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arthuraugustyn's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed this book the second time through it. First read it when it came out and revisited for the television show (which has nothing to do with the book). Adelstein's narrative voice is so important at hooking the reader. He's got a good sense of humor as well as a classic observational ability necessary for any reporter. He adds weight to mundane details of Japanese life and fills in cultural context throughout the story.
My only gripe is there's not a good connective thread across the whole book. You meet these array of characters in Part 1 and assume they'll be central to the story but all of Adelstein's colleagues only exist for one chapter. Even the mentor figure — Sekiguchi — disappears for huge portions of the book. I understand this is more of a memoir than an actual story, but at some point it felt like I was reading a new book in a different world. That's probably true to life, but it took some of the momentum out of the storytelling. Especially because the ending is such a bummer... but there's a lot of honesty and truth in that ending too (specifically the nature of Adelstein's "big scoop" isn't the result of his skill as a reporter, but because he was basically played).
Since reading this the first time 10 years ago, I haven't found a better book about 1) journalism how it really is or 2) Japanese culture. It seems the veracity of the book's details have been disputed, but even if the broad strokes of the crime stories were inaccurate, it's really the storytelling that makes such an impact.
My only gripe is there's not a good connective thread across the whole book. You meet these array of characters in Part 1 and assume they'll be central to the story but all of Adelstein's colleagues only exist for one chapter. Even the mentor figure — Sekiguchi — disappears for huge portions of the book. I understand this is more of a memoir than an actual story, but at some point it felt like I was reading a new book in a different world. That's probably true to life, but it took some of the momentum out of the storytelling. Especially because the ending is such a bummer... but there's a lot of honesty and truth in that ending too (specifically the nature of Adelstein's "big scoop" isn't the result of his skill as a reporter, but because he was basically played).
Since reading this the first time 10 years ago, I haven't found a better book about 1) journalism how it really is or 2) Japanese culture. It seems the veracity of the book's details have been disputed, but even if the broad strokes of the crime stories were inaccurate, it's really the storytelling that makes such an impact.
thechris's review against another edition
4.0
This book was absolutely amazing. Being a systems administrator in the midwest, I didn't think I would have much connection/empathy/whatnot to organized crime in Japan. However, Adelstein had no problem immersing me in this world so completely that I had no choice but to feel what he was telling me to feel.
The other amazing part of this book, which bumped it from four stars to five, was reading it and talking to my wife. My wife is a long time journalist who worked the cops/courts beat. I always teased my wife about working in journalism. The long hours, the crap pay, the insane politics, the even crazier editors, etc. After reading this book, I think I understand a bit better why she does it.
The other amazing part of this book, which bumped it from four stars to five, was reading it and talking to my wife. My wife is a long time journalist who worked the cops/courts beat. I always teased my wife about working in journalism. The long hours, the crap pay, the insane politics, the even crazier editors, etc. After reading this book, I think I understand a bit better why she does it.
amandinegrt's review against another edition
4.0
Tokyo Vice est une lecture très agréable mais à la 4e de couverture extrêmement trompeuse.
Je m’attendais à lire l’histoire du scoop du journaliste Jake Adelstein qui l’a fait avoir de gros ennuis avec l’un des chefs d’une organisation de yakuzas, alors qu’au final, le livre est plutôt un résumé de la carrière de journaliste de Jake, de ses débuts à sa reconversion.
Au final, le scoop sur la greffe de foie, vendue sur la 4e de couverture et dans le prologue, ne concerne qu’une cinquantaine de pages à peine, à la toute fin du livre. Pour ce point-là, je suis assez déçue.
Un autre problème est l’aspect roman donné à l’histoire (en lisant les remerciements, je vois que c’est un parti pris de la traduction français). Je trouve que ça rend la lecture moins intéressante, car trop entrecoupée. Chaque chapitre aborde une enquête différente de Jake, et la succession de ces tranches de vie ne se prête pas, pour moi, à une lecture en roman. J’ai trouvé ça confus, et ça m’a laissé sur ma faim plus d’une fois.
