrets. A complex story of what people expect and what reality has in store for them.
3.5 out of 5 stars. A great read for fans of mystery and human nature stories.
3.5 out of 5 stars. A great read for fans of mystery and human nature stories.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
I must admit that I think the book is actually brilliantly executed but my rating merely reflects my enjoyment of the read which wasn't particularly great. That is because this book is more of a psychological thriller which I do not usually enjoy these days. I did get this book in 2012 so I may have enjoyed it back then more than I just did. Everyone... absolutely <b>everyone</b> in this novel was lonely and that was just so so sad.
This book...was okay. I liked the slice of life descriptions and around the end the book gets really gripping. The multiple POVs worked well too and I was actually able to keep the characters straight quickly in this, something that is pretty rare for me most of the time. Might write a more detailed review later.
if the ending is meant to be taken literally then i’d bump this down, cause it ruins what was such a sweet lil love story
若い女性の変死体発見。容疑者は現在逃走中…タイトルの『悪人』は逃亡中の容疑者のことだろうか。法律上、殺人は重罪だが、感情的に、殺人者が必ずしも悪であるとは限らないし、殺害された者、または間接的に関係のある第三者が必ずしも善であるとは限らない。作者は登場人物の背景や人物の相互作用の織り交ぜ方などの解説が得意で、社会の底辺にいる人々の孤独、戸惑い、葛藤、絶望をうまく描いてしまう。無数の憎むべき人々が可哀想な人々と混ざり合い、最終的に最も憎むべき人々は罰せられず、最も罪のない人々は常に苦しんでいる。悪人は誰？
I loved every bit of this.
Shūichi Yoshida’s Villain is not a typical crime novel - I mean, none of his books are, just look at Parade.
Though a murder (the one of a 21 y/o woman who is very much depicted as a liar and a vixen - and semi-rightfully so, I would add?) is at the centre of the narration, the novel is more about everyone else BUT the murdered woman, and damn, it works.
When someone dies, you don't really get their bit of the story. What you get is what's left behind: people, messages, memories. A reality that goes on, while one single person is forever still.
I gasped a couple times, even shed a tear: I became angry at thinking about Yoshino's last moments, even though she was quite unbearable. Well, actually, she was definitely insufferable.
Many mention the writing style as a "turn off" for this novel - the ever-changing viewpoints — third person and first person — might occasionally be confusing, OK, but, given the nature of the story, they are more of a strong point rather than anything else.
Indeed, this narrative structure, paired with a very clear prose, not only gives the reader a well-rounded picture of a group of people struggling to readjust to life after the murder, but also highlights a portait of modern Japan, and shares an insight into the crippling loneliness and melancholy of our times.
Again, loved it. Would read it many more times.
Pick it up, buy it, give it a chance, because it's worth it.
Shūichi Yoshida’s Villain is not a typical crime novel - I mean, none of his books are, just look at Parade.
Though a murder (the one of a 21 y/o woman who is very much depicted as a liar and a vixen - and semi-rightfully so, I would add?) is at the centre of the narration, the novel is more about everyone else BUT the murdered woman, and damn, it works.
When someone dies, you don't really get their bit of the story. What you get is what's left behind: people, messages, memories. A reality that goes on, while one single person is forever still.
I gasped a couple times, even shed a tear: I became angry at thinking about Yoshino's last moments, even though she was quite unbearable. Well, actually, she was definitely insufferable.
Many mention the writing style as a "turn off" for this novel - the ever-changing viewpoints — third person and first person — might occasionally be confusing, OK, but, given the nature of the story, they are more of a strong point rather than anything else.
Indeed, this narrative structure, paired with a very clear prose, not only gives the reader a well-rounded picture of a group of people struggling to readjust to life after the murder, but also highlights a portait of modern Japan, and shares an insight into the crippling loneliness and melancholy of our times.
Again, loved it. Would read it many more times.
Pick it up, buy it, give it a chance, because it's worth it.
I really need to learn to stop reading translations by Philip Gabriel.
I wasn’t quite understanding the point of the book, because the mystery is solved about midway through, but I realized it’s very [a:Kanae|6426380|Kanae Minato|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1473896309p2/6426380.jpg]sque crime fiction that focuses more on how different characters react to a crime (I was also reminded of the deliquent-couple-on-the-run arc from [b:Real World|2119409|Real World|Natsuo Kirino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320479929l/2119409._SY75_.jpg|2124845].) There was a nice little twist at the end, and I enjoyed the novel's take on the essentially morally gray nature of crime and compliance.
Shuichi Yoshida is an expert at building both sympathy and suspicion for the characters in Villian, and plays an intricate game with the reader with strategic reveals and evidence. The novel is involving and I wanted to gorge myself on it as soon as I was only a few pages in. Yoshida seamlessly moves between characters, expanding his scope around the central murder victim via a game of six degrees of separation. The entire novel questions what it means to be an evil person, a villain, and ends with a chilling question:
"Isn't that what everyone says? That he's the villain in all this? ... Right?"
I highly recommend this novel, it is suspenseful and raw, and parts made me emotional in an unexpected way. This is a novel you will not regret reading, and one of the finest crime novels I have read so far. Yoshida adds another masterpiece proving that Japanese crime fiction is among the finest in a genre that has become world-wide.
"Isn't that what everyone says? That he's the villain in all this? ... Right?"
I highly recommend this novel, it is suspenseful and raw, and parts made me emotional in an unexpected way. This is a novel you will not regret reading, and one of the finest crime novels I have read so far. Yoshida adds another masterpiece proving that Japanese crime fiction is among the finest in a genre that has become world-wide.