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A review by unculturedbookclub
Strangers by Taichi Yamada
3.5
This is my first time reading a translated book so I don't have any frame of reference for what they're usually like, but I went in expecting the writing to be a little awkward. Although it is stilted at points, I found it a strangely appealing way to read.
The story itself is very touching and sweet, save for a few outdated instances of the male gaze. I love ghost stories and found this to be increasingly creepy as it went on, culminating in some pretty spooky imagery. The protagonist isn't perfect, or even particularly likeable at points, but that makes what happens around him all the more interesting as we're constantly changing our minds about what he deserves and how things should end. This was a very engaging and super quick read, so I'd recommend it to anyone interested in ghost stories. I'm led to believe the recent movie, All of Us Strangers is a superior reimagining of this, so I'm excited to see that.
The story itself is very touching and sweet, save for a few outdated instances of the male gaze. I love ghost stories and found this to be increasingly creepy as it went on, culminating in some pretty spooky imagery. The protagonist isn't perfect, or even particularly likeable at points, but that makes what happens around him all the more interesting as we're constantly changing our minds about what he deserves and how things should end. This was a very engaging and super quick read, so I'd recommend it to anyone interested in ghost stories. I'm led to believe the recent movie, All of Us Strangers is a superior reimagining of this, so I'm excited to see that.