Un dernier problème est la tendance du narrateur à se répéter sur certaines informations ou ne pas expliciter d’autres informations suffisamment. Sur de nombreux chapitres, je me suis sentie flouée, à ne pas avoir réellement le fin de mot de l’histoire ou à simplement passer trop vite sur son dénouement.
Le narrateur se perd en anecdotes, n’en fini pas certaines, mais ça amène aussi le charme du livre qui fait que nous sommes plongé, réellement, dans le Japon des années 90-2000. Si j’ai commencé ma lecture sans y rien connaître, j’en sors désormais avec beaucoup plus de connaissances.
Au final, je n’ai pas forcément trouvé ce que je cherchais à la base dans cette histoire mais je n’en sors pas déçue. Ça reste une lecture complète et captivante à de nombreux moments qui mériterait d’être marketé correctement.
Je m’attendais à lire l’histoire du scoop du journaliste Jake Adelstein qui l’a fait avoir de gros ennuis avec l’un des chefs d’une organisation de yakuzas, alors qu’au final, le livre est plutôt un résumé de la carrière de journaliste de Jake, de ses débuts à sa reconversion.
Au final, le scoop sur la greffe de foie, vendue sur la 4e de couverture et dans le prologue, ne concerne qu’une cinquantaine de pages à peine, à la toute fin du livre. Pour ce point-là, je suis assez déçue.
Un autre problème est l’aspect roman donné à l’histoire (en lisant les remerciements, je vois que c’est un parti pris de la traduction français). Je trouve que ça rend la lecture moins intéressante, car trop entrecoupée. Chaque chapitre aborde une enquête différente de Jake, et la succession de ces tranches de vie ne se prête pas, pour moi, à une lecture en roman. J’ai trouvé ça confus, et ça m’a laissé sur ma faim plus d’une fois.
Un dernier problème est la tendance du narrateur à se répéter sur certaines informations ou ne pas expliciter d’autres informations suffisamment. Sur de nombreux chapitres, je me suis sentie flouée, à ne pas avoir réellement le fin de mot de l’histoire ou à simplement passer trop vite sur son dénouement.
Le narrateur se perd en anecdotes, n’en fini pas certaines, mais ça amène aussi le charme du livre qui fait que nous sommes plongé, réellement, dans le Japon des années 90-2000. Si j’ai commencé ma lecture sans y rien connaître, j’en sors désormais avec beaucoup plus de connaissances.
Au final, je n’ai pas forcément trouvé ce que je cherchais à la base dans cette histoire mais je n’en sors pas déçue. Ça reste une lecture complète et captivante à de nombreux moments qui mériterait d’être marketé correctement.
caedocyon's review against another edition
3.0
Not particularly polished writing, and the author, a Jewish American reporter who speaks fluent Japanese and works as a crime journalist at a Japanese newspaper, at least does a decent job not hiding how patriarchal he and his profession are. The book is successful as a peek at Japanese culture and daily life, and how their criminal justice system works and doesn't.
scarylions's review against another edition
Gonna return to this later. I would like to own it and not read the ebook.
blevins's review against another edition
4.0
Non-fiction book set in Tokyo that covers two topics really well--what it is like to work for a Japanese newspaper and various elements of the Japanese criminal world. Tokyo Vice is pretty good if you are into either of these topics. It's sordid, gripping, interesting.
Book follows Adelstein as he begins to work as a lowly reporter--the only American on staff on Japan's largest paper--and learn the ropes. He works the police beat. This leads him to cover the yakuza, prostitution, Japan's crazy sex laws, homicide cases, etc etc. He especially gets drawn into the human trafficking world that was rife in Japan during the years Adelstein was a reporter--through the '90s mostly.
If you are into Japan, crime or journalism at all--this is recommended.
Book follows Adelstein as he begins to work as a lowly reporter--the only American on staff on Japan's largest paper--and learn the ropes. He works the police beat. This leads him to cover the yakuza, prostitution, Japan's crazy sex laws, homicide cases, etc etc. He especially gets drawn into the human trafficking world that was rife in Japan during the years Adelstein was a reporter--through the '90s mostly.
If you are into Japan, crime or journalism at all--this is recommended.
mcordell's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
2.75
Strains credulity when the dialog reads like a movie but is meant to be non fiction