Reviews - Ring | The StoryGraph

1.77k reviews for:

Ring

Kōji Suzuki

3.57 AVERAGE

time_travel_tragedy's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Other than the rampant sexism throughout, I had a great time. And I am so intrigued to continue this series. It loses a star because of the sexism lol

lori85's review against another edition

3.0

Surprisingly, this is closer to science fiction than horror, what with all the virus stuff. The opening chapter is quiet creepy, but most of the book is just two guys investigating.

Also has a lot of gender-related issues. Protagonist Asakawa talks to his wife like she's a dumb child ("Go back to bed!") and is only mildly disgusted by his buddy's rape confession. Instead it's treated like another example of Ryuji's eccentricity. Another woman

Spoiler

is repeatedly misgendered when it is learned that she is intersex

.

Definitely one of the rare cases of the movie (The Ring) being an improvement over the book.

youkimyers's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

ilooklikebarb's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

megannbee's review

4.75

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

emmalouix's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 14%

Appallingly written.

cadimy's review against another edition

3.0

dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Content Warnings

cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition

2.0

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

read_amanda_read's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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: Complicated

zakcebulski's review against another edition

2.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

Yeah, this book was something.
I thought it was pretty sloggy admittedly. I thought that the premise was interesting, but, past that I just don't really give a damn.
I thought that the inclusion of Ryuji being a rapist and having it be revealed that WOW he was not a rapist was super fucking uncomfortable. To me, this might be a controversial take, but, having the more competent of your two protagonists be a proud serial rapist is terrible. And having the big reveal be that gasp he was a virgin and possibly didn't rape anybody doesn't make things better. Why would Asakawa want to befriend a rapist???
Asakawa was unlikable and extremely frustrating. LIke... just do something fucking goddamn christ. He is the main protagonist of a horror/ procedural novel, and is inept to a crazy degree. He would have died had it not been for again an admitted rapist. What in the fuck?

The reveal of Sadako's curse as being conveyed by not only the videotape, but the charm as bein creating copies of the tape was well done. I think that that was the highlight of the book. I also thought that the reveal of Asakawa's wife and daughter watching the videotape was a great "oh fuck" moment. The stakes are immediately established.

Overall, this book was not for me. There are some good parts. The backstory of Sadako is interesting and quite tragic, but unfortunately about everything outside of that is terrible.

Content Warnings

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